The Dirt: Innovative gym planned in downtown Spokane

A Spokane banker is looking to combine a coffee shop, gym, supplement store and public meeting space under one roof, according to plans submitted to the city of Spokane.

Sean O’Regan, a commercial banking officer at Heritage Bank, has spent a lot of his life in gyms, and now he wants to build something different.

“It’s my place where I go to release and make friends,” O’Regan said. “I’ve always loved the gym.”

Regan has been frequenting SCE Fitness, a gym at the intersection of Third Avenue and Browne Street, for almost a decade.

Seven years ago, he and the gym’s owner, K. Jay Davis, first spawned the idea of purchasing the building immediately to the north, which was previously occupied by a Les Schwab Tire Center at 101 W. Second Ave.

“At the time, they wanted too much for it, but we kept dreaming,” he said. “Eventually, some things opened up and the price came down so we’re talking about it again.”

O’Regan, who has sat on the board of multiple nonprofits including as treasurer of Family Promise, a homeless center in Spokane, said he wants to operate the business as if it were a nonprofit.

“Nonprofits are always looking for revenue streams like dinners or auctions and oftentimes thrift stores, but now the thrift store market is so saturated,” he said. “We want to use a lot of the profits to give back to the community and to real nonprofits like Adult & Teen Challenge.”

He referred to the national addiction treatment center based in Ozark, Missouri, which has a location in Spokane, located at 2400 N. Craig Road.

The proposed gym project will include a coffee shop, supplement store and meeting space that is open to the public and nonprofits in the area, he said.

Dubbed Urban Jungle, the gym will feature an elaborate interior featuring palm trees and jungle-like decor to create an experience unlike typical gyms, which O’Regan describes as typically uninteresting in design.

O’Regan is working on securing funding, which he said was difficult because banks are skeptical of the area.

“I get it. It’s a rough area, but we plan to be part of the solution,” he said. “To get better, you gotta start somewhere.”

O’Regan anticipates opening the gym in three or four months, he said.

The estimated cost of construction is $400,000.

Child services center planned in north Spokane

Just One Spokane, a youth services nonprofit based in Hillyard, is planning to construct a community center at 4421 N. Nevada St., according to plans submitted to the city of Spokane.

The parcel is mostly vacant, except for a large garage, and is owned by Lidgerwood Church, according to Spokane County property records.

Just One provides free, high-quality programs, system navigation and resources that help Hillyard families, according to its website.

“We envision a Hillyard community where all youth and families have the power and resources to advocate for themselves and shape the community’s future,” the website states.

The proposed project involves the construction of an 1,800-square-foot building on the site.

Details regarding the building were not provided as it remains in the early design phase.

Plans were submitted by Ryan Louie of Just One Spokane, as part of the pre-development process, which gives developers the opportunity to garner feedback from city building officials before construction permits are sought.

Louie could not immediately be reached for comment last week.

Townhomes to replace Latah Valley home

Four apartment buildings are planned to be constructed near Wentel Grant Park, according to plans submitted to the city of Spokane.

Just across Latah Creek from Wentel Grant Park the project will include 12 units of townhome-style housing.

Located at 1923 W. 16th Ave., the project will consist of four identical buildings, each with three units of housing.

Each unit will include its own garage, a living room, kitchen and bathroom at its street level and three bedrooms and a bathroom on its upper floor.

The 12 units will have a footprint of 1,056-square-feet.

The project has been dubbed the Cunningham Townhomes after the property’s owners Timothy and Karen Cunningham, according to Spokane County property records.

Plans were submitted by Christopher Morlan of Indigo Diggs Architecture, a Spokane-based firm, as part of the pre-development process.

Morlan could not immediately be reached for comment last week.