The Dirt: Minnesota-based Tradehome Shoes plans retail store at Spokane Valley Mall

A Minnesota-based footwear chain is expanding to Spokane, marking its first location in the state.

Tradehome Shoes submitted a building permit to the city earlier this month for renovations to a 2,100-square-foot space at 14000 E. Indiana Ave., Suite 1028, in the Spokane Valley Mall.

Renovation work includes relocating walls and a stockroom, and installing fixtures.

Arlington, Texas-based Courtland Morgan Architects is designing the store. The project contractor has not yet been determined.

The permit valuation is $30,200, according to the application.

Tradehome Shoes was founded in 1921 by Al Mains and Cecil Ginsberg. The two friends recognized their primary competition was from mail-order stores such as Montgomery Ward and Sears, so they named the footwear chain Trade at Home to encourage customers to shop local. That name was later shorted to Tradehome.

In 1999, nine employees of Tradehome Shoes purchased the footwear chain. Tradehome , headquartered in Cottage Grove, Minnesota, now has more than 120 stores nationwide, according to the company’s website.

Tradehome Shoes has locations in Missoula as well as Boise, Twin Falls and Idaho Falls in Idaho.

Idaho Central Credit Union to build branch in Liberty Lake

Idaho Central Credit Union is continuing its expansion in the Spokane region with a location planned in Liberty Lake.

The credit union submitted a building permit application with the city in January to build a 10,155-square-foot branch with a drive-thru at 21398 E. Country Vista Drive.

Construction on the branch is slated to begin in the spring, according to an environmental review for the project.

Boise-based Lombard Conrad Architects is designing the credit union. J. Addington General Contractors, of Coeur d’Alene, is the project contractor.

The project’s estimated cost is $4 million, according to the permit application.

Idaho Central Credit Union is also planning branches in north Spokane and Spokane Valley.

Permits are under review by the city of Spokane Valley for a branch at 16015 E. Broadway Ave. The credit union submitted a separate application with the city of Spokane last month to demolish the interior of an existing building at 9506 N. Newport Highway to make way for a future branch.

The branches would be the credit union’s first in the Spokane area. It has locations in Post Falls, Hayden and Coeur d’Alene.

Idaho Central Credit Union, founded in 1940 and headquartered in Chubbuck, Idaho, holds more than $7 billion in assets and has more than 440,000 members in Idaho and Washington. 

Walmart completes renovations to Airway Heights store

Walmart recently completed renovations to its Airway Heights store.

The renovations at 1221 S. Hayford Road include an expanded online pickup and delivery area, new signage, updated electronics and apparel departments, addition of a mother’s room and remodeled money center and front entrance. 

“Spokane customers will love our store’s transformation – the updates make in-store shopping much quicker and expand local availability of online grocery options,” Joey Alwine, manager of Walmart’s Airway Heights store, said in a statement.

Rogers, Arkansas-based PB2 Architecture and Engineering designed the store remodel, according to permits filed with the city of Airway Heights.

The permit application on the city’s website did not specify a project cost.