The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper The Spokesman-Review
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
Current Temperature
40°F
Current Conditions
Clear sky
View complete weather report
Subscribe now

Spokane airport to sell surplus property to private developer in $1.9 million deal

Planes await passengers on the tarmac on Nov 18, 2021, at Spokane International Airport.  (Tyler Tjomsland/The Spokesman-Review)
Planes await passengers on the tarmac on Nov 18, 2021, at Spokane International Airport.  (Tyler Tjomsland/The Spokesman-Review)Buy a print of this photo
By Greg Mason gregm@spokesman.com(509) 459-5047

The Spokane International Airport is aiming to sell approximately 20 acres of surplus property to a private developer.

Members of the Spokane City Council and the Spokane County Board of Commissioners have signed off on a deal to sell 20.441 acres at South Spotted Road and West Tech Park Drive to West Plains Development LLC for $1,905,477.30. The Airport Board authorized the sale in October.

“Our master plan has been very clear about what we need for aeronautical purposes and what we do not need for aeronautical purposes,” Spokane International Airport CEO Larry Krauter said to the City Council earlier this month.

The principal of West Plains Development LLC is Spokane businessman and investor Tom Tilford. Tilford’s previous investments include the construction of a 315,000-square-foot warehouse along South Hayford Road southwest of Amazon’s fulfillment center.

Tilford could not be reached for comment.

The acreage encompasses Spokane Fire Department Station 6. The city leases the property at the moment, though the terms of the deal would see West Plains Development assume the lease.

Meanwhile, a deed restriction would prohibit use of the land for commercial vehicle parking.

The property sale is pending the completion of a binding site plan and a Federal Aviation Administration process in order to release the property for sale, said airport spokesman Todd Woodard.

As an entity jointly owned by the city and county, the airport needs authorization from both to move forward with property sales.

The county Board of Commissioners approved the deal March 8, Krauter said, while the Spokane City Council voted unanimously Monday.

Krauter said the sale is part of a trend over the past few years that has seen more than 200 acres of formerly tax-exempt land returned to the tax rolls.

“We have a significant amount of surplus property that we can continue to leverage through, we think, the appropriate placement of infrastructure and cooperation with our city and county partners,” he said.