Playfair Commerce Park opens on former horse track site

Playfair has been a recognizable name around Spokane for a long time because of the Playfair Racecourse Horse Track that once took up the large open land area by Haven St and north of Sprague Ave. in what is today the Spokane International District. The Playfair site was once even the Spokane County Fairgrounds from 1901-1935. The horse track closed in 2000 and was the buildings demolished in 2004.

But now the Playfair name is back once again and this time with the opening of the new Playfair Commerce Park on the same site. Playfair Commerce Park promises to bring new industry and business to Spokane with park owner Scafco even building a new factory of their own on one of the lots.

Playfair Commerce Park is a 48 acre master planned commercial development that is being marketed by Kiemle and Hagood . The site is broken up into 11 lots and new expansion of both Main Ave and Ferry Ave. coming onto the property from the east.The site has all utilities and new infrastructure already in place including fiber optics. In addition the site has a direct railroad connection for ease of shipping.

The location is welcoming for new business as well with multiple interchanges with I-90 located nearby as well as a 2.5 mile drive to Downtown Spokane. Other then the new Scafco factory on Playfair's lot number 11 no other tenants have been announced as of yet but keep checking INBW for any new info.

Also for more info on the new Playfair Commerce Park in Spokane visit-
www.playfaircp.com

New Restaurant Review:New York Bagel Cafe & Deli

It's been quite some time since I posted any reviews to this site so I figured it's time so here is my thoughts on...

New York Bagel Cafe&Deli 
226 W. Ironwood Dr Suite A8
Coeur d' Alene,Id. 

Phone# 208-664-0444
Fax# 208-664-0994

Web- www.nybagelcafe.com

New York Bagel is a small and yet very comfortable restaurant tucked away in the end unit of the Ironwood Square Shopping Center facing US 95 (Lincoln St. ) . The location will surely allow for the continued success of this restaurant which opened over the Summer of 2012. They are located nearby many large workplaces like Kootenai Health Center, Center Partners and many many medical offices. Delivery is also available for the Ironwood Medical Area with a 1 hour min notice required and minimum of 5 sandwiches .Catering is available as is private gatherings/ events in the space.

On my candid visit all of the staff seemed very friendly and made my order in a timely manner. I was most impressed by the menu selection and the price. I ordered a Ruben Sandwich on cracked wheat bread with a side of Bagel Chips and that along with a second sandwich combo came up to just under $17 ,very impressive as even the huge fast food giants have a similar cost and aren't as fresh and sometimes not as filling.Most menu items are around 6 to 8 dollars.

My ruben had a just right amount of meat along with a Russian dressing,which i'm a fan of ruben's with 1000 island but shockingly I hardly noticed the change till later while skimming the menu at home. The Bagel Chips and Soda we're also good and made nice additions completing the meal which kept me full and i'm not one to be satisfied easily.

Sandwiches can be served and one of several different choices of bread including on a bagel of the customers choosing,something I wish I had done now looking back but the cracked wheat was far from a disappointment as it too was soft and fresh. Many hot and cold sandwiches are available as are breakfast options and even burgers! Soup,Salad,Smoothies and Coffee/ Cappucinos / Lattes are also on the menu.

The decor at the Coeur d' Alene New York Bagel is your standard deli look with large photos of New York City along the walls,large windows along the front and side looking out over the parking lot and Route 95.

I was very happy with my experience this weekend at New York Bagel Cafe & Deli and would recommend them to anyone in the area looking a quick reasonably priced meal.





Watch for more reviews of other new and newish restaurants in the Spokane and Coeur d' Alene area. Feel free to recommend a restaurant!

McDonalds and much more coming to Riverstone soon

The large mixed use Riverstone development located on a  sprawling former lumber mill site at the corner of Northwest Blvd. and Seltice Way/ Ironwood Dr. continues to be a hot spot for new local development in Coeur d' Alene. Riverstone was funded in part by funds from Coeur d' Alene's Urban Renewal Agency,Lake City Development Corporation or as it's better known as LCDC. Riverstone officially opened a few years back but due to the economy much of the project stalled and sat empty. But things at Riverstone have clearly changed,perhaps a sign of a better local economic situation for 2013?

While many of the remaining condo units sold at a auction for significantly less then their original asking price, they are all sold out now. And the retail spaces are filling up fast,Developers hope to have all retail space in the lifestyle center,Village at Riverstone full by the summer of 2013. In fact some retailers have even left the Downtown core area for space in Riverstone. Daisy J's recently closed it's downtown store to move to Riverstone and Tiffany Blue added to it's Downtown store by opening a new second location at Riverstone.

It's safe to say business is booming for Riverstone,currently the development is home to 70 plus business that employ over 800.

But it's what is coming to Riverstone that is creating all the buzz around Coeur d' Alene. It was announced recently by LCDC that a new McDonalds Restaurant will open in the project,they don't mention the exact location but recent Riverstone Holdings newsletters have hinted at a new restaurant at the corner of Lakewood and Northwest Blvd. which is the main entrance the project.

Also on the near horizon is the opening of a new pizza place called Bullman's Wood Fired Pizza. Construction on the pizza shop is underway and will be located behind Grooveberries Frozen Yogurt (another newer business) on Old Mill Loop about half a block south of the Regal Cinemas. The newsletter also hints at potential new business tenants in between J. Miller Salon and the Solar Flair Tanning shop as well as a new restaurant on the pond by Riverstone Park.

The Riverstone West Family Apartments on John Loop in the western edge of the project have apparently also had much success lately as sources say another phase of apartments are to be built on the site that offers views of the Spokane River,something that is highly uncommon for a apartment complex. In the next phase or phases of apartment construction,150 more rental units are planned to be added. Currently 50 units are on site,most of which are income based.The Riverstone West Family Apartments we're previously featured in a post here on Inland Northwest Business Watch,read that post here-http://inlandbusiness.blogspot.com/2011/12/riverstone-west-family-apartments.html

For more info on Riverstone visit-
www.riverstonecda.com

Or on Facebook at-
www.facebook.com/riverstonecda

Bumpers Family Fun Center moves to Spokane Valley

After many years in the basement of the Northtown Mall, Bumpers Family Fun Center, has officially closed in the mall and relocated to Spokane Valley. Bumpers opened on December 20th at the former home of Players & Spectators at 12828 E. Sprague Ave. Spokane Valley in between Pines Rd. and McDonald Rd.

Bumpers also operates another location in Lewiston,that location remains open at 201 1st St. in Lewiston

Bumpers Family Fun Center is a full family amusement facility and arcade.It is believed (although,I have not yet confirmed this)that all of the center previous attractions will also move to the new Spokane Valley location. Those attractions include video games,mini golf, train ride, tube crawls,a bounce castle and a snack bar.

For more info on Bumpers Family Fun Center visit them at-
www.bumpersfuncenter.net

Or on Facebook at-
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bumpers-Fun-Center/249980259853

No word as of yet with what Northtown Mall's management plans to do with the large basement suite that is now empty. We will continue to check back on any new developments with that space.

New event planning business comes to Coeur d' Alene

I was recently contacted by a reader about a business that she recently relocated to Coeur d' Alene. I figured i'd take a moment to share her e-mail about her local business,Red Letter Event Planning.....

My company Red Letter Event Planning has relocated to Coeur d'Alene from Chicago. Red Letter Event Planning is a boutique event planning firm that specializes in weddings, non profit events and personal celebrations.  The business is home based at this time and I meet clients at their office or other convenient locations. I am excited to be in this area.  If you have any questions please give me a call at 773-266-0601 or email at Robyn@Red LetterEventPlanning.com our web site iswww.RedLetterEventPlanning.com.

New executive office space comes to Liberty Lake

The Liberty Lake Internet Portal has been a hub for class a office space in the growing Liberty Lake commercial property market for quite some time. And now a new effort by the building will open up more space for local small business owners who may not need to large square footage that is provided elsewhere in Liberty Lake.

The Liberty Lake Internet Portal is currently remodeling a large vacant office space on the building's second floor into 10 brand new executive offices that will go up for lease soon. The new space includes a conference room and small break room for the exclusive use of the new suites. Also included is 24 hour security service, janitorial services, internet and utilities.

The LLIP office building is entirely class a office space and has a convenient location at the corner of Mission Ave. and Molter Rd. in Liberty Lake,only about a mile to I-90 and a 15 to 20 min. commute from Downtown Spokane.

For more info on this new office space on the market soon visit the Liberty Lake Internet Portal's website at-
www.llip.net

Or on Facebook at-
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Liberty-Lake-Internet-Portal/109008159186314

Did's Pizza & Froyo opens in Spokane

Thai Bamboo is a well known local chain of Thai food restaurants based locally in Spokane. But now the Thai Bamboo business has grown beyond the regular Thai favorites into an all new restaurant that the owners opened in early December right next door to the Thai Bamboo flagship restaurant on N. Division about 3 or 4 blocks north of Northtown Mall.

That new restaurant is called Did's Pizza & Froyo and is already catching a lot of people's attention. Handmade pizza's are Did's main menu item, pizza by the slice is even available for a quick meal or whole pizza's are sold in a 11" and a 17" size.

But as the name,and several bright signs that dot the front of the building would suggest pizza is not all you'll find at Did's . Did's Pizza & Froyo's menu also includes....
-Frozen Yogurt (16 different flavors)
-Bubble Tea
-Espresso
-Hawaiian teriyaki plates
-Salads
There is even a on site juice bar. And for the adults Did's Pizza & Froyo does serves beer and wine.

The restaurant is dawns a surf theme, plenty of indoor seating,arcade games and 2 70" HDTV's to watch sports games on.

Did's Pizza & Froyo can be found in North Spokane at 5406 N. Division St. Spokane Food Delivery can even deliver items from Did's,for more on delivery contact Spokane Food Delivery on their website- www.spokanefooddelivery.com

For more info on Did's Pizza & Froyo visit-
www.didspizzaandfroyo.com

Survivalist group plans walled city in North Idaho

While doing research for this website I come across lots of new businesses,developments and even some business ideas that may or may not ever come to fruition. But of all those things I've found over the last year and 3 months I was most surprised when I came across a plan to build a walled city in Benewah County,Idaho not far from St. Maries and a mere hour south of Coeur d' Alene. I must admit this is the most unusual business news item I've reported on but I have been able to confirm it as true.

The group is a conservative patriot survivalist organization the uses the name The Citadel. The plan calls for construction to begin in the fall of 2013. The proposal is to construct a fortified city on a mountain near St. Maries. This new walled city would be home to upwards of 7,000 residents who would purchase a home in the city,some reports even indicate that some of the communities homes have already been sold. Potential residents will also be given the option of living inside or outside of the cities walls.

Within The Citadel's new city would also be all of the typical aspects of any small town including a bank,jail and a library. It's the other parts of the community that are the ones that grab one's attention. Those town features include a firearms museum, a castle and even a firearms manufacturing facility.

To live in this yet to be named city,residents must agree to a set of rules which includes being able to shoot a man sized steel target as well as a requirement to have at least 1,000 rounds of ammunition in the residents possession.

Sources say this project won't happen for sometime and may not even end up being located in Benewah County since the group is still in the early stages of planning. The Citadel however has formed it's own firearm business and recently formed a land development company that goes by the name Citadel Land Development,LLC.

Unlike some other similar conservative groups,The Citadel does not plan to have a leader over it's planned city and no police. The Citadel also makes mention that their firearms factory will be able employ all of Benewah County completely wiping out the counties unemployment rate.

I expect to hear more of this in the coming months so please keep watching Inland Northwest Business Watch as we track any news surrounding this idea.

Read more here: http://www.idahostatesman.com/2012/12/21/2388604/survivalist-group-eyes-north-idaho.html#storylink=cpy

Auto Vue Drive-In by Colville to close

Like most parts of this country drive-in movie theaters we're once scattered all around the Inland Northwest,but that was mostly in the '50's , 60's and 70's and now in 2012,almost 2013 times have clearly changed as it was announced recently that Eastern Washington's last operating drive-in movie theater will show it's last feature film in 2013.

The Auto Vue Drive-In Theater  which has operated along US 395 in-between the towns of Colville and Kettle Falls will close after labor day weekend,also that weekend the theater will celebrate it's 60th anniversary. So why is the Auto Vue closing? The movie industry plans to cease releasing movies for the older style 35mm projectors which the Auto Vue,along with many other indpendant movie houses uses.

To be able to continue airing movies beyond next year would involve a huge investment,which the Auto Vue cannot do. A new digital projector and a new screen which would be required would cost about $176,000. The drive-in originally opened in 1953 and has been the site of many memories for those who grew up in the Northeastern Washington area. Until the closure the theater will continue it's normal business running current feature films on the weekends during the summer months.

For more info on the Auto Vue Drive-In and it's movie times visit them on Facebook at-
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Auto-Vue-Drive-In-Theatre/120740527937813?fref=ts

The closure does not effect the Auto Vue's sister theater ,the Alpine Theater, which is located in Colville.

Blackwell Hotel opens in Coeur d' Alene

The name Blackwell is hugely significant in the history of Coeur d' Alene,and many who have lived in the local area for a while know 820 E. Sherman Ave as the Blackwell House,once home to an army general with that name way back when Fort Sherman was still an active army base( Fort Sherman was on the site of North Idaho College,many many many years ago).

The Blackwell House sat vacant for several years but now thanks to the efforts of a new owner, Bill Wendlandt  and a small staff,the huge mansion,located just couple of blocks east of Downtown Coeur d' Alene is officially back in business. This time as the  Blackwell Boutique Hotel . The Blackwell Hotel is a full hotel which specializes in weddings which quite fitting considering Coeur d' Alene is often considered to be the wedding capital of the Northwest.

Hotel wise the Blackwell offers 7 guest rooms each with a private bathroom, Keurig Coffee Maker, iHome music player,flat screen tv's and desks. Hotel amenities include a pool table,media room,shuffleboard table and beautifully landscaped grounds. All while just blocks away from shopping,dining and entertainment.

The Blackwell can also hosts events of any kind and even has a dining room for catered lunches,etc...

For more info on The Blackwell Hotel in Coeur d' Alene visit-
www.blackwellboutiquehotel.com

Or on Facebook at-
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Blackwell-Hotel/216811215113608




  

Local Business Happenings update:Dec. 22nd 2012

	JN Couture 01/25 JN Couture, a full service salon has opened a new location in Hayden on N. Hess St  across Honeysuckle from the Hayden Wal-Mart.
	Cell Phone Outlet 01/25 Verizon Wireless dealer , the Cell Phone Outlet, has moved to a new location on the  South Hill in Spokane at 3017 S. Grand Blvd.
	Ditto's Print & Copy 01/31 Ditto's Print and Copy center will soon move from the Lincoln Heights Shopping Center  to a new space at 2515 E. Sprague Ave in East Central Spokane.
	Cafe Italiano 02/01 The popular Italian restaurant, Cafe Italiano will soon open in the former West Wing space  at 4334 S. Regal on the South Hill in Spokane
	Big City Saloon 02/01 A new night club / restaurant has opening Downtown Spokane.  The new bar is called the Big City Saloon and is located at 321 W. Sprague Ave.
	HAV Western Wear 02/01 Western wear and boot retailer HAV Western Wear has opened a new store in  North Spokane. The store is located at 9502 N. Newport Hwy.
	Pizza Oven 02/01 Pizza Oven, a chain pizza resturant which has enjoied some rapid growth locally has  opened it's newest store in the Grapetree Village Shopping Center at 2013 E. 29th Ave  on Spokane' South Hill.
	Accurate Covers 02/01 Accurate Covers, who specializes in boat and rv covering has moved to a space at  2625 E. Seltice Way in Post Falls.
	Dragonflies 02/01 Dragonflies is a new consignment and thrift store that specializes in childrens clothing, toys and other kids items. The new store is located at 30640 Hwy 200 in Ponderay. View all of this update plus many other previous ones on the local business happenings page at- http://inlandbusiness.blogspot.com/p/business.html

Coeur d' Alene Mines leaving Coeur d' Alene?

Is Coeur d' Alene Mines leaving Coeur d' Alene?

The answer unfortunately is a big maybe. It was announced to Coeur d' Alene Mine's employees last week that the company which has had it's Corporate Headquarters in Coeur d' Alene for over 80 years may move it's offices to Chicago. The large mining company sites the move as a plan to align themselves better for future growth and the create more visibility from both domestic and international shareholders.

The move is not official as of yet but Coeur d' Alene Mines does admit it is in talks with the State of Illinois and has been scoping out potential HQ locations in the Chicago area.

It's too early to tell right now what this might mean for Coeur d' Alene and weither or not any of the jobs in their Front St. office building will be moved/ elimated.

We will continue to watch this story as it progresses...

Saad's Shoe Repair closes in Downtown Spokane

Saad's Shoe Repair has closed it's original Downtown Spokane location at 215 N. Wall nearby River Park Square and Riverfront Park. Saad's is a Spokane institution that originally open 106 years ago. The Saad's business will continue however with it's location at Northtown Mall remaining open.

The closure is due in part to the recent deaths of a couple of Saad's longtime employees. The Downtown storefront is now up for lease with Kimele & Hagood marketing the space.

Perry St. Cafe closes in Spokane

The South Perry neighborhood of Spokane has lost one of it's landmarks. The Perry St. Cafe which had been at 1002 S. Perry since 2006 has closed. The owners intend to keep the restaurants other location at 24 W. 1st Ave. in Cheney open however.

Perry St. Cafe for those who don't know is small family owned restaurant known for it's breakfast and lunch. Some dinner items had also been added not long ago.

For more on the Perry St Cafe,visit their Urbanspoon page at-
http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/291/1252556/restaurant/Perry-Street-Cafe-Spokane

Real Life Ministries Spokane finds new bigger home

Unlike the olden days almost every region of the nation now has a "mega church" . And without question the Post Falls based Real Life Minstries is the Spokane area's top mega-church. Regardless of how you fell about Real Life they are growing,and growing fast, expanding their reach thru-out the Spokane and Coeur d' Alene area. Today they have 7 separate church campuses and all related to a large main campus on Cecil Rd in Post Falls.

The newest expansion of Real Life's is at Real Life Spokane. The Spokane branch was founded only a couple of years ago and has grown enough to move into a new home (before the church had been meeting in a school building). 2 weekly services and events are now taking place at the new Real Life Spokane building at 10101 N Nevada Ave. in North Spokane. The building was formerly Gold's Gym fitness club.

Real Life has also recently announced the move of it's Silver Valley campus. That church will move from the small town of Pinehurst to a new bigger site at 1004 McKinley in Kellogg soon. Watch for that on our local business happenings page.

Holy Family Hospital Maternity Center to expand

Providence Health System has announced yet another major renovation and expansion project in the Spokane area. This time the construction will take place at the Providence owned and operated Holy Family Hospital ,located at 5633 N. Lidgerwood St behind the Frankin Park Shopping Center in North Spokane.

The project will re-build the hospital's Family Maternity Center . Construction will get underway sometime in early 2013 and the 1st of 2 phases opening in July. The second phase won't open until early 2014.

Once finished the hospital will feature 16 expanded rooms, 4 ante/ post partum rooms , 3 triage rooms and nursery that will also feature 5 specialty care bassinets. The construction cost is expected to be around 9.5 million.

For more info on this expansion of Holy Family Hospital including a link to view example photos visit this press release...
http://washington.providence.org/news/press-releases/2012/11/family-maternity-center-remodel/

And for more info on Holy Family Hospital visit their website at...
http://washington.providence.org/hospitals/holy-family-hospital/

Trinity at Tullamore under construction

Trinity Group Homes is a Coeur d' Alene based company that provides housing to those with mental illnesses . Trinity operates 2 homes that combined house 18 residents, and they are expanding to fill the growing local need by breaking ground in late November on their latest project, Trinity at Tullamore.

Trinity at Tullamore is the companies first home outside of Coeur d' Alene as Trinity at Tullamore is located in the Tullamore mixed-use development in Post Falls. The group home will be located in the southern half of the development which is nearby the Hwy 41 & Poleline Rd. intersection.

Trinity at Tullamore will be a duplex style building with 8 seperate rooms for their residents. The project is being paid for primary by a USDA loan and a grant from the Inland Northwest Community Foundation. There is no set opening date as of yet,nor has construction began, however it is on the horizon.



Correction:
    When this was originally posted it contained incorrect information stating the construction had already started. A reader was fast to point out the construction has not yet started and permits have not been issued. My apologies for the error and if anyone happens to spot any other issues with anything on this site please don't hesitate to contact me.

Many renovations and new buildings coming for Spokane Schools

Spokane Public Schools continue to a hot spot for new construction projects in the area. This is due to a bond passed in 2009,as of now Spokane Schools is about 50% done with the projects that the bond is to finance. Here is a look at some of the school construction projects underway (to varying extends,however) now...

Ferris High School
With a price tag just shy of 100 million dollars one would expect a lot of work to be done. And that surely is the case with Ferris High on Regal St & 37th on the South Hill area of Spokane.

Renovations and improvements to Farris will in the end include: Replacement of the commons,all offices, all classrooms and a full remodel of the Auditorium and Performing Arts Department's space.

Jefferson Elementary School
The Jefferson Elementary construction project is one of the most controversial project funded by the bond. That is because the project is to move the school and build a new building. Construction is well underway now for the new school at the corner of 37 and Manito Blvd also on the South Hill. The school was (and until the fall of 2013 still is) at 37th and Grand Ave.

This project will cost an estimated 24.8 million to build.

Finch Elementary School
This elementary school,located north of Downtown Spokane nearby the Garland District will undergo a full remodel and update of the existing school building. Also new classrooms and new wings will be added onto the original main building.

This project will cost and estimated 26.9 million and construction on this school will get underway in the spring.

Hart Field
Although with a price tag of only 2.5 million the renovations to Hart Field may not be as huge as the ones done to to schools mentioned in this post. But make no mistake they won't be small. Hart Field which is located on the South Hill also off of Manito Blvd will recive new tennis courts,athletic fields and a new paved parking area.


A few other projects have also been recently completed,if you'd like to get more info on Spokane Public Schools visit them on their website at...
www.spokaneschools.org

Local Business Happenings update-Dec. 17th 2012

	1023 W. Riverside offices 01/01 The historic office building at 1023 W. Riverside in Downtown Spokane now offers newly renovated small offices. The new offices have rents that range from 300 to 600 per month.
	Sunlight Acupuncture 02/01 New acupuncture clinic on 4th St just south of Harrison in Midtown Coeur d' Alene
	Saad's Shoe Repair 02/01 After over 100 years in business the Downtown Spokane Saad's Shoe Repair location has  closed. The Northtown Mall Saad's will remain open however.
	Solar Flair Tanning 02/01 Solar Flair,a new tanning salon in now open on Main St in Coeur d' Alene's Riverstone  development.
	J. Miller Salon 02/01 J. Miller is a full service salon that is now open on Riverstone's Main St. in Coeur d' Alene.
	Advanced Machining NW 02/01 Advanced Machining NW, a Spokane based machine shop is moving into new space at 7826 N. Market St in Spokane
	Century West 02/01 Century West is engineering firm that has moved from a smaller location to a building at 11707 E. Montgomery Dr in Spokane Valley.
	St. Vincent de Paul St. Vincent de Paul will open a new 14 unit apartment complex at 102 E. Homestead in Coeur d' Alene. Construction starts soon and units will be made available to local residents with a mental disablement.
	STCU STCU which stands for Spokane Teachers Credit Union has purchased the land at the  corner of Mullan and Mission in Spokane Valley for a new branch and financial center. No word on when it might start construction or open the new office.
	Gift Card Shark 02/01 Gift Card Shark is a local business that buys and sells gift cards.  They have opened a new location in Spokane Valley at 14109 E. Sprague Ave.
	Select Comfort The North Spokane Select Comfort location is also the move.Select Comfort who is famous  for it's Sleep Number bed brand will soon relocate to the former Parkins Resturant building at 5903 N. Division. The mattress retailer will take half of the building which is to be remodeled into a small 2 unit shopping center.
	Ashley Furniture 02/01 The North Spokane Ashley Furniture location at 10425 N. Newport Hwy has re-opened after  being closed for a few months.
	Eye Candy Antiques 02/01 Vintage and antique store, Eye Candy Antiques which had been at 3017 N. Monroe St in Spokane has gone out of business.
	This & That Thrift Store 02/01 A new thrift store called This & That is now open at 3130 N. Division St in Spokane behind the Rare Coin Co. coin shop.
	North Idaho Gastroenterology 02/01 Kootenai Health System has acquired the North Idaho Gastroenterology clinic on Lincoln Way (US 95) IN Coeur d' Alene
	Stanek's Nursery 02/01 Stanek's Nursery , a long time Spokane greenhouse and plant retailer is closing. The closure  is due to a outstanding lease agreement with the city on a portion of the land Stanek's sits on.
	Bozzi Collection Bozzi Collection, a new art gallery and gift shop has opened on the skywalk level along N. Wall St in Downtown Spokane. This store was mentioned in a previous  Inland Northwest Business Watch post. For more search for Bozzi in the upper left of the  main web site.
	Kool 107.1 02/01 A new 70's ,80's and 90's formatted radio station called Kool 107.1 has signed on the air  in Spokane. Their offices are located at 400 S. Jefferson on the Lower South Hill.
	STCU Spokane Teachers Credit Union has opened it's newest branch location at 5711 S. Hailee  Ln on the South Hill in Spokane.
	Coeur d' Alene Taxi Coeur d' Alene Taxi has opened a new office in Midtown Coeur d' Alene on 4th St  next door to The Long Ear.
	Fabulous Finds 02/01 New re-sale clothing boutique, Fabulous Finds has opened it's doors in the 6800 block of N. Government Way by Silver Lake Mall in Coeur d' Alene.
	Cocomoe's Frozen Yogurt 02/01 Cocomoe's Frozen Yogurt is now open in the Hayden Super 1 Shopping Center at the corner of W. Hayden Ave and US 95 in Hayden.

Blown Motor's retail shop

I drive Northwest Blvd. in Coeur d' Alene several times a week,as do  thousands of others in the area. So over the summer I almost immediately noticed the signs for a new business ,Blown Motor , at the Northwest Place building at the intersection of Northwest Blvd and US 95. This raised quite a few questions like just who is Blown Motor? After some quick research I discovered Blown Motor is newer retailer of snowmobile accessories.And they are already creating quite a buzz in the snowmobile industry and yes they are even based here locally in Coeur d' Alene.

Blown Motor will use the new space at 1450 Northwest Blvd. Suite 103 (Northwest Place building) as a new flagship retail shop for the companies wide selection of snowmobile accessories. Blown Motor's motto is "blown away by service" and the company has been selling products from many brands both online and at trade shows. The trade shows and events Blown Motor have been at are scattered all around the United States and are most likly a large reason behind the fact that Blown Motor already has 60,000 plus likes on Facebook.

Blown Motor sells popular snowmobile like 509,Klim,Fox Racing and many more. The retail store on Northwest Blvd. is open to the public.

For more info on Blown Motor visit them in store or online-
www.blownmotor.com

Furniture Row remodels in North Spokane,adds Denver Mattress

The national furniture shopping center chain ,  Furniture Row has invested in Spokane yet again. Furniture Row celebrated recently it's grand re-opening for their newly remodeled plaza located at 7520 N. Division St. in North Spokane,behind The Onion and nearby the new North Spokane Hobby Lobby store

The North Spokane Furniture Row has an all new look both inside and outside as well as more selection inside.

The remodeled store space now also features a third furniture store tenant, Denver Mattress Company . Denver Mattress is a chain mattress store that is often found in Furniture Row's plaza locations around the nation. Locally Denver Mattress also has a store on Indiana Ave. near Mirabeau Park in Spokane Valley.

The Spokane Valley Furniture Row on Indiana Ave. remains open with no imminent plans to close or remodel that location. Other local Furniture Row store tenant's also include...
Oak Express
Sofa Mart
Bedroom Expressions

For more info on Furniture Row visit-
www.furniturerow.com

For more info on Denver Mattress visit-
www.furniturerow.com/denvermattressco

New restaurant at the Coeur d' Alene Casino

Earlier in Dec. I reported on here about all the new changes happening at the Coeur d' Alene Casino Resort in Worley ( that post here- http://inlandbusiness.blogspot.com/2012/12/recent-updates-at-coeur-d-alene-casino.html ). And now I have learned of one more....

 The former steakhouse which was located by the Resort's newer south entry,behind the hotel front desk area will re-open. But this time as a all new restaurant called Chinook Steak,Pasta and Spirits. The new restaurant is scheduled to open today , Dec. 13th and will feature not only steak and pasta but also wood fired pizza's . Items served are made with local ingredients and some menu items even highlight to area such as a "Inland Northwest Salad" and "Northwest Elk Stew".

With the opening of Chinook the Coeur d' Alene Casino Resort is now home to 8 different dining establishments. No word as of yet on what if anything is becoming of the closed Bar next door to the former steakhouse.

For more info on Chinook Steak,Pasta and Spirits visit-
http://www.cdacasino.com/restaurants/chinook.php

Post Falls company loses large government contract

All Seasons Apparel , a veteran owned industrial sewing company that has been operating in the Spokane/ Coeur d' Alene area for quite some time. Their shop,currently located along Primrose Ln. by STCU in Post Falls. But recently some not so good news came in for this small local business.

All Seasons Apparel's primary business is in making flags for US Department of Veteran Affairs , a large government contract that means making thousands of flags each year and nice profits as well. But All Season's has now announced that they have lost that contract.

The contract issue will most likely mean lay-offs and maybe more as the flag's we're almost 100 percent of the companies business. And All Season's owners aren't happy about the issue ether because they lost to a company that is owned by a veteran (something that is required to hold this lucrative contract) but uses a non-vet owned subcontractor for it's manufacturing processes.

Silver Mountain is for sale

Silver Mountain ,a ski and snowboarding, water park, golf course and condo resort located less then an hour east of Coeur d' Alene is now up for sale. The resort's owners JELD-WEN have announced they plan to sell each of the resort's features as separate business units. They also say the sale plans will not interrupt any of the operations during the 2012-2013 ski season.

The resort owners say the business is making money but they hope to put their main focus back on the window and door operations,which are JELD-WEN's main business.

The sale will be done in a auction format,with the first round of sealed-bid auctions beginning in January. The first auction will offer up the Condo operations and the Silver Rapids Water Park. The main ski area operations will sell in round 2 which is expected sometime in February. All other resort operations, such as the Galena Ridge Golf Course will sell soon after but no official date has been set for those sales.

No word as of yet on if anyone has expressed interest in investing in Silver Mountain.

For more info on Silver Mountain visit-
www.silvermt.com

I-90 Beck Rd. (Idaho exit 1) now open

The new exit for Beck Rd. / W. Pointe Pkwy. in Post Falls near the Idaho/Washington state line is now open  to traffic. The exit opened officially on Thanksgiving Day, about 1 whole day before it was scheduled to open. The interchange which is considered I-90 exit 1 is the first new exit along the freeway in our local area in the last few years.

Traffic taking the exit,for the time being however will not have full use of all routes built around the new junction. Traffic is forced onto W. Pointe Pkwy. and directly by the State Line Wal-Mart and into Cabela's. 2 additional routes will open sometime in around the spring of 2013. Beck Rd. is one of those routes as it is currently under construction to bring it south from Seltice Way to Pointe Pkwy at a new traffic light behind the Sysco warehouse.

Another future route connecting into the Beck Rd. exit will be Riversbend Ave. to the south of the main exit. It is thought that this new tie in for Riversbend Ave. to the streets servicing Cabela's will hopefully spark new stores and development for the North Idaho Outlets Outlet Mall which is currently served via I-90 exit 2, Pleasant View Rd and has been a virtual ghost town in the last few years.

Also there are many new business rumors that surround the completion of this project. I am watching all of those very closely but so far haven't gotten any official word. Those rumors include...

Ikea (the possibility of Spokane Ikea Store in Post Falls is covered in the rumor mill page of this site, at
http://inlandbusiness.blogspot.com/p/rumor-mill.html )
Target
Lowe's 
Famous Dave's BBQ
and Cracker Barrel

No other new exit's are planned on I-90 in the Spokane/ Coeur d' Alene area for the near future however plans are in the works to improve upon the Harvard Rd Liberty Lake exit, and the Medical Lake exit both in Washington.

The new Beck Rd. interchange was funded by the developer of the Pointe at Post Falls project which is at the exit. It used funds under the State of Idaho's STAR legislation.

Elsewhere in the Northwest- Commercial Air Service coming to Everett

Those looking for a flight to Western Washington and the Seattle area may soon have a new flight option.  That's because the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration ) has given it's approval to add commercial flight service in and out of Paine Field (Airport code: PAE) in Everett.

Two airlines intend to add Everett to their flight schedules , Horizon Air and Allegiant Air. The flights proposed at this time would take travelers to Spokane, Portland and Las Vegas. More flights may also be added in the near future.

The move to add commercial air service was first proposed back in 2008 but has been a contested issue by many who live around the airport. The nearby residents are worried about increases in pollution added traffic and noise. However an environmental review that was conducted in September claims that there will be no significant increases in those categories.

Paine Field is ran by Snohomish County and is also well known as a tourist destination as it is home to one of Boeing's largest manufacturing plants and the Future of Flight Aviation Center & Boeing Tour.

For more info on Everett's Paine Field as well as info on the new flight service proposals visit-
www.painefield.com

57th & Regal Center is open

A new strip style shopping center is now open and ready for tenants on Spokane's South Hill. The new plaza which is called the 57th & Regal Center began leasing of it's 10 commercial spaces only a couple of months ago and has already garnered some interest. In fact it's come up a couple of times just in this site's search terms.

The commercial spaces can be leased from 1,100 up to 6,000 square feet. Lease rates will run around 20.00 per square foot and includes a lighted tenant sign along Regal. The center also offers heated sidewalks,some outdoor patio space and even units pre-equipped with a drive thru. Also on the property is a  pad site,ready for construction.

The new shopping center is located along Regal Ave. about half a block north of 57th Ave. and nearby Albertson's.

Watch for more news on tenants,etc as we get them.

For more info on the 57th & Regal Center visit-
www.gem57.com

Spokane liquor licence watch-Dec 8th 2012

One sure way to tell what new restaurants,  liquor stores, wineries and breweries are opening in the Spokane area is by a quick scan of the new Washington State liquor / beer & wine licences . Here are some of the newest in our area,and please keep in mind,I cannot remember every businesses name and address so some of these that are new may just be a new licence and not a new business. Ether way a fun way to look and see what may be opening soon in the Spokane area...

Beignets Event House .... 121 N. Wall St. Spokane .... New application

Zagz Liquor Store .... moving location from 1601 N. Division to 1101 N. Division Suite A Spokane

Somewhere.... 5620 S. Regal St Spokane ....New application

Hot Rods Bar and BBQ .....6520 E. Trent Ave Spokane.... New application

Digatron.... 120 N. Wall Suite 300 Spokane ..... New application

Cafe Italiano .... 4334 S. Regal Ave. Spokane ..... New application

Wine Store ..... 906 W. 2nd Ave Suite B Spokane ..... New application

Patit Creek Cellars ..... 822 W Sprague Ave. Spokane ..... New application...Winery

Smoke& Mart.....  4109 N. Market St. Spokane ..... New application

Bigelow's Top Hat Grill ..... moving location from 6412 N. Division to 415 W. Hastings Rd. Spokane

Hopped Up Brewing Company .... 10421 E. Sprague Ave. Spokane Valley.... New application

La Belle Vie.... 18507 E. Appleway Blvd Spokane Valley.... New application

Zythum Brewing Company.... 15120 E. 26th Ave Spokane Valley .... New application

T&T Grills ..... 2915 E. 29th Ave Spokane.... New application

Oriental Food Store.... moving location from 1312 N. Division to 1403 N. Division Suite A Spokane

Fire Artisan Pizza ..... 816 W. Sprague Ave. Spokane.... New application

That's a Wrap.... 2611 W. Northwest Blvd. Spokane... New application


Source: Washington State Liquor Control Board's website

Nate's New York Pizza-LOCAL business profile

My apology's as it's been quite awhile now since I've posted a local business profile to this site. Tonight's business profile is of Nate's New York Pizza in Post Falls !

Nate's New York Pizza
920 N Hwy 41 (In the the River City Plaza)
Post Falls,ID 83854
Phone:208-773-6697

Nate's New York Pizza is a locally owned and operated pizza shop with a convenient location nearby the HWY 41 and Mullan Ave. intersection in Post Falls. Nate's is the home of the 24" pizza  and they also offer 14" and 18" pizza sizes to please all appetites. Nate's prides itself on it's dough and pizza sauce,both of which are made in house!

Pizza is the main business for Nate's but it's not the only item on the menu. Here you can also find a Stromboli that's filled with sausage,pepperoni and mozzarella wrapped up in their in house made dough and baked with roasted garlic olive oil and a luv seasoning.Now just typing that is making me hungry!

Also at Nate's New York Pizza you'll find wings,cheese bread,beer battered mushrooms,homemade meatball bowl's, sandwiches and garlic knots. Salad's are available as well including a house salad,an Italian salad and a caesar salad.

Nate's New York Pizza has a full liquor licence which means they are able to serve rum and coke or whiskey and coke and at price like $4 for a 16oz how could you go wrong?

Nate's New York Pizza is open Tues.-Sat. 11am - 8pm and Sunday 11-9 . Support your local small businesses and give them a call for your next pizza.

Hope for Post Falls Landing

Hope has been found after 10+ years of struggles and legal battles over a large Post Falls development that is known as Post Falls Landing. The Post Falls Landing Developer , Harry Green had once planned the development to be a large mixed used project on land directly next to Post Falls' small city center area. But the economy hit Green hard and today little is built at Post Falls Landing. At one time the project was marketed as including condo's ,a hotel ,numerous retail shops and even an amphitheater.

In November however hope finally came thru for Post Falls Landing with the successful purchase of the project back to the developer's lender, Liberty Bankers Life Insurance Co. of Texas. The company acquired the land for a little over 3 million via a county trustee's sale.

Liberty does not plan to develop the property but does however intend to market it,primarily to local developers who have the financial abilities to develop the land. The project is located on 33 acres of former mill land along Spokane St. just south of I-90 exit 5 in Post Falls. The new owners do indicate that they have had interest in that land but cannot say from whom.

The existing condo's that have already been built,along the Spokane River on the south end of the project site we're not included in the sale because many have been sold to private individuals.

Recent updates at the Coeur d' Alene Casino

If you haven't visited the Coeur d' Alene Tribe's  Coeur d' Alene Casino & Resort in Worley latly you may be in for a surprise as later half of 2012 have ushered in many new improvements to the sprawling resort property,which is located along former US 95 (now called Nukwalqu Road ) some 40 min south of Downtown Coeur d' Alene.

Not too long ago the Casino experienced a shake up with the firing of the former CEO, David LaSarte-Meeks only a short time after the grand opening of the new wing and new hotel section on the eastern edge of the building.  Today all those issues thankfully have been resolved and the new CEO David Matheson is in control and clearly making some changes. Interestingly David Matheson has actually been in the Casino's CEO role twice as he too was fired back in 2006 only to get re-hired now.

In June the Casino's sports bar underwent another major remodel,the bar and grill is now back open as Red Tail Bar and Grill. The new Red Tail Bar features a full menu as well as several big screen tv's for optimal game viewing.On occasion the bar will also feature live music from mostly local artists.

It's just up the hallway from Red Tail where the more recent renovations have occurred,The large corridor features newly updated furniture and along the sides are 2 new businesses. The first of which is a small coffee stand with some seating called Jackpot Java and the other is a new gift shop almost directly next door to Jackpot Java. That new shop is called Crystal Lake Boutique and it features mostly Native American themed gifts. The other gift shop,which is by the smoke shop at the old hotel lobby will remain as will the smoke shop.

Smaller improvements we're also made such as creating a more open space for the popular Sweetgrass Grill restaurant and moving the entry road slightly to remove the need for a stop sign at the Tribe's Conoco Gas Station entrance.Also the hotel's 2 wing's have been renamed to go along with the Casino's "welcome home" mountain lodge style theme.

And as if all of that wasn't enough the Coeur d' Alene Casino Resort is working on another renovation. At the time I am writing this the Teselum Steakhouse and the neighboring Bar Welukws are closed for remodeling. I'll have more on that half of the renovation hopefully soon...

For more info on the Coeur d' Alene Casino Resort or any of the Tribe's businesses mention in this post please visit their web site at:
www.cdacasino.com

Mt. Spokane expands and improves main lodge

The winter skiing season is upon us and future weather forecasts are favorable for a successful year at the Ski and Snowboard Resorts of the Inland Northwest. Many resorts feature upgrades this year,like the work that was done to the lodge at Schweitzer Mountain's Lodge and Condo's in Sandpoint( info on that work in past post,please search for Schweitzer at the top of this page).

But one of the most talked about changes this year is the newly expanded main lodge at Mt. Spokane . The expansion is now open to all of the resorts customers and features about 1,200 square feet of new floor space. Within that new space is some 100 new seats for skiers and visitors alike to take in the sights and sounds of the popular resort,which is only a few mile to the northeast of Downtown Spokane along Washington State Route 206.

Also included in the lodge is a large wrap around patio and garage doors that can be opened when the weather gets warmer.Inside new flat screen TV's have been added and the Mt. Spokane rental shop has also been improved.

While not open just yet Mt. Spokane is also continuing to expand to the ski able area on the mountain by adding new runs and lifts in the future.Sources say the resort is hoping to add 7 new runs in the future but doesn't mention as to when those new ski runs might open.

For more info on Mt. Spokane Ski and Snowboard Park visit them at -
www.mtspokane.com

Encore Thrift Store now open

Thrift stores are one of my favorite places to shop mostly because you never really know what you might find. And now the Spokane Thrift Store scene has grown yet again with the recent opening of the new Encore Thrift Store . Encore Thrift is tucked away in a small but inviting building only a couple of blocks south of an often forgotten about shopping district, Downtown Millwood.

Encore Thrift Store's motto is fitting for it's name " When the curtain is drawn, we have more only at Encore Thrift Store" . Encore sells clothing,some crafts,toys and books/ games along with much more.

Encore Thrift Store is located at 2819 N. Argonne Rd. in Millwood,just north of Trent Ave. in Millwood. And they are open to donations and consignment items.

For more info visit their Facebook page at-
www.facebook.com/millwoodencorethriftstore

Local Dairy Queens add Orange Julius

Smoothies are big business and with Jamba Juice, Mc Donalds and local smoothie shops in the mix the competion can be agressive at times.Hence the reasoning behind Dairy Queen's new plan to add their sister smoothie chain , Orange Julius into all national Dairy Queen's, including those in the Spokane and Coeur d' Alene market.

Orange Julius is offers a yogurt based smoothie product that was first created some 85 years ago by Julius Freed who had a goal to create less asidic juice drink options. Today Orange Julius offers 5 flavors with prices starting at 2.89 .

In the local area Dairy Queen operates 10 locations,including 1 in Spokane Valley Mall and 1 in Northtown Mall.

Spokane Valley Atilano's now open

I gotta admit, in my personal opinion Atilano's Mexican Food has the best burritos in the Spokane/ Coeur d' Alene area. While maybe not the most health friendly the burritos at Atilano's are huge and stuffed with meat. And to top it off the price is very affordable. And I'm not alone in thinking this way,in fact Atilano's has been chosen as best burritos in the Inlander's Best of Spokane 2012 edition.

And now Atilano's is expanding yet again with their newest location having opened just last week. The new location is in Spokane Valley nearby the intersection of Sprague and Freya in the former home of Yummi Teriyaki.

Locally Atilano's is also open in Downtown Spokane on 3rd Ave, in Coeur d' Alene on Appleway nearby 4th St and Midtown and in Wandermere area of North Spokane on Hastings Rd. just east of Division St. . All locations are open long hours including times for breakfast and some do sell menudo.

For more info on Atilano's Mexican Resturants please visit-
www.atilanos.com

Local business happenings update-Dec. 1st 2012

Here are the latest additions to the local business happenings page (http://inlandbusiness.blogspot.com/p/business.html)

Due to technical diffuclties this update is small,but look for more very soon...

	Skate Manifestation 01/01- Skate Manifestation is a new skate shop,featuring roller derby products is now open at 306 N. Spokane St. Suite C in Post Falls.
	Coin Revival 01/01- New coin shop / Gold and Silver buyer Coin Revival opened recently at the corner of Hwy 41 and Mullan Ave. in Post Falls
	Sozo Church 01/01- A new church called Sozo Church has began meeting inside of the Red Lion River Inn in Downtown Spokane
	Machanics Worx 01/01- New auto repair shop, Machanics Worx has opened in Coeur d' Alene at 7040 N. Government Way.
	Revel 77 Coffee 01/01- Revel 77 is a new coffee shop that just opened on the South Hill at 3223 E. 57th Ave. Suite K,Spokane.   Select Comfort 02/01- Select Comfort, the retail chain behind the popular Sleep Number bed brand is moving out of the Spokane Valley Mall for new space at the Evergreen Crossing Shopping Center in the 13000 block of E. Indiana Ave in Spokane Valley 1023 W. Riverside offices 01/01- The historic office building at 1023 W. Riverside in Downtown Spokane now offers newly renovated small offices. The new offices have rents that range from 300 to 600 per month.

Santa Express open in Downtown Spokane

Sure Santa Express isn't in it's first year being open. However it's what this seasonal retail store does for kids and the community that makes it's annual opening so beneficial. Santa Express gives kids the chance to shop for their parents and other loved one's, on their own,teaching them shopping skills and those all important budgeting skills.

At Santa Express children are matched with a store volunteer and then taken behind a curtain to where they can shop, purchase and even wrap up the gifts to give to their loved ones on the holiday. Santa Express also features a small selection outside of the curtained off area so adults can shop some too.

And to top it all of, Santa Express is a non profit store. The store each year helps to fund the Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery . In fact last year's store sale provided over 60,000 dollars to assist the shelter.

Santa Express is located on the 2nd floor of the Cresent Court Building at 707 W. Main St in Downtown Spokane (inbetween River Park Square and the STA Bus Plaza).

For more info on Santa Express visit-
http://www.vanessabehan.org/events/santa-express/

The Bozzi Collection opening in Downtown Spokane

Bozzi, is a well known name around Spokane due in great part to efforts of Bozzi Media. Bozzi Media is locally owned and operated magazine publishing company that publishes such popular local magazine's as Spokane Coeur d' Alene Living and Inland Business Catalyst. Also company owner Vincent Bozzi owns 3 of the businesses inside of the Flour Mill.

But now the Spokane's Bozzi businesses is growing by 1 with the opening of The Bozzi Collection . The new store is seasonal but could,possibly become full time. But what is so special about this new store? They are creating a new way to shop local for the holidays. The shop is best described as a combination gift shop and art gallery. The stores art,gifts and crafts come from local vendors,many of which have even been featured in the pages of Spokane Coeur d' Alene Living.

Also planned to be for sale at The Bozzi Collection will be local souvenirs and specialty foods. And the some items will change from week to week so plan to visit often at this new 100% local retail store.

The Bozzi Collection is located in Downtown Spokane, on the skywalk level between Macy's and River Park Square. Almost directly over top of The Olive Garden.

If you would like more info on The Bozzi Collection or for info on how you can get your arts and crafts sold in their store please call 509-990-7925 or visit them on Facebook at:
www.facebook.com/bozzicollection