The Dirt: Coffee truck owner explores plans for mobile food truck park north of downtown Spokane

A mobile food truck park could be coming to a vacant site north of downtown Spokane.

Surge Coffee Co. co-owner Bruce Munholand is exploring plans to build The Depot, a mobile food truck park on a site northwest of Boone Avenue and Normandie Street, according to a pre-development application filed with the city.

The Depot would consist of a paved area with “pods” for six to eight food trucks to park temporarily, according to a preliminary site plan.

The project also calls for a Surge Coffee Co. truck garage, a grassy plaza area with an entertainment stage, in addition to a gray -water dump and fresh water supply.

Containers will be added to the site in the future to provide space for a commercial incubator kitchen, refrigerators and ice, and an incubator resource area.

A pre-development application does not necessarily indicate the project will occur, but rather the applicant is seeking input from the city on whether development plans are feasible for the site.

Casper, Wyoming-based Rad Space LLC, whose principal is Paul Williams, purchased the vacant site northwest of Boone Avenue and Normandie Street for $240,000 in November 2019, according to the Spokane County Assessor’s Office.

The project is estimated to cost $400,000 to $500,000, according to the application.

Munholand and his wife, Keri, operate Surge Coffee Co. from a refurbished 1969 Citroën HY van. The couple donates a portion of sales and all tips to several charities, according to the coffee company’s website.

Surge Coffee Co. serves espresso, cold and batch brew, lattes, teas and pastries.

Restaurant coming to Kendall Yards

Liberty Lake-based Greenstone Corp. filed a building permit application with the city to renovate a 2,000-square-foot space in an existing building to make way for Sorella, a new restaurant at 1122 W. Summit Parkway.

The application did not specify the restaurant’s concept or owner.

Spokane-based Bernardo Wills Architects is the project architect. A contractor has not yet been determined. The renovation is estimated to cost $200,000, according to the application.

Permit under review for logistics center

Developers are moving forward with plans for the West Plains Logistics Center in Airway Heights.

Spokane County last month determined the project would not have an adverse impact on the environment, allowing developers to progress with grading the logistics center site at 9813 W. Hallett Road. A grading permit is currently under review by the county.

An environmental review filed with the Washington state Department of Ecology indicates plans to move 100,000 cubic yards of dirt on a 28-acre site in preparation for the logistics center.

The first phase of the West Plains Logistics Center calls for three warehouse buildings spanning a total of 562,000 square feet of industrial space with 600 parking spaces.

Irvine, California-based Panattoni Development Co. is spearheading the project. Panattoni, an international real estate firm specializing in industrial, office and built-to-suit development, has 28 offices in the U.S., Europe and Canada.

The firm’s development portfolio includes multiple Amazon projects nationwide, including the Amazon fulfillment center in Spokane Valley.

The West Plains Logistics Center is slated for completion in the first quarter of 2023, according to a website for the project.