The Dirt: Townhomes planned for Cora Avenue

Construction is planned for three vacant lots immediately west of Emerson Park in north Spokane, according to a commercial building application submitted to the city of Spokane.

Located at the southwest corner of Cora Avenue and Jefferson Street, the development will include three three-story townhomes, plans show.

The developer of the project is Harold Guidi, founder and CEO of local nonprofits Golden Youth Services, which provides residential services for youths with behavioral and developmental needs, and Golden Community Care, which serves adults who require long-term supportive care.

The townhome project is personal investment, however, and not associated with Guidi’s professional work, he said.

Born in Benin, West Africa, Guidi developed an early appreciation for resiliency and developing opportunities where they wouldn’t have existed, he said. After moving to the United States, these values drove his career as a healthcare provider and a real estate investor.

“Spokane has given me tremendous opportunities to grow professionally and personally, and I have always believed in giving back to the community that has welcomed me,” he said. “Developing quality housing is one of the ways I can invest in Spokane’s future and contribute to its continued growth.”

The project, dubbed the Cora Townhomes, will consist of developing three similar residential buildings, each with four units of housing.

Located at 1211 W. Cora Ave., each home will feature a private entrance, multiple bedrooms, modern living spaces and dedicated parking, Guidi said.

“We chose a townhome design because it offers an excellent balance between affordability, privacy and functionality,” he said. “We wanted to create housing that offers more comfort and independence than a traditional apartment while remaining more attainable than purchasing a detached single-family home.”

All units will span a quadrant of each of the three floors, plans show. Each building will have a footprint of about 1,900 square feet.

Guidi said the inspiration for the development came from watching Spokane continue to grow while the demand for quality housing has consistently outpaced supply.

“My goal was never simply to build more units,” he said. “I wanted to create homes where people could establish roots, whether they are young professionals, growing families or individuals looking for a thoughtfully designed home in a convenient location.”

Guidi said once the project has been permitted, the construction will take between 12 and 15 months.

The estimated cost of the entirety of the project is $1.05 million, application documents show.

Guidi purchased the properties in 2025 for $270,000, Spokane County property records show.

Russel Page Architects, a Spokane Valley-based firm, designed the project. No contractor has been named yet.

Mexican restaurant planned near SCC

Owner Elva Torres is planning to open a Mexican-style restaurant near Spokane Community College, according to a change-of-use application submitted to the city of Spokane.

What used to be a tax preparation office, a storefront at 1403 N. Greene St., may soon host Pastes El Valle.

Torres said her operation will not offer typical Mexican cuisine.

“Mexico is not only about tacos and enchiladas,” she said, alluding to her signature pastry. “They are called pastes, and they are pastry dough filled with chicken or beans and chorizo, which is like Mexican sausage, and the main ingredient is potatoes.”

Torres said the pastry has much history behind it, especially where she is from in Mexico. Miners took many pastes to work with them because they could last up to a week, she said.

Torres hopes to complete a remodel of the space by August and open by the first week of September.

The use of the space will only be to sell her product. Prep work and baking will all take place at a commissary kitchen, she said.

Her venture is dedicated to the memory of her son, Ivan Torres, who died last year, she said.

“I want to bring something new to Spokane,” she said. “When I talked to him about it, he was happy.”

Homes planned for Crestline Street

Near Arlington Elementary School, a developer is looking to add five to six homes on a large single-family lot, according to plans submitted to the city of Spokane.

Located at the corner of Crestline Street and Lyons Avenue, the 1.13-acre parcel currently contains a single-family home.

Developer Nathan Perrenoud said he is currently remodeling the home and plans to develop the empty land on the rest of the property, which is located at 6717 N. Crestline St.

“We took it from a four-bed, one-bath to a six-bed-and-three bath,” he said of the home currently on the lot. “We have upgraded the entire interior of the house along with adding and deleting walls.”

Perrenoud purchased the lot in 2025 for $310,000, according to Spokane County property records.

Two sets of plans were submitted as part of the pre-development process, which gives developers the opportunity to garner feedback from city building officials before construction permits are sought.

One set calls for the construction of five homes, and one would add six.

“The original intent was to open an adult care facility in the existing house and build five or six additional six-bedroom houses on the other portions of the parcel for the same use,” he said. “These houses will now be rented out as an adult care facility as they are completed.”

Perrenoud intended for each building to sit on their own individual lot, carved out from the original property, but servicing each lot with sewer is not possible, he said.

The remodel is expected to wrap in September. Construction of the additional homes will begin in early 2027 and be completed the same year, Perrenoud said.

The estimated cost of construction is $1.5 million.