The Dirt: Litehouse buys office space in Sandpoint

Litehouse buys office space

Sandpoint-based Litehouse Foods is buying a portion of a Coldwater Creek building in Kootenai, Idaho, to use as its corporate headquarters, the company said in a news release.

Relocating Litehouse’s administrative offices will allow the company to consider expanding its manufacturing and distribution facilities in the current Sandpoint location, the release said. Kootenai is about 3.5 miles northeast of Sandpoint.

The purchase price was not disclosed. The transaction is expected to be finalized by Aug. 1.

Litehouse Foods, founded 50 years ago in Hope, Idaho, makes refrigerated salad dressings, dips, sauces and other food products. It has been employee-owned since 2006.

City plans maintenance hub

The city of Spokane will break ground Friday on a $14 million fleet-maintenance facility called the Nelson Service Center.

The two-story, 57,500-square-foot facility will be located on a city-owned site in the Chief Garry Park neighborhood at 915 N. Nelson St., according to a news release.

It’s expected to be finished in late summer or early fall 2015.

The center will consolidate repair and maintenance of the city’s vehicle fleet. It also will enable the city to convert its solid waste department fleet to compressed natural gas from diesel, a move that the city expects will save $7 million over 10 years.

Consignment shop opens in RPS

Consignment retail shop To Market has opened on the second level of River Park Square, next to Nordstrom.

Owned and operated by Spokane resident Kiley Schenk, the shop has an assortment of consigned items, including toys, candles, jewelry, soaps and creams and other hand-crafted goods. It also sells cards and gift items.

Before opening her storefront business, Schenk tested the waters last winter with a kiosk in River Park Square.

River Park Square is owned by Cowles Co., which also publishes The Spokesman-Review.