Renovations planned for 120 N Wall in Downtown Spokane

Rendering provided courtesy of Trek Architecture.

Work is underway to renovate a Downtown building and bring new life back to the space. Developers are planning to do a top to bottom remodel at 120 N. Wall giving it a more modern look and a new use.

Plans call for commercial suites on the ground floor with new restaurants possibly taking the space. Floors 2-5 will be converted to apartments, with 21 residential units in all. Construction work will be done by TW Clark Construction, engeering by DCI Engineers and architectural design by Trek Architecture. The building permit values the project at $2,250,000.

Large new apartment complex planned near Spokane Valley Mall

In just a matter of a few years the area to the east of Spokane Valley Mall, in-between Sullivan Rd. and Flora Rd. has filled up with several larger apartment complexes. And, yet another is now in the works along Desmet Court across the street from the Providence Valley Health Park building.

The project is nicknamed the " Desmet Quarry Apartments " is to be developed by local developer Lanzce Douglass. Plans call for 304 rental units in 10 separate buildings at 16609 E. Desmet Ct. . Additionally the development will include 608 parking spaces, garages, a clubhouse and a pool.

Building permits have yet to be issued but a grading permit was issued earlier this month and SEPA application also was recently completed. The project will likely open sometime in 2020.

New shopping center planned on US 2 in Airway Heights

Airway Heights continues to fly high. The city actually has several commercial construction projects ongoing, but one such is a new shopping center planned to be directly along US 2.

Plans call for a new 15402 square foot building to be built at 11919 W. Sunset Hwy, on a vacant lot in-between KFC and First Interstate Bank. The building will be anchored by a 5100 square foot dental office operated by Josh Cochran of the Spokane Valley based Dr. C Family Dentistry. The remaining space will be available for lease, with many uses possible.

Four bays will be smaller at about 1800 square feet each and one bay on the end being larger at 3360 square feet and a drive through lane, implying we'll probably see a new restaurant or coffee shop opening there at some point.

The project is being marketed for lease by Kevin Edwards of Hawkins Edwards with info available by calling 509-838-8500 or visiting their website at http://www.hawkinsedwardsinc.com

Large apartment complex with multi story buildings planned next to the Hamilton St bridge

If all goes as planned construction will begin in the spring for a large new apartment complex along the Spokane River on either side of the Hamilton St. bridge and accessed by the recently opened Martin Luther Kind Jr. Way extension.

The project is being proposed by Phoenix, AZ based Sagamore Capital and is still in pre-development planning phase. However a construction date is already suggested in the plans of April 2020, this of course if not official. This development is estimated to cost about $45 million to build.

The project is named River Bend Development in the planning documents and will consist of 4 new construction buildings and 287 apartments. Building 1 and 2, which will be closest to the river will be 4 story buildings with buildings 3 and 4 being closer to MLK Jr. Way and will each of 7 stories each. The project would be served by 239 newly created parking spaces with on site parking and a new public parking area to the east of the River Bend Development project.

Keep watching Inland Northwest Business Watch for more on this and other new construction projects happening around Spokane.

Location released for Spokane's first cat cafe

The cat's out of the bag! Kitty Cantina, Spokane's first cat café will be opening soon and today we found exactly where the new business will be.

Kitty Cantina will be opening on the North side at 6704 N. Nevada #1 ,in a strip mall space previously occupied by Hallett's Chocolate & Coffee. The owners, husband and wife team Justyn and Tori Cozza ,will renovate the space and say they are looking to open sometime around March 1st. This is made possible in part by a highly successful Kickstarter campaign in which they raised over a $1,000 more then their initial goal of $12,500.

Kitty Cantina will be half café and half cat sanctuary, with the cats and the main café kept in separate rooms. For the cats themselves they'll partner with SpokAnimal to provide healthy cats that are spayed/neutered, vaccinated, micro-chipped and ready for adoption. In fact adoptions will be able to take place right there in Kitty Cantina.

The café side of Kitty Cantina will be a full coffee shop with a selection of beer, wine and ciders in addition to espresso, Lotus and more. Baked goods, sandwiches and soups will also be available.

We'll keep and eye on their progress and more info can be found on their social media pages-

http://www.facebook.com/kittycantina or  @spokane_kitty_cantina on Instagram

New mixed use buildings in the works for Kendall Yards

Plans are in the works for a couple of the new additions to the Kendall Yards Business District. Although it's early in the process , plans call for a new 5 story building and a 3 story flat iron style building to be built with both commercial and residential uses.

Both new buildings will be on the north side of Summit Pkwy, in-between the existing commercial area and the My Fresh Basket grocery store. The five story building rising immediately to the east  of the existing buildings at 1108 W. Summit. The five story building will have space for retail or restaurants on the ground floor ( plans show 3 bays ). The upper four floors will be apartments.

The three story flatiron style building at 1102 W. Summit will also have retail / restaurant on the ground floor. But upper floors will consist of 8 loft style apartments with high ceilings and interior mezzanines. We have reached out to reps with Greenstone for renderings, construction timeline estimates but have yet to hear back.

For more info on Kendall Yards, visit http://kendallyards.com

New restaurant to join the new Hotel Indigo in Downtown Spokane

After being abandoned for over a decade, signs of life are already returning to former Otis Hotel on the western edge of Downtown Spokane. The building, which stands at the corner of W. First Ave and Madison is undergoing a full renovation into a boutique hotel with restaurant within the same building.

The building will be part of the Hotel Indigo chain, which is part of IHG and is primarily boutique style hotels in urban areas. Signs for the new hotel went up this week, the original windows, now fully restored have been uncovered and hard working construction crews are a regular site at hotel. Both the Hotel Indigo and the new restaurant are to open for business in early March of 2020.

Matt Behringer/ INBW - This photo was taken in August but shows the building under construction.

The restaurant will be called Magnolia American Brasserie , which will be a 4500 square foot French inspired restaurant from Patrick McLaughlin who was the former food and beverage manager for the Davenport Hotel. Magnolia will have a full bar, dining area and banquet space, the exact menu is still under development so keep checking back for updates.

When the Hotel Indigo opens in the Spring it will have 112 guest rooms and each of the elevator lobbies will be themed after previous names for the former SRO type hotels that once called the building home, The Willard, Atlantic, Milner, Earle and of course The Otis.

While the hotel is to open in March, reservations are open for dates after April 12th, 2020 via http://ihg.com

New restaurants and bars coming to Downtown Spokane

Downtown's culinary scene continues to evolve, these are truly exciting times to be in Spokane!

Here's a look at some of the new places in and around Downtown Spokane, they are in various phases of construction / opening and I'm hoping to do individual posts on each one. Also, it's very possible I may miss one. If I did, email me and I'll get it added.

Osprey  open

Chef Steve Jensen is at the helm of the newly opened Osprey Restaurant & Bar located inside the Ruby River Hotel ( formerly the Red Lion on the River ). The new restaurant takes the places of Ripples Grill and is fully renovated with a hip new look. The menu is described as "New American cuisine with international influences " .

http://ospreyspokane.com

Outsider  coming soon

I must admit, maybe I'm too much of an outsider on this one because I have virtually no info on this one yet. However well known local chef Ian Wingate has filed for a business license and a liquor license for a new place by this name near the Spokane Arena. It appears to be the first tenant of the newly renamed Papillion building at 908 N. Howard. More to come.

http://outsiderpnw.com ( currently not active )

Wonder Market  open

The market area of the Wonder Building is now open and is home to a couple of awesome new places. High Tide Lobster Bar has their new second location here and Sandpoint based Evans Brothers Coffee Roasters has opened a coffee bar inside.

Bean & Pie will host a limited hours pop up here through the holiday season and I'm told more places will be coming. Including a farmers market of some sort coming in the spring.

http://evansbrotherscoffee.com
http://hightidelobster.com

Wooden City coming soon

Already a cool bar and restaurant in Downtown Tacoma, Wooden City will be opening a new location in Downtown Spokane. I'm told the Spokane location will bear the same name and much of the same menu,etc… . In Tacoma they offer a full bar, wood fired pizzas, pastas, seafood, etc...

Wooden City Spokane will be in the Genesee Building at 819 W. Riverside.

http://woodencitytacoma.com


Flat Stick Pub  open

One of the coolest places to come to Spokane in awhile, Flat Stick Pub is now open for business in The M building at 618 W. Main ( former Downtown Macy's ) . This is the first location in Spokane for the Seattle based business that offers nine hole miniature golf course inside.

Flat Stick Pub has a full bar but features many many craft beers and a food menu of pizzas, entrees and snacks.

http://flatstickpub.com

Mac Daddy's  coming soon

Mac Daddy's Gourmet Grub is already somewhat recognized around Spokane as they've spent a few years with a Mac & Cheese booth going around the many local events like Pig Out in the Park. Not long ago they also opened a new bar called Mac Daddy's Pub & Grill near Wandermere at 415 W. Hastings.

But, now they're adding a new location Downtown. They are planning to open a location soon in River Park Square food court next to Panda Express.

http://macdaddys509.com

Franky D's  open

Franky D's is a new quick service place now open inside the STA bus plaza. It's a pretty cool place with a menu of gourmet hot dogs , a build-a-dog option, Mac & Cheese cones, Chicken fritter sandwiches, drinks, slushy's and more.

Eyvind   coming soon

Work is progressing Eyvind, which will be one of 3 new places going into the Bickett Block building at 225 W. Riverside. Chef Tony Brown will lead the restaurant which is to be " very vegetable forward " with seasonal and scratch made Inland Northwest cuisine made with local ingredients.

Hunt   coming soon

In the basement of the Bickett Block building will be a new restaurant that Chef Tony Brown is also involved with. The new restaurant, which is called Hunt, will offer a menu of " elevated campfire food "

Also above Hunt will be a new event space called Redband. I'll likely include that space in a future post as my understanding it will be open to events only and not quite fitting in to this post.

http://huntspokane.com

Locust Cider & Brewing  open

Locust Cider & Brewing opens on Black Friday in the 400 block of W. Main. The new cider house also has a food menu of pizzas,etc...

http://locustcider.com

Construction to begin soon for a new North 40 Outfitters in Airway Heights

North 40 Outfitters is about to head west with a new location coming soon to Airway Heights. The store has been rumored to be coming for at least a couple of years now but progress is finally being made.

Building permits are now in plan review after being filed with the City of Spokane about a month and a half ago. And, as more proof that construction will begin soon, bidding on the project recently opened for interested parties. The building permits themselves will expire in the Spring so we likely will see work being done sooner rather then later.

Plans call for a new 95,000 square foot North 40 Outfitters store to be built 9646 W. US Hwy 2 , across from the Village Center cinema at the northeast side of the US 2 / Deer Heights Rd intersection.

The store will include 75,600 square feet of retail space, 1,000 +/- square feet of offices and support areas and a 11,964 square foot warehouse. The site will include a 377 space surface parking lot with outdoor areas designated for sales of larger items. A garden center will also branch off of the main building on the west side.

This will be the 3rd location for North 40 Outfitters in the Spokane area and another store in Coeur d' Alene. The chain's stores sell farm and ranch supplies , hunting gear, apparel and more. For more info on North 40, visit their website at- http://north40.com

Multicare Indigo Urgent Care expands in Spokane, opens in the Shadle area.

Multicare Indigo Urgent Care is expanding an adding more locations in Spokane, with their latest clinic now open in the Shadle Park neighborhood.

The new clinic is located at 2401 W. Wellesley Suite 103 in the Shadle Park Shopping Center. It is convenient to much of the Northwest side of Spokane and offers long hours. Like all other Indigo Urgent Care locations they are open seven days a week from 8a - 8p , including holidays.

Indigo Urgent Care clinics provide care for many minor illnesses and injuries and locations offer on-site digital X-ray services. Indigo customers are treated to a more upscale experience with health care concierges , relaxing ambiance, WiFi service, charging stations and complimentary coffee, juice and water.

Indigo Urgent Care now has 5 clinics in the Spokane area including Argonne ( Millwood ), North Spokane, South Hill, Spokane Valley and the new Shadle clinic. Indigo Urgent Care accepts most insurance plans.

For more info on Indigo Urgent Care, visit their website at http://indigohealth.com

Lush Cosmetics opening in Downtown Spokane

Popular cosmetics and bath bomb company, Lush is coming soon to Downtown Spokane. This will be the company's sixth location in Washington state and the first in the Spokane area. Work is already underway now to convert the former &Kloth store at 875 W. Main into a new Lush store. The store is to be located directly across the street from the main River Park Square shopping mall and is to open in Feb. 2020.

Lush Cosmetics is based in Poole, Dorset,UK and has many locations all over the world. The company produces creams, soaps, shampoos, shower gels, lotions, moisturizers,  scrubs and a lot more. All products are made using only vegetarian or vegan recipes, using fresh ingredients, never tested on animals and supporting fair trade. They are also known for their unique bath bombs.

For more info on Lush Cosmetics and info on how to apply for jobs at the new store, visit their website at- http://lushusa.com

Germany based FlixBus to start serving the NW, including Spokane

FlixBus, a German low cost bus carrier has announced their plans to begin serving travelers here in the Northwest. The company will partner with Seattle based MTR Western ( who also has a facility in Spokane) and will begin service in our region starting Nov. 21st.

Known in part for their bright green busses, FlixBus will serve Spokane and Coeur d’ Alene in addition Seattle, Portland, Ellensburg, Olympia, Albany, Corvallis, Eugene and Salem with connections to other parts of the country. And, one of their main selling points will be discounted fares, initially tickets will be on sale for just $9.99!

FlixBus busses feature on board WiFi, outlets and even an app that lets travelers track busses similar to Uber.

For more info on FlixBus, including online booking check their website at-http://flixbus.com

miFLAVOUR opening a french style cafe and bake shop this month

miFLAVOUR is not a new name to Spokane, they've been making amazing macrons and a few other baked goods for over 3 years, originally via markets and wholesale accounts. Recently the locally owned and operated business opened a larger facility on E. Sprague and now they're about to take another huge step.

The business is finishing up a renovation of the another portion of their facility and turning it into a new French style café and bake shop that's open to the public. The owners, Max and Ella say they " went all the way to Paris and brought back a piece of Paris to Spokane ". The new café will have a full espresso bar and daily hand made and baked French style croissants, pastries and more.

The new miFLAVOUR café will open at 7am on Friday, November 22nd at 3403 E. Sprague. During the grand opening all items will be 20% off, keep watching our site as we'll try to post after their opening.

For more info on miFLAVOUR visit their website at http://miflavour.com or call them directly at 509-309-2108

Business Openings & Closings

This is recap of some of the new business coming soon or now open in the Spokane area, plus a few moves. This is not by any means a full list just the highlights of the places I'm tracking but haven't been able to get posts on the site about.

If you think I'm missing something, want to ask a question or really anything reach out to me 24/7 at matt.behringer@inlandnwbusiness.com .


Spokane Valley-

Bardic Brewing & Cider will soon open their first tap room in Spokane Valley. Watch for it at 15412 E. Sprague Ave. #14

Pete & Belle's Ice Cream is opening a new kiosk style location in the center court are of Spokane Valley Mall.


Spokane-

Horizon Credit Union is constructing a new building at 605 S. Washington on the Lower South Hill. It will actually replace an existing location for Horizon very close by.

Floor Trader is a chain of flooring stores that is now open for business at 6227 N. Division.

Bijou is a new bar and coffee shop open in Browne's Addition. It can be found at 1925 W. 4th.

Barnwood Social Kitchen & Tavern is opening soon at 3027 E. Liberty.

Bee You Organics is a new zero waste & organic makeup & skin care store now open for business at 1114 S. Perry.

Kalico Kitchen has moved! The awesome local restaurant known for breakfast is now open in the former Monroe Street Grill at 1829 N. Monroe.

Peace Pie Pizzeria will be opening soon within the Saranac Commons building at 19 W. Main in Downtown Spokane.


West Plains-

West Plains Animal Hospital is constructing a new building that will be a significant expansion over their current clinic. Set to open in the Spring it will be by US 2 and behind Les Schwab.


North Idaho-

The Dipper is moving up and opening their first brick & mortar location at 1500 Northwest Blvd in Coeur d' Alene

Westside Pizza is now open for business in Post Falls at 920 ID 41 suite #1

The Hive is a new coworking business coming to Coeur d' Alene. Descibed as an " Inclusive coworking and community center designed by women for everyone " it will be located at 405 Indiana.

Burlington likely opening a Spokane Valley store

Building permits we’re recently filed with the City of Spokane Valley to build out a “Burlington store” in the Valley. One can only assume this would be for a location of the chain formerly known as Burlington Coat Factory.

The new store is to go into the former Toys r Us location at 15505 E Broadway, by Broadway & Sullivan Rd. . Plans call for a $1.4 million remodel of the store with front facade modifications and interior updates. Unfortunately there is no news about an opening date this early in the process, more news to come!

Burlington is a large chain of stores selling clothing, coats, accessories and a lot more. The company already operates one store at the Franklin Park Shopping Center on N. Division in Spokane. For more info visit- http://burlington.com

Ladder Coffee Roasters to open a new location in Spokane Valley, sharing a building with Canopy Credit Union

Ladder Coffee Roasters continues to grow, as does Canopy Credit Union ( formerly Spokane Federal Credit Union ) . A few months ago Canopy opened a new branch in Spokane Valley at 13105 E. Sprague, but with the branch being 3588 square feet it meant there was still some room in the building for another local business.

That local business will be Ladder Coffee Roasters, who will open a new coffee shop there with 1200 square feet and 5-8 employees. The shop is to open in December and will be open 7 days a week.

President and CEO of Canopy Credit Union, Charlotte Nemec says they reached out to Ladder Coffee Roasters founder and owner, Aaron Rivkin, because of their shared values; serving people no matter what stage of life they're in. This will be the second location for Ladder Coffee Roasters, who also has a location near both Downtown and Browne's Addition at 1516 W. Riverside.

For more info on Ladder Coffee Roasters, visit http://laddercoffeespokane.com

For more info on Canopy Credit Union, visit http://canopycu.com

Olive Garden eyeing a new location in Spokane Valley

Although not set in stone just yet, it looks strongly like Olive Garden will soon be opening a new restaurant in Spokane Valley.

An application has been filed with the City of Spokane Valley by RSI Group,Inc. of Costa Mesa,Ca. to demolish the existing structure at 14742 E. Indiana Ave. .After removing that building it would be immediately replaced by a brand new 7700 square foot building for Olive Garden. The site is adjacent to Spokane Valley Mall and is currently home to Hong Kong Buffet, with no news yet about the fate of that business.

Keep watching this site for more news about this project. This would be the 2nd location for Olive Garden for the Spokane area, although a location existed in Downtown Spokane for many years but was closed by the company 4 years ago.

For more info on Olive Garden, visit- http://olivegarden.com

Small strip mall coming to land close to the new Amazon Fulfillment Center

A new project beginning on the West Plains will likely mean a few more new shops and restaurants coming soon to the area along Aero Rd, by McDonald's and the Petro Truck Stop. The site is also just a short distance away from the new Amazon Fulfillment Center, a project many are watching closely as it will surely spark even more new development in the area.

Located at 10507 W. Aero Rd. will be a brand new shopping center with 6974 square feet of space and up to 4 tenants. There is already rumors of what businesses might open here but I cannot confirm any and all 4 spaces are still being marketed as for lease at this point in time. One of the spaces will include a drive through however, indicating at least one new restaurant or coffee shop will be likely.

This building is all that is to be constructed at this time. However it is important to note it is actually part of a larger development that at completion will span all of the vacant land currently at the northwest side of the Aero Rd / Westbow Rd. intersection. Among what is purposed in the future is a 60000+ square foot grocery store, but nothing has been officially announced about that part of the project, nor have permits been issued there.

New restaurant, coffee shop and car wash to kick off new development on the West Plains

It's been in the planning phase for months and signs marketing the project have been on the site for some time. But it looks like a new commercial development next to the Hilton Garden Inn, in the 9000 block of US 2 might now becoming to fruition. This is because building permits we're just recently filed with the City of Spokane to kick off actual construction.

The project would be built on a 4.5 acre parcel with patrons coming in from a newly built private access drive at the rear of the site along Hilton Dr. . In all there will be 5 new buildings built with some businesses already announced to be opening there.

Closest to US 2 will be a 6000 square foot Bush Car Wash, a 500 square foot Roasters Coffee drive up and a 3600 square foot Bruchi's location. Bush Car Wash and Roasters Coffee are both Tri-Cities based chains that are new to the Spokane area, Bruchi's however is locally based chain with a reputation of making delicious cheesesteaks and more since 1990. The businesses at the site are to be complete sometime in the Spring of 2020.

Additionally a 14000 square foot retail building and a 9000 square foot office building are included in the plans for the site but no tenants have been announced for them as of yet. There is also no building permits issued for these yet so they likely will be a future phase. Baker Construction is the projects general contractor, Knudson Engineering of Kennewick is leading the engineering work and Wave Design Group, also of Kennewick is doing the architectural design work for this development.

Remitly opens new office in Downtown Spokane

Remitly, an online international money transfer company based in Seattle has chosen to open a new office in Downtown Spokane. The growing company will take space in Bennett Block building at 530 W. Main where Rover.com's Spokane office once was. Rover has since relocated to a larger space in the Wonder Building.

Remitly says their new offices in Spokane will primarily be a product and engineering office where they will employ full-stack junior and senior software developers. They decline to share just how many jobs the new office will create however.

The company says they chose to expand to Spokane due to a strong local job market, workforce and low cost of operations. This will be Remitly's second office location in the US , although with much of the company's business done internationally they also have offices in London, Dublin, Manila and Managua, Nicaragua. In all the company employs over 1,000.

Remitly's product allows people to send and receive money via smartphone apps. The company claims to have close to 2 million customers and helps send and receive more then $6 billion dollars annually.

For more info on Remitly, visit their website at http://remitly.com

Restaurants and more planned for new strip mall in Coeur d' Alene

Work continues to progress on a development on the north side of Coeur d' Alene. Located northwest of the intersection of Ramsey Rd. and Hanley Ave., the bulk of the project is a large apartment complex called The Northern at Coeur d' Alene Place. Once complete the apartment complex will have 294 apartments with 1,2 & 3 bedroom units available.

But on the southern section of the site, adjacent to the existing Maverik gas station is a new 2 building commercial project that will have 10,438 square feet of space and bays for up to 8 businesses. And, it's filling up with tenants even before construction is complete, among the businesses opening there are-

Union Coffee ( a new second location of their original coffee shop on 4th )

Poke Works ( a franchise location of a chain, the first location our area )

Stretch Lab

32 Below Frozen Yogurt

More space is also available for lease, for more info contact Hayden Anderl with Coldwell Banker Schneidmiller Realty at 208-964-0234 or hayden@cbinw.com

Cosmic Cowboy Grill opening in Downtown Spokane

Cosmic Cowboy Grill is growing and expanding. The fresh casual restaurant from Coeur d' Alene has begun working on a new second location coming soon to Downtown Spokane.

The new restaurant will be located on the ground floor of River Park Square, next to Nordstrom. The space was last used by Tortilla Union, a Southwest inspired restaurant that closed recently. Plans are to have the new Spokane Cosmic Cowboy Grill open sometime in January of 2020.

The restaurant will seat about 100 and feature a full bar. Food wise, the Spokane location will serve the same menu as their location in Coeur d' Alene. Their restaurants are a fast casual style establishment with a menu that is more health conscious the most. They serve " creative salads ", soups, sandwiches, wraps, bowls, burgers, and a few entrees. Additionally, they have delicious desserts, a wide verity of sides, a menu for kids and more. Gluten free substitutions are available, as are Beyond-Burger Veggie Patty's on their burgers.

Cosmic Cowboy Grill also does catering with more information about that service and a full menu on their website at http://cosmiccowboygrill.com. Also, keep watching our site and social media as we will try to keep you up to date as this new business progresses.

New Sleep Inn in Spokane opens and sets milestones for the chain

The new duel branded Sleep Inn / Mainstay Suites hotel has opened for business on the West Plains, after months of construction. The hotel features 87 rooms in all and is located near the Spokane International Airport at 3809 S. Geiger Rd.

But, the opening of a new hotel isn't the only story with this new property. The hotel, which is actually a franchise location, is both the 400th Sleep Inn location and the 20th location of the new Sleep Inn - Mainstay Suites duel branding concept. "It's not often that a hotel brand celebrates two major milestones on the same day. I can't think of a better market than Spokane to usher in this landmark " said Megan Brumagim , VP of brand management, design and compliance with Choice Hotels. And, Sleep Inn isn't planning to stop anytime soon with over 150 Sleep Inn hotels in the global pipeline.

Sleep Inn hotels are considered midscale hotels and are just one of many brands held under the large Choice Hotels parent company. In fact Choice Hotels has a number of other hotels open just here in the Spokane / Coeur d' Alene area.

This new Sleep Inn / Mainstay Suites location in Spokane offers both a more traditional room under the Sleep Inn name and suites geared slightly more toward extended stays under the Mainstay Suites name. Amenities of the new hotel include an indoor heated pool, full bar, free Wi-Fi, complimentary hot breakfast,  a 24/7 marketplace, business center, fitness center and complimentary airport shuttle service.

Rooms can be booked via http://www.choicehotels.com and for more info on the local location directly follow them on Facebook at- http://www.facebook.com/sleepinnmainstay-suites-spokane-international-airport-2224361994351494

Thomas Hammer Coffee planning a store on the South Hill

Thomas Hammer Coffee Roasters is planning to open a new location, this time on the South Hill. This will be the locally based coffee chain's first location on the South Hill.

The coffee shop will be located within part of a new 3400 square foot building that will be constructed soon at 3173 S. Grand Blvd. . The new coffee shop will be part of a partnership between Thomas Hammer and Washington Trust Bank. Construction will begin soon on the building, which will be on a vacant lot immediately south of Washington Trust Bank's Manito branch.

The new Thomas Hammer location will share the building with a Washington Trust owned community center which will provide event / meeting space that can be rented for various groups. They also plan to use the space for financial education classes and trainings held by the bank.

The project is estimated to cost $750,000 with Baker Construction & Development acting as the general contractor, architecture work done by Wolfe Architectural Group PS and engineering services done by DCI Engineers .

Natural Grocers planning to open a store on the South Hill

We've uncovered plans that show Colorado based Natural Grocers via a general contractor is in the process of accepting construction bids for a new store on the South Hill. This would be the second Natural Grocers store in Spokane, the first one opened a couple of years ago on N. Division near Northtown Mall. Additionally, the chain also has a location in Coeur d' Alene.

Plans call for converting the former Hastings store at 2512 E. 29th into a new Natural Grocers store. The store would take the 25,359 square foot space, with natural and organic grocery items, some refrigerated / frozen foods , produce and vitamins / supplements.

Natural Grocers has been growing steadily in recent years. The company has been in business since 1955 and although a current store count isn't readily available, the most recent public count the chain has 140 stores in 19 states.

Keep watching for more on this project, and for more info on the Natural Grocers chain, visit their website at- http://naturalgrocers.com

Johnson's Custom Jewelry to open in former Dodsons location

Last winter the Dodson's Jewelers closed their doors after 131 years in business. Since Dodson's was Spokane's longest running retail business it was a bit of an " end of an era ". But, very soon customers will be able to return to the same building at 516 W. Riverside for all of their jewelry needs.

That's because Johnson's Custom Jewelry is relocating into the former Dodson's store location and will open with a ribbon cutting tomorrow ( Sept 19th ) at 10:00am. Johnson's has spent the last 8 years operating from a much smaller 600 square foot space in the Downtown's Peyton Building, where they had done custom and repair work for the now closed Dodson's and other local jewelers.

This is a major expansion for Johnson's Custom Jewelry as their new shop is just shy of 3700 square feet. In the new shop, they plan to continue their work in custom jewelry design and repair, but will also include new inventory for walk-in's including a few different designer lines of engagement rings and wedding bands, as well as colored stone and diamond jewelry.

Johnson's Custom Jewelry points out they have a different approach then a typical jewelry store.
" You are often working directly with the person that is creating the jewelry, versus a salesperson which has to translate the ideas to the goldsmith " . And, unlike many jewelry businesses Johnsons Custom Jewelry is a completely locally owned and operated business.

For more info on Johnson's Custom Jewelry, visit their website at-

http://johnsonscustomjewelry.com 

Progress Watch- Downtown’s new Laquinta Inn & Suites

Construction is moving at a rapid pace for the update of the former Fairbridge Inn at 211 S Division in Downtown Spokane. The building is receiving a top to bottom remodel and will soon reopen as Laquinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Spokane Downtown.

Owner Rajbir Sukhbir Sandhu is investing approximately $2.2 million dollars into the project that even includes a 2550 square foot addition to the original building. In all the hotel has 79 rooms on 4 floors.

Although reservations aren’t yet available for the new hotel, some info is already on their website at-https://www.wyndhamhotels.com/laquinta/spokane-washington/la-quinta-spokane-downtown/overview?CID=LC:LQ::GGL:RIO:National:53898&iata=00093796

Revival Tea Company planning new Downtown tea house

Locally based tea producer Revival Tea Company is planning on opening a brick & mortar location later this year.

Revival Tea Company is working on a new tasting room / tea house at 415 W Main #100, by Sweet Peaks Ice Cream. They  plan on it being a 2000 square foot shop with retail sales, tea bar and manufacturing space. All in a historic basement space in the heart of Downtown Spokane.

The company will add to their tea selection with the new location that is to open this fall. For more info on Revival Tea Company visit- http://revivalteacompany.com

Work underway for Blockhouse - Life coming to the South Perry area

New apartment construction is happening in every corner of Spokane, a product of a historically low vacancy rate. I usually skip a lot of these projects for posts on here because they are common place and don't really stand out. But one project, just getting underway is quite interesting and leading the way to bring a more environmentally conscious approach to urban dwellings.

Ground was broken last month for Blockhouse Life a new " smart " housing project in the South Perry neighborhood. The complex of 14 rental units will be located on the presently vacant lot at 1410 E. 10th, steps away from South Perry's restaurants and shops, and of course public transit.

The buildings will be built using cross-laminated timber or CLT, a new construction material that is made by gluing several layers of wood together in a lightweight but still strong manner. Each unit will also be equipped with a voice activated " smart wall " , with plumbing, mechanical systems, data/wifi and the majority of electrical systems all built into the wall at the factory before delivery. Solar panels will also be added to the site to produce energy for Blockhouse's tenants.

As construction is just getting started rental rates have not been released just yet, but we'll try to follow up on the Blockhouse project in the future. They also are already planning to replicate the same type of housing elsewhere in Spokane with a recent pre-development filing for a second Blockhouse development. That project will be build 16 units at 1757 N West Point Rd. at the top of Doomsday Hill on Spokane's northwest side. That project is still in planning phase but construction at the site might begin as early as the Summer of 2020.

For more info on Blockhouse Life, visit their website at- http://blockhouselife.com

The Pentagon Bistro & Martini Bar coming to Liberty Lake from the owners of The White House Grill

The owners of Post Falls' White House Grill are planning to expand once more with a new restaurant coming soon to Liberty Lake. Using the same political naming theme this new location will be called The Pentagon Bistro & Martini Bar.

The Pentagon Bistro & Martini Bar will be located in the former home of Corkhouse at 1400 N Meadowwood Ln and they hope to be open for business sometime around the middle of October. This is not their first stab at serving diners on the Washington side of the border as they also owned The West Wing on the South Hill, which closed due to them feeling " spread too thin " at the time. There was also a briefly lived White House Garlic Mobile food trailer that parked in Liberty Lake for a time not far away from where The Pentagon will soon open.

We're told the menu of The Pentagon will be similar to that of their Oval Office Martini Bar in Post Falls, with 20-25 small plates inspired by several international cuisines. In all The Pentagon will employ about 30.

A website is coming soon for more info at http://pentagonbistro.com

Poke Express opening in Wandermere ( and there will be boba! )

Poke Express is heading north. The small local chain of restaurants already has locations on S Grand and on Pines in the Valley, and now they will also have a new store very soon  in Wandermere at 12208 N Division Suite C, next door to the AT&T store. This new location will open for business on September 1st.

Poke Express features customizable Hawaiian poke bowls. Guests choose their own base (rice, spinach,etc... ) , then a protein ( salmon, tuna, tofu,etc... ) and then sides like vegetables and similar, sauces, toppings and drinks.

The existing Poke Express locations also feature Thai style rolled ice cream. But, this new location will be unique however. Instead of ice cream rolls, the Wandermere location will have a full menu of boba teas!

For more info on Poke Express, check out- http://pokeexpressspokane.com

And, follow the Wandermere location on Facebook at- https://www.facebook.com/Wandermere-Poke-Express-104086937620311/

Feast World Kitchen coming to Downtown Spokane

Work has begun on the former Artic Circle / Sushi Yama building in Downtown Spokane to convert it to a new use. And, this will not only be a new use for the building but also something new to all of Spokane.

The building, which is located at 1321 W. 3rd Ave. , is becoming Feast World Kitchen. It will be an incubator kitchen to celebrate and empower immigrants and former refugees here in Spokane. Feast World Kitchen is a program of the non profit Feast Collective and will showcase food from many different cultures, inviting in different immigrant and former refugee chefs to highlight their culture and improve upon their own small business skills.

With this model, the menu will be ever changing with the types of dishes changing nightly. The current plan is to be take out style restaurant to start out and eventually grow their dining room, making it a hub for cross-cultural community. The space may even continue to evolve with cook classes, food truck rallies and private events all possible one day.

Feast World Kitchen is currently scheduled to open sometime in the fall. The project is being spearheaded Dan Todd, owner of the Inland Curry pop-up and Ross Carper, owner of The Compass Breakfast Wagon food truck. Dan and Ross are joined by a group of partners and advisors who intend to lend their expertise to the immigrant and refugee chefs who come to use Feast World Kitchen.

But, because starting such a venture doesn't come cheep they have recently launched a fundraiser on Indiegogo to raise $25,000 towards their plan. This site is not affiliated with the project but if you think you might be interested in joining me in helping Feast World Kitchen get off the ground, check out their page on Indiegogo at-

http://indiegogo.com/projects/feast-world-kitchen#/

Also, follow along with their progress on Facebook at-

http://facebook.com/feast-world-kitchen-101919134509271

Pre-leasing underway at Downtown’s Parkview West Apartments

Pre-leasing is underway for Parkview West, a new 7 story urban apartment complex on the western edge of Downtown Spokane. Residents will be able to begin moving into the new apartments as soon as November or December.

The building, which is located at 1309 W First Ave. offers 50 apartments, with ground floor space that is available for restaurants, cafes, retail, etc... No word yet on exactly what will open there just yet however.

We’ll hopefully have a more in depth post about this building coming when it’s opening gets closer but for now info on the project can be obtained via their website at https://www.parkviewwestapts.com or their Facebook page at https://facebook.com/parkviewwestapt

Rents at Parkview West range from $1300 for a studio to $1950 for a 2 bedroom / 2 bath.

New Cambria Hotel to built on the West Plains

Another new hotel is coming to the growing West Plains. A franchise of the newer Cambria Hotel chain is now under development at 4611 S. Dowdy Rd. , nearby I-90, Spokane International Airport and the new Amazon Fulfillment Center.

Plans call for an upscale hotel with four stories and 91 rooms, presently set to open sometime in 2020. The Cambria Hotel brand is part of the larger Choice Hotels parent company, with the new Spokane location being owned by franchisee Mohinder & Paramjeet Brar, who do business as Brar Hotels Group,LLC. They also own and operate the Best Western Plus Lakefront in Moses Lake and have over 13 years of experience owning and operating hotels.

Per the press release, Cambria Hotels are designed for today's time-starved travelers looking for moments to people and places through modern conveniences. The Spokane Cambria Hotel will include-

-Immersive spa style bathrooms with Bluetooth mirrors.
-Contemporary and sophisticated guestrooms, complete with modern fixtures, abundant lighting  and plush bedding
-On-site dining featuring freshly made food. local craft beer on tap, wine, specialty cocktails and small bites.
-Multi-function meeting space
-State of the art fitness center
-Locally inspired design

"The Cambria brand is a perfect fit for a city like Spokane. which is thriving - not just as a business hub, but also as a destination for tourists looking to experience the Evergreen State" said Mohinder Brar, owner & developer with Brar Hotels Group,LLC.

To date their are about 40 Cambria Hotels open across the US in popular cities like Chicago, Dallas, LA, Nashville, New York, New Orleans, Phoenix and Washington D.C . The brand is on pace to break it's openings record for the second straight year and is fast approaching 50 open Cambria Hotels with over 100 locations total either open or already in the pipeline.

For more info on Cambria Hotels, check out their website at http://www.choicehotels.com/cambria

Exchange Publishing moves to new larger offices

Exchange Publishing is on the move. The company publishes a quarterly horse & ranch magazine, Horse Previews and the popular Exchange classified advertising paper among other publications announced they have recently moved into new office space on Trent Ave.

The company moved from their offices on 3rd in Downtown Spokane to new offices at 5111 E. Trent Ave. . The new offices are 1500 square feet larger then their previous space, and the move might even mean hiring additional staff. To show off the space they plan to host an open house on Thursday, August 22nd from 4-7, follow them for more info.

Also, Exchange Publishing recently won first place in general excellence for a " shopper " paper in North America for 2019 from the Association of Free Community Papers, a national origination. The Exchange paper can be found at all major grocery markets, gas stations & stores in Eastern Washington and parts of North Idaho. They are also online with the popular website- http://spokane.exchange 

Locust Cider & Brewing Co. to open a taproom in Downtown Spokane

Locust Cider & Brewing is expanding to Eastern Washington with a new planned tap room in Downtown Spokane. This new location will join other established Locust Cider tap room's in Woodinville, Seattle and Tacoma. They say the new Spokane location is part of an expansion plan to make cider more accessible to a larger audience while providing a space to educate on the nuances of the cider world. Also, they plan to introduce their new beer concept and expanded food menu.

The new Downtown Spokane Locust Cider will be located at 425 W. Main with a opening date projected to be sometime this Fall. The family friendly tap room will be in the Historic Huppin's building and will have many similarities to their other Washington tap rooms. They will offer 16 taps, made up of 10 cider flavors including their core favorites, popular returning seasonals and limited specials. The other 6 taps will be dedicated to their beer's including traditional flavors and rotating experimental flavors.

And, as I mentioned the new Spokane location will have an expanded food menu that includes sausages from their partnership with Uli's Famous Sausage of Seattle. They also plan to have wine in cans and an array of retro video games for young and old to enjoy.

“On a very high level, we are opening tap rooms so we can get as close to our customers as possible" said co-founder Jason Spears. The ciders and beers of Locust Ciders are all made using ingredients sourced from here in the Northwest. The company was founded in 2015 and by Patrick and Jason Spears and they specialize in crisp modern ciders. The beer end of the business was born just this year with a partnership between them and Dirty Bucket Brewing Co and now are all facets of the business are operated together under the new Locust Cider & Brewing Co. name.

For more info on Locust Cider & Brewing Co. , visit their website at-

http://www.locustciderandbrewing.com

Sears to close Northtown Mall store.

The shrinking of Sears and Kmart continues with today’s announcement that the company will close an additional 25 stores . Sadly, the Sears store in Northtown Mall is on this store closure list.

The stores on this list will close in late October with going out of business sales starting around August 15th. The press release does not mention how many will lose their jobs as a result of the closure, although there will surely be some.

This leaves the Spokane area with only the Spokane Valley Mall Sears store open. The last Kmart in the Spokane area closed a few months ago and has since become a location for Uhaul. There is no news as of yet about what might take Sears’s place at Northtown.

Interactive aquarium, Blue Zoo, opens Thursday at Northtown Mall

Spokane’s first interactive aquarium, Blue Zoo will open tomorrow, next to Buffalo Wild Wings in NorthTown Mall. The 11,000 square foot space is a unique place full of all kinds of aquatic life and even birds, turtles and lizards. Many you can touch and interact with.

There will be scheduled murmaid and pirate shows and a good sized space to rent for parties and other groups. Among the attractions are a 30,000 gallon shark tank, predator tank, giant Octopus and much more. Definitely worth checking out for kids or really people of all ages with an interest in aquatic life.

We were allowed to look around today and get a few pictures to show what to expect...

For more information on Blue Zoo, check out them out on Facebook, Instagram or their website at-
Http://bluezoo.us