Automobiles drive new condo development

A local businessman plans to create a community of garage condos for car buffs who need a place to hang their tools.

Bill Hockett, president of Critical Data Inc., recently purchased six acres on the Spokane West Plains for Gasoline Alley Country Club. The land is on Flight Drive, off of U.S. Highway 2, next to Triumph Composite Systems Inc.

The retro-themed community will feature 64 garages that boast individual patios and a town square for hosting car clinics. Buyers will choose from facades patterned after garages from the ‘30s, ‘40s and ‘50s, including options for stucco, wood and distressed metal finishes, Hockett said.

ALSC Architects is designing the units, which will be about the size of a two-car garage. Shells will sell for $89,900. Finished units will include wet bars, flooring and showers, and will sell for $129,900. Some garages will include loft offices – which could become a virtual home away from home for car enthusiasts.

Several garages will be owned by the condo association and will house a car wash and specialty auto repair equipment, such as lift stations, that condo owners can rent, he said.

Hockett, who is developing the condo community with European investors, said he’s currently doing geological testing to look at drainage and determine the suitability of the site. If all goes well, he anticipates applying for a building permit from Spokane County this spring.

The unusual concept evolved over a period of time and marries research with personal interests, he said. Critical Data Inc., a market research firm, was looking at the downtown condo market about five years ago and found that some people were hesitant to purchase condos because of the loss of garage space, he said.

“That was one of the biggest barriers with closing a sale for downtown condo purchasers.”

Hockett said the Spokane area also has a higher-than-average number of classic car buffs, adding that he owns a 1955 Chevy pickup and a 1966 Porsche.

While the units won’t likely appeal to many highbrow car collectors, Hockett anticipates that middle- to upper-middle income car buffs – who either own downtown condos or have limited garage space at their homes – will buy into the concept.

“It’s a country club for people who don’t golf, but love their classic cars.”