Renovations underway for the first tenant of Papillon building

Renovations could be underway soon for a new restaurant in the Papillon building on the north bank of the Spokane River.

Papillon Building LLC has filed plans with the city to install a kitchen, fixtures and tables for the Outsider restaurant at 908 N. Howard St.

Ian Wingate, executive chef of the Wandering Table, applied for liquor and business licenses for the restaurant in November.

Spokane Valley-based Gr8 NW Construction LLC is the project contractor.

Outsider restaurant would be the first tenant in the $80 million Papillon Towers development, which was announced by Selkirk Development last year.

The project calls for rehabilitation and expansion of the former Ram Building into a restaurant and retail and office space, in addition to six- and 12-story towers with five levels of indoor parking.

The project’s developers are attempting to raise $30 million by August to fund the project, which lies in an Opportunity Zone.

Opportunity Zones were created as part of the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 to encourage economic development by allowing investors to forgo taxes on capital gains for a decade.

The project is slated for completion in 2024.