Vision of copper, stone, glass
The sun bounces off the quilted copper circular building set against rocks and glass. Some say it resembles a giant coffee cup.
John Stejer, president of Dixon Investment Co., said the company had two goals when it built the new Starbucks Center at 5-Mile Plaza. The owners of the shopping center at Francis and Ash wanted to give Starbucks a drive-through and wanted a building that would be the cornerstone of the Five Mile project.
“We wanted to make sure that we designed a building that really stood out and was recognized,” said Stejer.
The company worked with architect Denny Christenson to design a building that was distinctive, choosing pleated copper and ledgestone for the exterior. These materials aren’t commonly used in the Spokane market.
Kilgore Construction is the general contractor for the project, which is scheduled to be completed this month. The new Starbucks will open for business in early June and is bound to catch the eye of the 65,000 drivers who pass it each day.
“The interior of this Starbucks store is going to be unlike any other Starbucks in Spokane. They were so impressed with the exterior design that they went to a new level to bring in a new modern feel for their store,” said Stejer.
911 Driving School will occupy about half of the 4,000-square-foot Starbucks Center and is scheduled to open in mid-June with approximately 20 employees.
The driving school hires off-duty police as instructors. The Puyallup, Wash.-based company has statewide franchises and is owned and operated by police officers.
“The driving school franchise has proven to be successful on the West Side. It’s going to bring a younger demographic to the shopping center,” said Stejer. Spokane Public Schools no longer offers driver education.
MaggieMoos Ice Cream Treatery will take over the space that Starbucks currently leases in the plaza. Customers can watch as their ice cream is being made fresh on the premises. The franchise has won Blue Ribbon Awards from the National Ice Cream Retailers Association. It will open in July. It’s the second MaggieMoos to open in Spokane. The other opened in April at the Village at Regal Pond on the South Side.