North by Northwest plans studio
North By Northwest Productions is finalizing plans for its new studio at 1209 W. First Ave.
The local company, which produces feature movies, commercials and other projects, is building an 18,000-square foot production studio with an editing room and offices, on land that it purchased recently for $750,000.
The completed project will cost several million, said Rich Cowan, president of North by Northwest.
Much of the nondescript, boxy building that’s currently on the property will be removed and replaced by a two-story building, Cowan said.
“It won’t even be recognizable. It’s almost a completely new building,” he explained.
Hawkeye Construction is doing the work, which could be completed by next February. Cowan said the area, which is near the new BlueRay Technologies Inc. plant, and just down the street from the Fox Theater, was a good fit for the company.
“We just want to be part of the whole downtown arts district. It’s just a really interesting area.”
The 17-year-old company has five partners and about 30 full time workers in Spokane. The company owns a second production company of similar size in Boise.
Cowan said demand for commercials is growing and now that segment of filming makes up about a third of their business.
“We’re doing some commercials for ad agencies as far away as Sacramento,” he said.
Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the company’s work is the creation of feature films. This year the company wrapped up filming “The Diamond Dog Caper” and will soon start on “Golden Door,” a romantic comedy that’s set in New York City but shot in Spokane.
Another North by Northwest film that was shot last fall, “A Thousand Years of Good Prayers” directed by Wayne Wang, will be shown at the upcoming Toronto International Film Festival.
Residence Inn by Marriott to change hands
Equity Inns is acquiring the Residence Inn by Marriott, an 84 room hotel in Spokane Valley, as part of a $90.5 million purchase that includes eight hotels.
The hotels are being purchased from InterMountain, which will continue to manage the properties under a three-year management contract. .
Equity Inns is a publicly-traded company based in Germantown, Tennessee. The company owns 130 hotels in 35 states.
Other properties involved in the transaction are located in Louisiana, New Mexico, Nevada and Missouri. The sale is expected to close by the end of 2007.
New restaurants slated for Argonne Village
A 4,000-square foot retail building is being built in a pad in Argonne Village, on east Montgomery Street.
Permits have been insured for the shell, that’s valued at $450,000 and contains two bays. Preliminary plans show one bay housing a Panda Express restaurant, said Carolbelle Branch, public information officer for the city.
The shell is being built on 1.25 acres of land owned by Romax Associates of Spokane.
Kendall Yards buildings another year or so away
Kendall Yards is moving along but it’s not likely that locals will see any buildings for another year, according Marshall Chesrown, president of Black Rock Development.
“It’s just a lot of preliminary prep work on that site because of all the industrial stuff that was there before,” Chesrown said.
The company is crushing up concrete and asphalt that will become a base for new roads. Avista Utilities will lay underground power lines, he said, and next summer people should start seeing roads and, perhaps, buildings. Chesrown expects to announce the retailers that will be moving into the complex within the next two or three months.