The Dirt: More construction planned for the Falls Tower

After changing its scope a few times over several years, progress is marching on at the Falls Tower project across the Spokane River from downtown.

Developed by L.B. Stone Properties Group, the project includes a 12-story building which will comprise 36 luxury condominiums. It is becoming a focal point in Spokane’s core.

Located across Broadway Avenue from the Wonder Building and adjacent to seafood restaurant Anthony’s at Spokane Falls, the project will include a fitness center, lounge, pet wash station and a courtyard overlooking the Falls.

Earlier this year, an estimated $3.5 million foundation was completed for the structure.

Since then, much work has been ongoing at the property where now the skeleton of the structure stands stories above surrounding buildings.

A construction permit application was submitted to the city of Spokane to build a parking garage for its prospective residents.

The roughly 5,600-square-foot structure will be a single story and cost about $450,000, application documents show.

The application submission is the newest addition to the condominium project.

Units will range from two-to-three bedrooms and encompass between 1,600 and 3,000 square feet, said Wes Southwick, senior project manager at L.B. Stone, in July of last year.

The structure will include about 156,000 square feet and cost about $21 million to build, plans show.

“The units have been designed in a way that they all have great views of the river and the falls,” Southwick said in July. “The pricing of the units will be released at a later date.”

A portion of the site remains vacant, but Southwick said the residential building is all that is planned.

“There is some availability on the site for several future development possibilities, but nothing has been designed yet,” he said in July. “We have conceptually planned for the possibility of up to a 12,000-square-foot restaurant that would overlook the water – but that is still in the conceptual phase.”

Larry Stone, CEO and founder of L.B. Stone Group, paid about $3.2 million for the property in 2010, according to state Department of Revenue records.

Plans for the property became public in 2017.

The expected completion date for the tower is spring of 2026.

Walker Construction of Spokane is in charge of construction. It was designed by Spokane-based CollinsWoerman.

Ax-throwing location planned downtown

Since opening in 2020, Jumping Jackalope Ax-Throwing Club has been hosting birthday parties, league nights and even once held competitions for the World Axe-Throwing Championships, according to Spokesman-Review records.

Recently, a change of use application was submitted to the city of Spokane to turn a space previously occupied by a hair salon into the new headquarters for the ax-throwing club.

Plans were submitted by Miguel Tamburini, owner of the club who has been the top-rated ax thrower in the world.

Previously at 226 W. Riverside Ave., the new location is planned for 1311 W. Sprague Ave., the same building as Brick West Brewing Co., according to plans.

“We love this new location and we hope to complement that block which is already full of life,” Tamburini said, adding that he has not yet narrowed down an opening date.

The location will feature much more than just ax-throwing.

“Our guests will be able to enjoy pool, foosball, darts, live acoustic music, romantic date nights, team -building events, family and friend’s parties,” he said. “And of course they can enjoy our already world class ax throwing experience which includes knives, ninja stars, machetes, sawblades, tomahawks and big axes,” he said.

Contrary to its previous location, the ax-throwing club will feel cozy and have a cabinlike ambiance, according to Tamburini.

“I will say this is a more mature venue focused on giving a space for people to have a little bit of a different brewery kind of night,” he said. “Especially in the cold, we are seeing our guests wanting to do something active but indoors.”

Tamburini anticipates that once he gets through the change of use process with the city, that he will announce an opening date shortly after.

Catholic Charities makes progress on large project

In May, Catholic Charities of Eastern Washington proposed a $20 million project to rehabilitate 158 affordable housing units near Upriver Drive between Avista Corp.’s headquarters and Greene Street.

Jonathan Mallahan, chief housing officer for the nonprofit, has said 122 of the units are located in one Spokane apartment complex previously called the El Estero Apartments.

Recently, the nonprofit submitted a construction application to the city of Spokane for a one-story building estimated to cost $600,000. The structure will serve as administrative offices in addition to a laundry facility for residents, plans show.

The submission is the newest development for the project located at 2240 E. North Crescent Ave.

The El Estero Apartments is an affordable housing complex that has been managed by Spokane Housing Ventures, a nonprofit housing provider based in Spokane since 2002.

The nonprofit was acquired by Catholic Charities in 2021, as were all of the properties it owned and managed.

The overall project also includes a 36-unit complex called the Catherine Johnson Court Apartments, at 6321 E. Fourth Ave. in Spokane Valley. The two properties make up about 10% of the housing units acquired by Catholic Charities because of the merger.

The El Estero portion of the project spans seven residential buildings and a community building located at the southwest intersection of North Crescent Avenue and North Stone Street.

The effort to renovate the complex will include updating finishes and fixtures and making buildings more energy efficient.

Catholic Charities has said no current residents will be displaced as part of the project.