Large Apartment Complex Going Up On Farr

Crews from A & A Construction have begun work on a 72-unit apartment complex at 210 S. Farr Road.

The Pring Corporation and Bill Lawson, owner of A & A Construction, are partners in the venture.

Lawson said rents will range from $470 to $625. A property management company should be chosen in about 10 days to run the apartments, he said.

The developers think the site’s proximity to businesses on Sprague will make it a success.

“There are not many complexes where you’re able to walk out your door and have lunch at four or five different places,” Lawson said.

Initial foundation work has been completed and the structures themselves are currently being raised. The first units will be available for rent in early October, with later openings planned for November and December.

County records and architect’s plans show that the project will be made up of three buildings, containing 24 units each. Each building will be three stories high, with a daylight basement serving as the first story.

The project also includes 38 garage spaces and another 100 outdoor parking spaces.

Al Katzenberger of Wyatt Architects & Associates, the firm that designed the buildings, said the structures sit on 3.5 acres of land.

Video arcade opens

For the owners of Valley Video Family Arcade, business isn’t just fun and games.

It’s cheap fun and games.

The new business, at 12510 E. Sprague near Baskin-Robbins, features air hockey, pool and about 25 stand-up arcade games. But it doesn’t necessarily cost a quarter to shoot digital space aliens or ride the Autobahn on an animated jet bike.

Owners Lily and Sean Custer plan to covert 10 of the store’s game machines to cost just a nickel per play.

“All the games we own will be 5 cents,” Lily Custer said. She said three of the games are already nickel-powered, and others will follow when the store gets new coin slots for them.

Vintage games will tend to be the ones that cost less. The newer, state-of-the-art games the business leases from amusement companies won’t be converted.

The whole nickel-per-play idea makes it easier for younger children to scrape up change for games, Custer said. She said providing a family-friendly atmosphere is the whole idea behind the arcade.

“There’s no smoking, and it’s a controlled atmosphere,” Custer said. “There’s always someone here, so parents can send their kids here and not have to worry about them.”

Assisted living facility planned

Unicare Health Facilities recently announced it will build a new, 60-room assisted living facility at 12903 E. Mission.

Unicare will hold a project ground-breaking ceremony for the Mission Ridge project on Aug. 30.

The center should be complete by spring of 1996. It will feature both private and semi-private rooms. The facility will also provide some basic medical care as well as housekeeping, laundry, and maintenance services.

Mission Ridge will also feature a restaurant-style eating area.

Cathy leaves Cathy’s

Cathy’s Cake Decorating, 14211 E. Sprague, will become A Cake To Remember in September.

Owner Cathy Dorsey started the business 13 years ago. She will retire on Aug. 31, and new owner Anita Dahmen will then take over.

Dahmen has been a cake decorator for 20 years, but this will be her first business.

Dorsey said the business will basically remain the same, handling wedding cakes and other custom cake orders.

Hem House returns

The Hem House, a clothing alteration service, is back in full-time operation at 19222 E. Mission.

The business closed its former Sullivan Square site at the beginning of the year. It moved to its current location shortly thereafter, but only recently began operating on all cylinders again.

Family illnesses prevented the business from completely opening again until August, owner Claudene Uttke said.