Today's big local business story was the announcement by Walt and Karen Worthy that they're about to begin a plan to build a large headquarter hotel near the Spokane Convention Center.

They acknowledged that the plan is for a very big hotel. About 550,000 square feet. Plus another 300,000 square feet for a garage adjoining the hotel.

By comparison, the historic Davenport Hotel is roughly 250,000 square feet. That takes up a whole block.

So imagine a city block twice as big, that's about the size of the new hotel the Worthys say they're going to start.

Groundbreaking would be the first quarter of 2013. It would likely not be ready until mid to late 2014, according to today's press conference  held downtown.

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