McKinstry renovates downtown historic railroad repair building
This is the first third of our SR business story running tomorrow at Spokesman.com.
Along with it will be a photo slideshow by Jesse Tinsley (whose shot is featured here), and a video. The print version will appear in Friday's daily editions of The Spokesman-Review.
Several years ago, Dean Allen was driving around Spokane, in search of a site for a company office. He spotted an aging brick building along the banks of the Spokane River just east of downtown, and he decided it had potential.
Allen, the CEO of Seattle-based McKinstry, now says that large building, built in 1907 and originally used as a railroad repair depot, was the best possible choice. It brought together about 90 workers inside a historic building that Allen hopes will become a gathering spot for other creative, innovative companies and startups.
McKinstry, which designs, builds and manages other companies’ properties, has several offices across the Western United States. The firm has operated in Spokane for about 10 years.
But for Allen and others, McKinstry's restored Spokane building is the plum and perfect example of the company’s core values of innovation and historic preservation. The company didn't take the cheap route; they invested more than $20 million in the project.