Local developer Ron Wells has been working on the legal mess that is the Ridpath Hotel for a few years now. Wells' plan is to turn the majority of the abandoned Downtown hotel building into apartments, condo's and some restaurant space. Here is the details of his plan, including some example floor plans for the apartments as they stood sometime ago-
Ridpath Club Apartments plan moves foward ( photos and floor plans included ) - Posted in 2013, not all info is guaranteed, but assumed to still be the plan.
Despite some construction work already being underway, another development group, with a completely different plan recently blocked Wells from his plan to bring more housing to Downtown Spokane. That group, which included local businessman Steve Antonietti , had topped Wells' bid for a main block of the building, which is divided into " condo " space with many different sections and different owners.
But now, we're learning that Antonietti's group, has missed a series of deadlines to pay for their bid on the building's units. That group also had hoped to redevelop the Ridpath Hotel , but they hoped to turn it back into a hotel. The group, claims to be working with the Hilton hotel chain to re-open the building as a Hilton. This is however after the opening of the large Davenport Grand Hotel, just blocks away, and a Hampton Inn also coming soon to Downtown ( more on that soon... ).
Although this news means Ron Wells can move forward with planning, it doesn't mean it's official yet as there are still parts of the building that are not his. Wells will go to court next month to make the purchase official.
If he is successful with acquired the bulk of the building it will be huge news for Downtown Spokane, bringing more residents into the city center, allowing for more new business and even more new life Downtown. It's finally felling like we're nearing the end of the almost never ending legal battles that have surrounded this historic Downtown high rise.
