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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Senior units make extra room

Silver Creek apartments designed to allow tenants to have visitors, care for grandkids

Charles Moore, of Fred’s Plumbing in Hayden, works on the construction site of Silver Creek apartments in Post Falls on Tuesday. The development will offer 42 units at a range of price levels. (Kathy Plonka)

The new Silver Creek senior housing project going up in Post Falls makes one exception in the rules for who’s able to live there.

Generally, occupants of Silver Creek’s 42 units will need to be 55 or older and qualify on the basis of limited income.

But three of the units will be three-bedroom arrangements designed so older residents have rooms for younger guests or family members to stay with them.

“That’s in response to a trend we see in older families,” said Tim Cobb, the project developer with Community Development Inc., the Caldwell, Idaho, company putting up Silver Creek.

“We did this in order that grandparents have enough room to take in or help raise their grandchildren,” he said.

There will also be 18 two-bedroom and 21 one-bedroom apartments. Leases will run for eight or 12 months.

Groundbreaking was last month on the 2.3-acre site, at 573 N. Idahline Road.

It’s costing about $5.6 million to develop the project, which includes adjoining parking spots, green space, a community commons and other amenities. Of that amount, about $750,000 came from federal stimulus money, Cobb said.

Construction should be finished by the fall, with apartments available for moving in by late September, Cobb said.

Ebenal Construction, of Bellingham, is the general contractor. Boise-based Nexus Architecture designed the site.

Cheney development growing

Steve Emtman plans to build 32 more townhouses this year at his Terra Vista development on the south end of Cheney.

The former University of Washington and NFL lineman last year began work on the residential development, which upon completion will have 1,360 housing units. He began with a dozen townhouses and a triplex in 2010.

Emtman, owner of Defender Developments Inc., expects to complete 16 more townhouses this summer and another 16 by year’s end. He also hopes to build single-family homes on nine lots this year.

The 1,770-square-foot, four-bedroom townhouse units will be available to lease, at $1,300 a month, or will sell for a little more than $150,000, Emtman said. Buying a unit would result in a mortgage payment of about $900 a month – an option he figures will appeal to parents of Eastern Washington University students looking for an investment property that can double as student housing.

“When you look at the numbers it makes more sense to buy than rent one of these units,” he said.

Emtman grew up in Cheney and graduated from Cheney High School in 1988. He was a standout on the 1991 national champion UW football team, and he was drafted first overall in 1992 by the Indianapolis Colts.

Frozen yogurt shop opens

Jennifer and Jim Heggenstaller have opened Bluberry Frozen Yogurt at Suite 3 of the Spokane South Hill shopping plaza at 3007 E. 57th Ave., in the former Taco Del Mar space.

This is the couple’s first retail business. They’re leasing about 1,400 square feet.

They are offering 10 flavors of Yocream brand yogurt. The choices include lactose-free, sugar-free and sorbet, said Jennifer Heggenstaller. The assorted toppings include fresh fruit.

It will be open daily, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Downtown Mexican deli closes

DeLeon’s Deli in downtown Spokane has closed, said owner Sergio DeLeon. Some of the Mexican deli’s menu will be offered by the kitchen of adjoining Heroes and Legends, at the corner of Lincoln Street and Riverside Avenue.

After operating for three years in that spot, DeLeon said the eatery needed to cut costs. Though the corner deli is shut down, he’s considering adding steam tables inside Heroes to give the lunch crowd many of the same menu choices.

DeLeon’s grocery and sit-down restaurant at 102 E. Francis Ave. continues operating seven days a week.

Novelties business joins park

A new novelties distribution business has leased space at the Spokane Business & Industrial Park.

EZ Distribution LLC took 5,360 square feet of Building No. 15, park spokeswoman Janine Hamilton said.

The owner of EZ is Rob Eoff.

Reporter Bert Caldwell and Deputy City Editor Scott Maben contributed to this report. Here’s the Dirt is a weekly report on development and business changes in the Inland Northwest. Email business@ spokesman.com or call (509) 459-5528.