Council Considers Fate Of Salty’s Clinkerdagger Planned To Move In; City Wants Land For New Bridge

Spokane City Council members will decide tonight whether to hand over $2.78 million for the former Salty’s at the Falls restaurant and surrounding property.

Restaurant owner Happy Guest International already has signed off on the deal that city officials say is an integral part of the Lincoln Street bridge project.

Sale of the 34,815-square-foot property has been hounded by controversy.

Clinkerdagger’s Seattle-based owner, RUI, announced plans to move its Spokane restaurant into the Salty’s building in December, before signing a lease with Happy Guest. In January, RUI officials learned of the city’s plans to buy the land for the bridge project.

City officials decided to pursue the property after learning of plans to close the restaurant. Building the new bridge around the restaurant would cost at least $2 million because of costly retaining walls and ramps needed to provide access to the property, they said.

The assessed value of the land and building is $1.1 million. While $2.78 million might seem a lot to pay, Phil Williams, the city’s director of planning services, said the sale price is more like a “settlement.”

Building the bridge was likely to upset business at the restaurant, Williams said. He also said that Happy Guest contended “having a bridge way up in the air next to the property … lessened the value.”

Also tonight, the council will:

Consider a $35,567 contract with Ramminger Construction Inc. to fix the crumbling foundation of the gondola shelter in Riverfront Park.

Consider a contract with Potlatch Corp. to take ice storm debris to their wood waste facility in Lewiston, Idaho, for $12 to $15 a ton. This contract will reduce the amount of debris taken to Washington Water Power’s power plant for $18 a ton.

A briefing for the council starts at 3:30 p.m. in the lower-level conference room of City Hall. The meeting begins at 6 p.m.

, DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: MEETING The City Council meets today at 6 p.m. in City Hall.