Here’s the Dirt : Spokane sees record year for building
It was a banner year for development in Spokane, which permitted nearly half a billion dollars worth of projects. A slew of condo projects were announced, in addition to commercial building and public works projects.
Here’s a list of 2006’s biggest dollar-value projects, which are in various stages of construction:
“ Rogers High School addition/remodel, 1622 E. Wellesley — $42.8 million
“ Davenport Tower, 111 S. Post — $41.8 million
“ New wastewater treatment plant digester — $30 million
“ Vintage senior housing, 43 E. Weile — $21.1 million
“ Holy Family Medical Office addition, 5633 N. Lidgerwood St. — $15.2 million
“ Windhaven apartments, 5420 W. Barnes Road — $12.7 million
“ Sacred Heart Medical Center, 101 W. 8th — $9.5 million
“ Spokane Falls Community College Business & Social Science Bldg., 3410 W. Fort George Wright Dr. — $8.8 million
“ Washington State University nursing building shell, 103 E. Sprague — $8 million
“ 1923 W. Clarke condos — $6.8 million
“ Original convention center updates, 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. — $6.3 million.
“ Iron Bridge parking structure, 611 N. Perry St. — $6 million
“ Premera office building, 3900 E. Sprague — $5.7 million
“ Gonzaga University baseball stadium, 721 N. Cincinnati — $5 million
“ North Central High School renovations, 1600 N. Howard —$4.8 million
“ 809 W. Main condos/lofts — $3.8 million
“ Haskins Steel Co. plant, 3613 E. Main St. — $3.7 million
“ Fairview Assisted Living additions, 1617 N. Calispell St. — $3.4 million
“ HollisterStier office/lab addition, 3525 N. Regal St. — $3.3 million
b“ Fox Theater renovation, First Avenue and Monroe Street — $3.3 million
“ Sacred Heart Medical Center radiology renovation — $2.8 million
“ Leisure Plastics, Inc., 5304 N. Florida St. —$2.8 million“ Regal Place Professional Office shell, 4102 S. Regal St. — $2.6 million
Where will Wal-Mart go?
Wal-Mart recently announced that it’s pulling the plug on plans to build a supercenter at 44th Avenue and Regal Street, on land owned by developer Harlan Douglass.
The question that went unanswered is where the company will build a new store, since the first location didn’t pan out.
Wal-Mart representatives say the company doesn’t have an alternative site selected, but plans to explore opportunities to better serve South Hill customers.
However, neighbors on Moran Prairie have speculated that land at 57th Avenue and Palouse Highway, which was purchased by Douglass last summer, is being groomed as an alternate site.
There was a buzz of pre-construction activity on the property this summer, but work there has ceased during the past two months.
“There hasn’t been any activity. There’s nothing going on there yet,” said Ron Hand, a development assistance coordinator for the county.
Initially, the county found that non-permitted grading and filling work was done there and ordered the developer to halt work and apply for a grading permit, Hand said.
The county requested a drainage plan for the land, which was never submitted, said Hand, adding that no building permit application has been filed.
Although he doesn’t know of any specific plans for the land, Hand said the property is zoned as mixed-use and added, “It does have appropriate zoning for a large box store.”
North Idaho real estate market calming
Statistics recently released by the Coeur d’Alene Multiple Listing Service reported that the number of single-family houses sold in Kootenai County decreased by nearly 29 percent from 2005 to 2006. Last year, there were 2,322 homes sold compared with 3,266 homes sold in 2005.
The total sales volume also decreased. In 2005, total sales were $690 million. Last year sales were $556 million, down by more than 19 percent.
After record-breaking home appreciation of 29 percent in 2005, last year finished with average price increases that are a bit more manageable for homebuyers: 13.3 percent.The average price of a home sold in Kootenai County in 2006 was $262,646, down from $295,532 in 2005.
Railside condos moving along
People are buying condos in the 1016 Rail Side Center.
Nine of the 14 condos have sold with five remaining, said Chris Batten, co-founder of RenCorp, the company developing the project. Buyers of the units come from a variety of backgrounds, and include former teachers and other retirees as well as people in their mid-30s.
Units in the five-story building at 1016 Railroad Ave., which is bordered by First Avenue, Monroe and Madison streets, and the railroad viaduct, range from 700 to 1,750 square feet in size. Rencorp built a showroom, which debuted in December, and Batten said the visual helped the company sell two additional units.
The nine condos that have been sold will be completed around June, Batten said.