U-City, County Strike Deal On Road

A plan to improve University Road is the first substantial sign that University City Shopping Center hasn’t dropped the major expansion announced in 1992.

On Tuesday, county commissioners unanimously approved a proposed agreement with U-City for improvement of University Road.

The four-lane road will be widened to seven lanes between Fourth and Riverside, said county engineer Ron Hormann. A left-turn lane and a lane in each direction will be added.

The $2 million project could begin as soon as this summer, Hormann said.

When Spokane County granted a zone change allowing the mall’s expansion, it required improvements to University Road.

U-City will pay for about $231,000 of the road project, said Orville Barnes, who is president of McCarthy Management and Development Co., a subsidiary of mall manager Goodale & Barbieri.

“If all the things come together, (the expansion) would be a very significant project,” Barnes said.

In addition to beefing up the part of the mall housing Lamonts, Barnes said that space for two more anchor tenants would be added to the 423,972-square-foot mall.