Filling All The Spaces Developers Are Rapidly Building Commercial Facilities In The Valley

Winter hasn’t cooled commercial construction in the Spokane Valley.

A strong local business climate and relatively mild weather have helped generate a flurry of building activity.

Current projects include strip malls, restaurants, retail and office buildings, as well as churches.

Developers are filling in gaps at key areas such as Pines and Mission and North Sullivan.

“There’s going to be a fill-in of homes and businesses between Spokane city and Coeur d’Alene,” said Fred Zirkle, president of Zirkle and Co.

“There are more and more outstanding professional groups that are locating in the Valley,” said Zirkle, a business broker.

Those who enjoy living in the Valley now want to work here, too. “People are interested in having their offices closer to their homes,” Zirkle said.

“And as the business climate continues to grow at a rapid pace in Coeur d’Alene,” he said, “the Valley becomes more of a central location.”

Redwood Plaza, a $5 million project at E11707 Sprague, will offer both office and retail space, said owner Hank Grinalds. It should be completed in July.

Retail shops will fill the ground floor of the three-story, 75,000-square-foot building. The upper floors will be devoted to offices.

At the northwest corner of Pines and Mission, developer Jamie Wolff is planning a multi-use, threephase project.

The first phase is a brick building that will house two crafts stores. The next will be a three-story office building for Tomlinson Valley Inc. In the final phase, plans call for a national fast-food restaurant.

Cost of the project is estimated at $4.5 million.

Meanwhile, on the southeast corner of the same intersection, Divine’s Corp. is replacing its Cenex gas station with a new service station, rental car business and possibly a car wash.

And several new businesses will be popping up along North Sullivan.

That makes sense, said Zirkle, considering the area’s easy access to Sprague and I-90.

“Sullivan is one of the hottest spots in the county,” Zirkle said. “There’s a surprising amount of space available for building.”

Among planned undertakings is the Sullivan Project, which includes a Shari’s restaurant and a small retail center. Romax Associates is the the developer.

Another retail building, a four-tenant strip mall at N415 Sullivan, will house a Bruchi’s restaurant, said property owner Marshall Clark, president of Clark Commercial Real Estate Co.

Between Pines and Sullivan, a new Safeway grocery store is being built at Evergreen and Sprague.

While some new businesses are starting up, others are moving to new facilities.

Alvin J. Wolff Inc. Realtors is erecting a $1 million office building just north of Interstate 90, west of Argonne. The Valley apartment developer will move from its offices at E9016 Indiana.

Tomlinson, a real estate office, will move from its current location at Broadway and Pines to Jamie Wolff’s project at Pines and Mission.

Also relocating are RV’s Northwest Inc. and Shear Illusions.

RVs Northwest, now at E4229 Sprague, is building a bigger site at E18919 Broadway. The company’s new location will have a large parts store and repair facility, said its owner, Bill Fishfader.

Shear Illusions, now at N206 Raymond Road, will relocate to a new building at Broadway and Argonne.

Other projects under way are renovations.

Across I-90 from Alvin J. Wolff’s new building, Quality Inns Valley Suites is adding 26 new business suites. The project is scheduled for completion in May.

Central 4-Wheel, north of I-90 and east of Pines, is planning to expand its building soon.

And the former Gloria Jean’s Coffee Bean at Sprague and Gillis will soon be transformed into Winestein’z, according to owner Paul Lindgren. The restaurant will feature microbrews and wines. The main part of the building will be a like a French bistro, he said, while the additional structure will resemble an English pub.

Workers are also busy constructing church buildings.

Valley Assembly of God is building a new sanctuary at E15618 Broadway. The project is estimated at $1.5 million, according to church officials.

The Spokane Valley Seventh Day Adventist Church recently bought property on the southeast corner of Sullivan and 16th. The church will build a new building and move away from the busy Pines and Mission intersection.

These and other projects might seem more visible this winter because snow hasn’t obscured or halted construction.

“You’re seeing more construction now,” said Bill Tibbits, president of Columbia Construction. “People have been able to make more progress.”

Heavy snow temporarily shuts down projects during their initial phases, he said.

“We were able to build shells and put roofs on,” Tibbits said. “A lot of times, you can’t do that” this time of the year.

“This winter, we were able to find windows of opportunity.”

Most construction companies are hoping that the predictions of a harsh winter were unfounded and the worst has already past.

It’s been one of the mildest winters in recent history. Normally, 50 inches of snow fall in Spokane during winter; so far, the area has received only 24 inches.

“The last four out of five years have been pretty good building seasons,” said Bob Townsend, senior project manager at Inland Construction.

And good building seasons come hand-in-hand with healthy growth in the Valley, Zirkle said.

“I think that the commercial building that’s gone up on ArgonneMullan and the widening of Sullivan has awakened an awareness and a focus for Valley developers,” he said.

Zirkle predicts the growth will continue.

His own company recently considered moving its headquarters downtown. Instead, they built a new office in the Valley.

“After looking at the options,” he said, “the Valley was the place to be.”