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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

HICO to take site on S. Perry

South Perry Street shoppers are getting a new place to buy food, grab a sandwich, get their shirts pressed and fuel up.

A HICO gas and convenience store is moving into the former Excell Food Store building at 817 S. Perry St. The building has been empty for about three years, leaving residents with a vacant, rundown building and limited shopping options.

John Tonani, general partner of P&T Partners, owner of HICO Village, said the company is in the process of getting permits from the city. The center will be called HICO Market and could open by the end of the year.

The plan includes a convenience store, Laundromat, dry cleaner, Subway restaurant and gas station.

A two-block section of South Perry Street south of the building has been freshened up and remodeled within the last two years. Replicas of old-fashioned street lamps and new sidewalks have been put in and Tonani said HICO Market will blend in with the look.

“We want to remodel the store and enhance the outside look,” he said. “They’ll be a little fountain, very low signage and an old-fashioned canopy over the gas pumps.”

The building is owned by a local investor who is being represented by Tom Quigley of Kiemle & Hagood Co. Gary Bernardo of Bernardo-Wills Architects PC is the architect on the project.

Tonani said the South Perry HICO will have three filling pumps and no car wash.

The HICO Village at 10606 N. Newport Highway has 10 pumps, while the Spokane Valley location at 9219 E. Sprague has eight pumps. Both have car washes. There are four HICOs in Spokane.

Tonani said HICO Market will have the look and feel of the Rocket Market at 726 E. 43 St. P&T Partners owns that South Hill building, which has been converted into a store selling coffee, wine and hard-to-find food items. The Rocket Market also has four fueling pumps.

“The best way to describe us is that we’re the coolest gas station that doesn’t focus on gas,” said Gino Guajardo, a Rocket Market employee.

The South Perry Street HICO will cover 10,000 square feet with about 6,500 devoted to the convenience store. The average convenience store is about 2,500 square feet.

Tonani said the company plans to get a liquor permit to sell beer and wine, but there will be no place to drink on the premises.

“This will have a lot more of a food atmosphere than a gas station,” Tonani said. “We’ll redo the floor. … we’re going to spend a lot of money.” He declined to give the cost of the project.

Tonani said his company also has been working with the neighborhood regarding its requests.

Although he is stressing HICO Village will not just be a gas station, there are concerns.

“It’s nice to have something come in, but it’s not what the neighborhood needs. It needs another grocery store,” said Nick Wood, who has lived in the neighborhood for 10 years.

HICO stations were originally owned by a couple named Hazel and Ivan, thus the name HICO.