The Dirt: Two projects to add living units near Gonzaga
While construction has begun on one side of the street, developers hope to obtain permits within days to begin a second residential project for rental units targeting Gonzaga University students on East Sharp Avenue.
“It’s a busy place,” said Evan Verduin, principal at Trek Architecture. “Two of the four corners” will be under construction.
On the south side of Sharp, crews with Walker Construction have already begun erecting a 92-bed residential hall for Gonzaga University.
According to city records, the $12.7 million residential hall at 802 E. Sharp Ave., has been named Mantua Hall. It was designed by Wolfe Architectural Group of Spokane.
Verduin designed the smaller “Gonzaga Multi-Family” project on the north side of Sharp Avenue.
Both projects are located on the east side of the roundabout that intersects East Sharp Avenue and North Cincinnati Street. Both projects are located about a block west of North Hamilton Street and Jack and Dan’s Bar and Grill, at 1226 N. Hamilton St.
The smaller residential plan, which is owned by Aaron Farr and Jason Paull, calls for 17 units in a four-story building that would cost about $2 million to construct.
Verduin said a contractor has not yet been identified to build the 14,500 square foot structure.
“It’s a mix of one-, two- and four-bedroom units,” Verduin said.
Building permits could be issued as early as this week with construction beginning in the fall.
“We are hoping to get it teed up for next July, ready for the 2025 academic year,” Verduin said.
Sharp multi-family
While crews are busy working on East Sharp Avenue, a separate effort is under environmental review on the other side of Division Avenue.
The “Madison and Sharp Multifamily Development” is under what’s called a “SEPA” review. That’s an acronym for State Environmental Policy Act Review for a 40-unit, multifamily project consisting of two, 20-unit buildings.
The address for the project is 1009 W. Sharpe Ave. It’s located at the corner of North Madison Street and just west of the Spokane Public Radio building.
The request was submitted to Spokane city planners at the end of May by InterroWorks LLC and Storhaug Engineering of Spokane.
The four-story buildings would also have outdoor amenities, open space and room for bicycle parking, according to city records.
It is anticipated that between 40 to 80 people would reside in the two buildings. Units would be sold or rented at market rate, according to the submittals.
If the project meets the city requirements for the SEPA review and permitting process, construction could begin this fall, according to the permit.
Whitworth project
Whitworth University has obtained a permit from Spokane County planners to change the use of an existing building.
Plans call for remodeling a 1,200-square foot detached garage at 10225 N. Whitworth Dr. into a space that can be used for “worship, recreation, amusement and” other uses.
As of the most recent submittal, no contractor had been listed. The remodel work was designed by Pondera Architecture and the projected cost was listed at $300,000.