The Dirt: Cheney hotel will expand

Sat., Dec. 26, 2015

By Treva Lind treval@spokesman.com (509) 459-5439

A $5 million project is underway at the Holiday Inn Express in Cheney for expansion and other hotel upgrades.

The 25,000-square-foot addition will add 46 guest rooms and include 2,000 square feet of banquet space for the hotel’s conference center. The hotel, at 111 W. Betz Road, has 76 rooms.

Additionally, the project involves a remodel of the lobby and other common spaces such as the breakfast room, fitness center, business-use area and hallways. After the expansion is completed, plans call for updating older rooms in February or March.

Dori Byrd, general manager, said the hotel started the project in response to numerous sellout dates last year with many of the bookings linked to Eastern Washington University events and stays by railroad maintenance workers.

Avista renovating property

Avista Corp. is starting on a $2.3 million interior renovation of the former AAA Washington property in downtown Spokane, according to city records.

McKinstry Essention Inc. is listed as the contractor for the upgrades at 1717 W. Fourth Ave.

Avista purchased the 2-acre property with two buildings in July for $2 million, with plans to consolidate downtown service operations at the new site. AAA Washington put the property up for sale after moving its downtown operation to a leased space at 1314 S. Grand Blvd.

Firm buys Hutton floor

Anastasi, Moore & Martin PLLC has purchased the sixth floor of the historic downtown Hutton Building from owner Spokane Teachers Credit Union. The terms of the sale weren’t disclosed.

The accounting firm, which employs 42 people, now occupies 9,200 square feet for its new sixth-floor Hutton quarters, at 9 S. Washington St., after moving from leased space at 104 S. Division St.

Founded in 2003, Anastasi, Moore & Martin expects its gross revenue will total $4.5 million this year, compared with $550,000 12 years ago.

The credit union owns and occupies portions of the remaining 105-year-old landmark following a foreclosure in 2012. It moved commercial lending operations there and also has a branch in space on the ground floor.

The sale between the firm and STCU was brokered by the seller’s agent, Ron Wells, of Wells and Co., and the buyer’s agent, Vic Overholser of SDS Realty.

– Treva Lind

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