Delayed Indiana Avenue Project Expected To Get Started This Spring

Construction of the Indiana Avenue extension, originally planned for fall of 1995, should begin this spring.

The five-lane arterial will link McDonald and Sullivan roads. Hanson Industries is building the road just north of Interstate 90 to serve its Sullivan Park Center, a business and industrial park, and Price Development’s Spokane Valley Mall.

Spokane County requires that all developers building major projects along I-90 provide some sort of alternate route. Planners don’t want the freeway flooded with short-distance traffic.

Dave Carlsen, Hanson’s director of real estate, said the extension was delayed once Price announced the specifics of the mall project. The plan identifies three anchor tenants - JC Penney, The Bon Marche and Sears - and shows space for a fourth. Price plans to have the mall open by August 1997.

Once Hanson had an idea of some of Price’s specific needs, the company decided the Indiana project couldn’t be finished before snow hit.

The winter turned out to be pretty mild, though. “In hindsight, we could have done it,” Carlsen said.

Although no paving began last year, some sewer and water line work was completed.

Hanson will accept bids from road contractors late next month. Since no contractor has been signed yet, the cost of the project has yet to be determined. It is expected to cost around $2 million.

Carlsen said the delay could actually save time and money in the long run, since Hanson won’t have to go back and re-do any of the project to meet with Price’s specifications.

“It wasn’t a negative thing,” he said. “It was a positive thing.”

, DataTimes