The Dirt: Assisted living project planned in northeast Spokane

Developers have begun meetings with the city of Spokane to build an assisted living complex overlooking the Spokane River.

City records show plans to construct two buildings. One of the plans calls for a 16-bed “enhanced service facility” and other for a 72-bed “enhanced adult residential care building.”

The plans for Illinois Assisted Living are still being discussed in pre-development conferences with city staff. That means official construction plans have not yet been submitted.

The property, at 2600 E. Illinois Ave., is vacant. It is located west of the intersection of Illinois, Greene and Market streets. The property overlooks the Spokane River, and Spokane Community College is located several blocks to the southwest.

Bernardo Willis, a Spokane-based architectural firm, is designing the project. Steve Goodmansen, principal architect for the project, said in an email that he was not permitted to discuss it.

According to county records, the property is owned by Kodiak Management, which is a Spokane-based company owned by Conrad Manfred.

He also owns the adjacent property to its east. That’s where his construction company, Kodiak General Contracting, constructed a 30-unit apartment complex in 2021, according to its website.

A message left with Kodiak General Contracting was not immediately returned last week.

Cancer family accommodations

Plans were submitted to the city of Spokane to build residences for families with children diagnosed with cancer in a fourplex, at 2332 E. 28th Ave., called Anna’s Homes.

“When a kiddo is diagnosed, the entire family is diagnosed,” said Polly Schindler, co-founder of the Anna Schindler Foundation.

The plans call for a four-plex that will house families who have to travel more than an hour for their children to receive cancer treatment.

Typically, families are required to stay within a short drive of their treatment facility, Schindler said.

She and her husband, Joe Schindler, learned this firsthand when their daughter, Anna Schindler, was diagnosed with liver cancer.

During their many visits to treatment facilities, the couple met “families from Idaho, Montana, Central Washington – all over,” she said.

Families often stay at the Ronald McDonald House. While Schindler said she thinks highly of the charity organization and that its tenants are thankful for its free lodging, her charity provides a more independent option, she said.

“Families at Ronald McDonald would always lament that their family could not visit,” she said. “We were one of those families.”

This is because the Ronald McDonald House limits families to four individuals per unit, she said.

Additionally, the high-rise building of the Ronald McDonald House offers a more communal living situation.

Though this can be a preferred experience for families so they can meet others in a similar situation, Schindler said it is not for everybody.

To allow families to maintain their independence, the planned units at the new Anna’s Homes residence will offer full kitchens, their own laundry appliances and guest bedrooms for larger families or visitors.

Perhaps most importantly, children diagnosed with cancer will also accommodated. Design features will include wheelchair- accessible ramps, low light switches and low bathroom sinks.

Special materials will be used to ensure a clean environment, as many cancer patients undergoing treatment are immunocompromised. An open floor plan and appliance placements will be arranged so that parents can maintain a clear line of sight to their child at all times, Schindler said.

And a rollaway bed will be included in the master bedroom for the inevitable and difficult late nights.

“When our daughter was sick, sometimes she would vomit throughout the night,” she said. “We liked to keep her close, so we could monitor her. Our families will easily be able to do that.”

The fourplex will be two stories, about 7,700-square-feet and cost around $500,000 to construct, according to city records. It will be the foundation’s second residence. They also own and operate a town home as well, Schindler said.

Polly and Joe Schindler co-founded the charity when their daughter lost her battle to cancer and died in 2011.

It all began as a simple fundraiser in hopes to acquire $5,000 for a family.

But now all costs of lodging, utilities and transportation are covered by the multiple events the charity holds every year, in addition to private donations.

They host the Anna Schindler Memorial Golf Tournament every September and on April 13 will host Anna’s Homes Gala at the Davenport Grand Hotel, Schindler said.