Steam Plant Square Called ‘Awesome’ Development Earns High Praise; Tenants Still Hard To Come By

After months of waiting, Spokane finally got to see Steam Plant Square in all its refurbished glory.

And the reviews for the vast development, which has been converted from a grimy industrial space to a polished urban mall, were enthusiastically positive.

“It’s awesome,” said Judie Smith, who was visiting the plant during Tuesday’s open house. “I never knew there was anything this big in Spokane.”

George Nachtsheim, owner of Integrus Architecture, took his praise one step further.

“I think this is the greatest building in town,” said Nachtsheim, who has designed a number of buildings himself. “I think it will become an important part of the downtown scene.”

Located on Lincoln between First and Second, Steam Plant Square combines three buildings into one project: the 1890 Seehorn Building, the 1916 Washington Water Power Co. Central Steam Plant and a new courtyard building bridging the two.

A partnership between WWP and Wells and Co., an architectural and development firm, Steam Plant Square has been in the works since March 1996. Its opening has been delayed a number of times by problems associated with construction and securing government tax credits for historic preservation.

The wait has been worth it, said architect Ron Wells.

“It feels even more dramatic and impressive than I thought it would be,” Wells said

But while most of the construction is done, perhaps the biggest challenge facing Steam Plant Square still remains: renting the 80,000 square feet of retail and office space spread among the three buildings. Thus far, no leases have been signed. Craven’s Coffee Co. is committed to providing coffee for a coffee shop, although the store’s owner and operator have yet to be identified.

The project’s developers are optimistic, however, and WWP’s Kim Pearman-Gillman said 50,000 square feet of the space is under discussion with prospective tenants.

Among the tenants being courted is a restaurant, which will occupy much of the ground floor and be an anchor for the space.

Nachtsheim said the right tenant could stimulate interest that will lease the rest of the space.

“I think it’s going to take someone to come in and do something exciting and daring, then everyone will be lining up,” he said.

The developers’ goal is to have the majority of space leased by spring, allowing for a May grand opening.

Pearman-Gillman acknowledges the difficulty in selling tenants on the unusual space.

“It’s not like it will be easy,” she said. “It’s a challenge to do it.”