Railroad crossing improvements OK’d

The Cheney City Council approved an agreement Tuesday with the Washington State Department of Transportation to improve pedestrian crossing over the Burlington Northern Santa Fe and the Union Pacific railroads on Cheney-Spangle Road.

Much of the funding for this project comes from the Spokane Regional Transportation Council from other shovel-ready projects the city has completed – the city will receive around $106,000 for the project.

“This is basically the shovel-ready project,” Todd Ableman, the public works director, told the council.

The council also heard from Earl Engle and Scott Person of NAI Black who gave them an update about marketing strategies for the new Cheney Commerce and Industrial Park.

The city held a ribbon-cutting ceremony in October for the park, which Cheney hopes to sell to businesses interested in relocating to the city and owning the buildings. The infrastructure for the park is in place and ready for construction.

Brian Jennings, the director of community development, said the final platting of the park will be completed soon, as well as wetland mitigation.

Engle told the council that the commercial real estate company is sending marketing materials to its commercial real estate agents in Spokane and to all of its NAI agents in the United States to garner interest in the 32 lots that are available to purchase.

Person added that the company has identified 64 industries which may benefit by moving their businesses to Cheney. The company will begin a direct mailing program followed up with phone calls, post cards, and marketing materials tailored specifically to the companies targeted by the real estate agency.