MetroSpokane

Someone has a 'hate-on' for Banner Bank

Our new modern fav the Grant Building had one of it's construction signs defaced.  Disgruntled office worker?  Mortgage applicant turned down?  Anarchists who've had enough of opportunistic ATM fees?  We're not sure, but nothing screams protest like scrawling on an improvised construction sign.

Browne's Addition hole gets filled - Two Wheel Transit Building underway

Friends, it is with a heavy heart that we report that the Browne's Addition Hole is finally going away.  If you've been by The Elk lately you've no doubt noticed the temporary fence and various tools of the construction trade strewn about the site.  Years after the original building was torn down a project appears to be moving ahead...and it's a sexy one at that.

Mannequins protest condo development

Via the Fresh Abundance blog, we caught wind of an odd, but peaceful protest taking place near the Cathedral Pointe condominiums on the South Hill.  An adjacent neighbor has placed multiple mannequins of varying shapes, sizes, and stages of pregnancy directly across the street from the development.  No worries, as all the mannequins are dressed in outfits, some have masks, and at least one is brandishing an automatic weapon.  At first glance it looks like a small anarchist mannequin parade is taking place.

Old YMCA property: Debate rages on

[Pic courtesy of Todd Sackmann via Flickr]
Over on Out There Monthly a small discussion is a brewin' regarding the use of conservation dollars for the purchase of the old YMCA building in Riverfront Park.  A well written post has garnered two well thought out replies so far, indeed shedding some light on the net effect of spending $5+ million to secure the existing building and parcel.  As the Spokesman recently wrote, the pavilion is in rough shape and the observations by one commenter on Out There Monthly that the park needs to see more use and people present in all hours couldn't be more accurate.  Let the discussion begin.

• Don't Spend Conservation Futures on the YMCA Building [Out There Monthly]
• County considers stepping up to buy YMCA [SR]
• Pavilion's Prognosis [SR]

Monday morning timesink: Trulia Hindsight

Welcome back...hope you had a good weekend.  Since you might not be ready to jump into your work just yet, we've a cool little visualization for you.  Via Trulia Hindsight, this visualization looks at residential property development in the Spokane area from about 1889 to 2006 and plots it in an animated progression.  One dot equals one permit.  The data isn't complete, but still manages to give you a sense for where residential development was taking place at a particular point in the time range.  Fascinating.  Do you recognize any specific patterns and dates?

• Visualization of Development in Spokane [Trulia Hindsight]

View Deux? in Brownes Addition revealed

The ridge line in Brownes Addition is nearly tapped out as far as vacant land goes.  The latest addition to the collection of buildings there can be seen in the rendering above.  To say that the swooping roof is its defining feature is an understatement, and it's easily the most modern of the any of the buildings in Brown's Addition.  It's hard to say what the exterior will be made of, but it's possible more of the corrugated metal similar to the View down the street.   The unit advertised is a north-facing 2 bed/2 bath going for $434K with a dumbwaiter to boot.

• View Deux? [Windermere]

Sign is up at Kendall Yards

OK, while this may be a sign, the jury is out on whether it's a good sign.  Something about soliciting drivers during their daily commute just doesn't instill confidence.  Although, it could be that all the plans are a go, the anchor tenants are in place and they're raising interest while filling in the gaps in some of their smaller storefronts. 

• Dirt begins moving on Monday [MetroSpokane]

Brewster project moves ahead...in Portland

ConoverBond is making a go of a project in Portland.  The two and three story warehouse built in 1923 that once housed the General Automotive Company will be completely refurbished and topped off with an additional two stories.  When complete, the $10 million + project will provide over 48,000 square feet of office and retail/restaurant space less than a block away from the Pearl District.

Medical Condos will rise on LSH

LOWER SOUTH HILL - What sits on three parcels, is three stories tall, clad in brick, looks damn good and is smack dab in the medical district?  Why the Lower South Hill's latest medical office development proposed for the southwest corner of 6th and Howard.

Walnut Corners: low income - high design

Take four Lutheran Churches, a non-profit housing agency, add in a boatload of property in West Central, mix thoroughly and top it off with some solid design sense.  The result is Walnut Corners a big $9 million mixed-income, mixed use development on two sites.