The Dirt: McKinstry moves closer to construction of UW, Gonzaga health sciences building

Construction could soon be underway for University of Washington and Gonzaga University’s health sciences and innovation building, according to a building permit application filed with the city of Spokane last week.

Seattle-based McKinstry Co. is building the $60 million, four-story, 80,000-square-foot building at 840 E. Spokane Falls Blvd., which will be across the river from the Washington State University Health Sciences campus and adjacent to McKinstry’s historic Spokane Inland Empire Railroad building.

The Spokane Inland Empire Railroad building will become part of the health care cluster, adding more than 57,000 square feet of space.

McKinstry, the building owner, will lease out space in the health sciences building to both UW and Gonzaga.

The building will include anatomy and research labs, offices, on-site solar and renewable energy generation, fitness facilities, retail space and an underground parking lot.

The health sciences building is slated to be completed by August 2022, according to McKinstry.

The project architect is Seattle-based CollensWoerman Co. Spokane-based Bouten Construction Co. is the project contractor, according to the application.

Dry Fly to start work on new production facility

Dry Fly Distilling is beginning work on a new production facility in downtown Spokane, according to a building permit application recently filed with the city.

Dry Fly Distilling filed the application to install distilling equipment and build a 3,000-square-foot mezzanine in The Spokesman-Review’s former newspaper press building at 1 N. Monroe St.

Don Poffenroth, Dry Fly Distilling president and CEO, told The Spokesman-Review last year about 98% of Dry Fly’s operations will relocate downtown and the distillery’s current facility on Trent Avenue near Gonzaga University will be maintained for “ancillary issues.”

Dry Fly’s downtown production facility will include a tasting room, restaurant, barrel storage and a bottle shop for retail sales, according to site plans.

The building is owned by Cowles Real Estate Co., a subsidiary of the Cowles Co., which publishes The Spokesman-Review.

The company relocated its printing operations from downtown to Spokane Valley.

Greenacres-based South Henry Studios is the project architect.

Days Inn in downtown could become apartments

A Days Inn hotel in downtown Spokane could be transformed into apartments, according to a preliminary application filed with the city.

Beaverton, Oregon-based Fortify Holdings filed the application to change use of the Days Inn at 120 W. Third Ave. to studio apartments.

Fortify Holdings also requested information from the city about incentives available for affordable housing, according to the application.

Pender West Credit 1 Reit LLC purchased the building for $5.8 million in 2018, according to the Spokane County Assessor’s Office.

New tenant coming to Holley-Mason building

SOAR Behavior Services could be the newest tenant in the historic Holley-Mason building at 157 S. Howard St. in downtown Spokane.

SOAR filed an application with the city to renovate 8,500 square feet on the building’s fourth floor into an office with conference space and counseling rooms.

Post Falls-based Basso LLC is the project contractor. Spokane-based Uptic Studios is the project architect. The project valuation is $207,000, according to the application.

SOAR Behavior Services, founded in 2016, is an applied behavior analysis therapy provider for individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities. It operates two clinics in the Spokane area and provides in-home therapy in Pullman. SOAR expanded to the Coeur d’Alene area last year.