In order to help you get acquainted with your new raceway we've scoured YouTube for some of the best racing footage from the park. The first vid is backed by Montrose....aahhhhhwwwsome! We say bring back the Spokane Grand Prix!
Quietly on a downtown side street at the intersection of Jefferson and Sprague the ultra-sleek and luminous expansion for the NAC|Architecture office is taking shape. It's been a bit overshadowed by the talk of this condo or that apartment, but now with the concrete forms off we're finally getting a sense for how well the building relates to the street. When done the building will boast around 10,000 sqf of fresh space, but all we really care about is the copper-cladded wall panels on the south side...can't.wait.
Up near Gonzaga, a big flat-bed trailer is advertising the future (and slightly off-kilter) Hamilton Square development. However on the website, we're seeing a completely different rendering than the flatbed variety on Hamilton St. Seen above is the comparison of the two renderings sporting a two-story and three-story building.
Continue reading "Hamilton Square: A heartbreaking site plan..." »
UNIVERSITY DISTRICT - A quick jaunt through the U-District this morning revealed the progress the new Nursing Building is making along Spokane Falls Blvd. Lots of glass, brick, and concrete like most of the other signature buildings on campus, but this one is by far the most urban and less 'office-parky' (yes that is a word) of them all. Close to the sidewalk, permeable facade, and loading ramp in the back is what good urban development is all about. This one is changing the feel of the street in a great way. Division Street doesn't seem so far away from campus now.
[Photo by Rachel Schell via the MetroSpokane photo pool]
From the MetroSpokane tipline a reader writes:
"See the brief post here included as an addition to an article our own Mike Edwards is having published in next month’s issue of Parks & Recreation Magazine. (The full article will cover both Pittsburgh and Spokane, of course)."
[Mike Edwards was the previous president of the Downtown Spokane Partnership and is now the President and CEO of the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership.]
Check out the post. It's a quick Q&A on the positive impact that high quality public spaces (specifically sites for parks and recreation) can have on a local economy. We're looking forward to getting our hands on the full length article.
While our region is blessed with a bounty of natural assets and recreation opportunities, it's often those just around the block from your house that can benefit you and your neighborhood the most. Think Joe Albi, city pools, skateparks, bmx parks, public gardens, etc. You're throwing down $43 million in tax dollars over the next few years on pools and play fields among other things. Now is the time to give your opinion.
[View of the YWCA site looking south]
NORTH BANK - An old post mentioned the proposed SRM development of the YWCA condos at 829 W. Broadway on the North Bank of the Spokane River. With the combined YMCA-YWCA building well under way just up the street, there's no time like the present to get to work on the design for YWCA site. Upper Falls Condos meet your new neighbors, a 150' tower (not wall). According to the SRM website the 'proposed' project is all mixed use including condos, retail, and commercial. Phase one will focus on a residential condo tower on the eastern most portion of the site. No start date given, but it's likely a couple years out.
The latest Rencorp-ed warehouse conversion is on Pacific near Browne Street just across the street from their home base. The small cluster of old warehouses around there is gradually getting the once over and new businesses are breathing life, activity and (dare we say) a more positive vibe to the area. Fast on the tail of The Edge, the latest building Rencorp has brought back online is a simple two-story jobber now housing Studio Cascade on the top floor and Purple Turtle on the street level. Throw in a ballet studio, winery, a furniture store, a homeless shelter, and a coffee roaster and you've got as much eclectic urban edge as you'll ever find around here. And we didn't even mention the garbage car.
[Via Steven Meek Architects]
MANITO - We're not sure what happened to the Montrose, but these renderings for the appropriately named Manito Park Place Condominiums will just have to do. Located on 20th and Grand [GMAP] you just might confuse them with Pioneer Park Place or Manito Court for that matter...but don't. The Manito Park Place Condos are (conceptually) sportin' 27 units across 4 floors with loads of brick and possibly a little space for retail. These renderings are by Steven Meek architects who designed another well known corner building you might recognize. Units range from 900sqf-1800sqf. No word on price, or construction date.
More renderings below-->
Continue reading "Sneak Peak: Manito Park Place bringin' some townhouse flavor" »
NORTHWEST NEIGHBORHOOD - If The Abbey wasn't quite your location or your thing the Ashplace Cottages just might do the trick. Located across the street from Drumheller Springs on the bluff overlooking the city, this is some smart infill and quite possibly the first of it's kind in Spokane.
Ashplace Cottages (floorplans and sample house above) will sport nine units on just over an acre of land. Each unit will have it's own private landscaped area, front on a shared open space, and will be no bigger than 1,000 sqf. per the zoning code that encourages this type of infill. A key element is that parking is also centralized and deemphasized from the individual homes which are meant to reflect the existing neighborhood design. The focus of the project is to offer decreased square footage for higher-quality finishes thereby keeping the costs down. The units will go for around $169K and include two beds and two baths. Building is expected to begin in March and three of the homes should be done by mid-to-late summer.
Long a popular infill option in Seattle and Portland, it's nice to see some innovative (and attainable) housing starting to hit the market in Spokane.
Seasons come and seasons go, and with the passing of each we look forward to the progress of the Cathedral Point condos. Our last update focused on the deconstruction that had taken the original building down to literally a nub with a wall. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes CP has not only been reborn, but has matured and appears to have reached its final height. The only difference we can tell is the large rectangular wall on the right. Elevator relocated to the west?
A much needed face-lift of the three-story 42,000 sqf Grant Building at Post and Riverside has started. The fencing and jersey-barriers are in place and the odd exterior material is already filling the dumpsters. Downtown office employees everywhere were heard quietly mumbling something about the benefits of windows. Architects Nystrom Olson Collins are taking full ownership of the design.
Following up last week's walk down memory lane we again take you back to the early 70's in downtown Spokane. New to the scene were urban high-rise apartments that much like today's condos were expected to make urban living appealing again. Only then, developers were going seriously vertical and making some dramatic changes to the Spokane skyline. Notable projects included the 20-story Park Tower Apartments, the 16-story Cathedral Plaza, the 11-story Chateau, and finally the 16-story Riverfalls Tower Phase I.
The photo above taken from a 1970's periodical shows the existing Riverfalls Tower Phase I, and next to it the proposed Riverfalls Phase II that to this day has yet to break ground. At the time Phase II was to have 60 garden apartments each with a view. Quite possibly this was just a conceptual model, just like this one we mentioned earlier. Both designed by Warren Heylman and both very different in form. Phase II makes us think: If Bob Newhart were filming a sitcom in Spokane in the early 70's...
A tipster named Matt writes:
"Saw some construction going on downtown. Did some investigation, and here is what I found. New building going up adjacent to the NAC arch. building on jefferson and Riverside/Sprague."
Sure enough, NAC looks to be growing south and mod-ern adding 10,000 square feet of space to their existing building. The West End continues it's revitalization and in an answer to the East End's Community Building going fer LEED Platinum: NAC is going for LEED Silver on the addition. In their own words:
"...the addition will incorporate a number of sustainable design features, including daylight harvesting, solar-controlled blind systems, and a high-efficiency displacement ventilation HVAC system."
No word on waterless urinals.
[Send any and all questions, answers, tips and even digital pics to metrospokan@gmail.com.]
14th and Wall: A reader is inquiring about the brick structure at 14th and Wall that is smack-dab in the middle of colina del sur (south hill). The former apartment building is down to nothing but bare bones, and has a fresh six-car garage being constructed out back. Stymied due to the lack of an MLS listing, snazzy webpage, or even a for sale sign, we reach out to you dear readers to assist our tipster. Sweetly located near Rosauers, Picabu, Huckleberry's and le Rocket. Our take: Six one bedroom condos for around $170K ea. You go, in the comments section below.
Last time we checked in on the Cathedral Point Condos things were pretty sleepy. However, that was a few months, and a few sawzalls back. As of yesterday the project appears to be somewhere between 'before' and 'after'. Now that we think about it, it almost seems the building has regressed and is a little bit before 'before'. The formerly pleasant foursquare now is 3/4 1/2 the building it once was. A new foundation is in, as is some plywood sheathing. We're looking forward to watching this one transform into the pagoda-esque foursquare the rendering promised.
Part of this evening's summer solstice was spent taking in the sights (and the food) over at The Edge Condominiums' open house. At four stories and 30,000 sqf, the building dominates the northwest corner of Sprague and Division in the old Western Soap Building. Truth be told, we were skeptical of this building as a condo conversion, but it works. The place has been stripped down to nothing but concrete and brick for all nineteen of the units. All are unique, including two that are two story lofts with massive windows. And the views are pretty sweet as well. With the building perched up on a basalt ledge and the four stories the view is unobstructed in all directions. And trains to boot!
Year number two for the official downtown living tour arrives this weekend. Live It Up! is back. You've read about the projects here all year long now is your chance to visit a few in person this weekend - June 16th and 17th. Two options are available to you - Self-guided or $15 for the Exclusive Tour...
Details:
We had a sneak peek at a few of the projects this week and were floored by some of the design work. Some of the spaces being created are quite incredible. For all you gawkers out there, at a minimum, check out the self-guided tour. It'll be time well spent.
Continue reading "Live It Up - 2007 - Bring yer comfy shoes..." »
"It's kind of like preparing to swim the English Channel. We've planned and we've prepared, but today we're jumping in, and now we have to swim this mother."
Marshall Chesrown on what starting the construction phase of a project the size of Kendall Yards is like.
Yesterday the formal ground breaking for Kendall Yards took place and if you missed it, you missed a good one. Hundreds of people braved crossing Monroe Street at Ide Avenue and gathered around the massive white tent. Outside, renderings of the development, including some new views of the Phase 1 portion of the project (Monroe to Maple).
Continue reading "Kendall Yards - Dirt Begins Moving on Monday " »
An article in last week's Spokesman-Review mulls a number of potential sites for a new year-round farmer's market. An interesting list it was: Jensen-Byrd Building, Old Costco Building, the Crescent Services Building, and the Goodyear Tire & Repair shop on Main & Browne. Not bad. But we wondered why a permanent location had to be downtown? Might a more affordable location that is just as accessible, but located outside of the core be possible? We think so.
And with that we give you our top candidate as a location for Spokane's year round farmers market:
Continue reading "Best site for a year-round farmers' market... " »
A tad bit of earth movin' has started on the downhill side of West Riverside. Nothing major aside from the earth retention fence and a small access road up the hillside. With views overlooking the Spokane River-Latah Creek convergence and the Kendall Yards site it can only mean one thing...
Searching around the web the other day, we found this image for a project called the Lincoln Tower. We never heard of it, but we like it. It looks to be 22+ stories and an overall striking design, borrowing some influence from our fav Lincoln Building to the east.
Nothing thrills us more than to stumble across a study like the one we found on the Spokane Regional Transportation Council's (SRTC) website...especially when it's focused on the concept of bringing streetcars back to our urban core. Completed in March of 2006, the study looks at the feasibility of a streetcar system operating in and across downtown. At a heafty 109 pages (pdf-22 MB - download at your own risk) Spokane's streetcar study is comprehensive and sets the stage for making a decision of whether or not a streetcar system should be pursued.
Photo by tsack via the MetroSpokane pool
A slick new site is being released today by EWU's Institute for Public Policy & Economic Analysis that will allow visitors to view a variety of economic indicators relating to Spokane. It's called the Community Indicators Initiative and has been in the works for over two years. The website will provide users a view of the Spokane region and how it compares to other jurisdictions. An angle like this is rarely seen in a convenient one-stop location.
Photo by metrospokane via the MetroSpokane pool
More mixed-use in store for Lib-Lake (Spokane Journal of Business)
Get yer wallets out-N/S freeway costs going through the roof (Spokane Journal of Business)
'Attainable Housing' Partnership Forms-Lands $700K Grant (Spokesman-Review)
The fences surrounding the Bank of Whitman construction site have finally come down and the sidewalk is open once again. The question we ask is who the hell thought this was a good spot for a tree?
Continue reading "Bank of Whitman: Street tree slalom course nearly complete" »
Photo thanks to David Blaine via flickr and the MetroSpokane pool
Walt Worthy flips the Metropolitan Mortgage building - (The Spokesman Review)
Wall St. Condos-color renderings released - (OMS Architecture)
Most peoples' impressions of Spokane Valley's commercial districts inevitably default to the Sprague Avenue corridor. No doubt about it, Sprague Avenue is over five linear miles of auto-centric commercial bliss, and parts of it have certainly seen better days. On wednesday we droppped by the first of three community meetings organized by the city to gain a better understanding of what their new city center should look like, and where it should be located.
Continue reading "The Spokane Valley Considers Growing Up..." »
Some big news hit the Spokesman and the Journal of Business in the past few days. Yet another development in the area will be using the word "River" in it's name. Plans for the "River District" in Liberty Lake were announced, and while we generally get excited about the potential in these kinds of things, we're just not there yet with THE RIVER DISTRICT (pdf).
Continue reading "Liberty Lake's River District Announced (yawn)" »
Isn't she a beaut? A tipster alerted us the other day that another residential project was slated for the south side of the tracks. What we expected to hear: "Defunct warehouse being converted into luxury lofts. 1000 sqf units starting in the low $300s." What we heard: "Defunct warehouse being converted into 50 loft units for low income families." Pardon? Loft units? Low income?
Continue reading "South Side O' The Tracks - The Borning Building - Cornerstone II" »
Twelve years ago, the word "action" on West 1st avenue had a whole different meaning. Nowdays, it refers to the flurry of construction activity, most currently in the form of a little demo-action of two buildings on Railroad Avenue.
Prium Companies recently released a few schematics of the planned Wall Street Condominiums at 153 Wall. It seems everyone is trying to hit the sweet spot before the Kendall Yards juggernaut comes online with it's first 500+ units.
The council chambers were packed tonight for the public hearing on the proposal for the Kendall Yards planned unit development (PUD) over in West Central. Back in January of 2005 we attended the bankruptcy hearing for the former 78 acre slice of land then known as the Summit property, and now after 19 months, $12.8 million in real estate costs, $5.6 million in clean-up fees, and 230,000 tons of contaminated soil, it came down to a long evening of testimony. Time flies.
Continue reading "Kendall Yards - YIMBYs With a Few Questions..." »
There' s a lot happening in the upper floors of two of Spokane's mid-century gems. The Lincoln Plaza (1963) and The Fidelity Building (1952) have been undergoing some exterior improvements over the past few months.
Continue reading "Upgrades Up Above - Lincoln Plaza & The Fidelity Bldg" »
Consider this the beginning. The news released yesterday that Prium Companies of Tacoma, WA purchased a vacant lot in downtown Spokane and plans to build a fifteen storey mixed-use development is music to our ears. This is probably the most significant project downtown in the past five years.
Continue reading "Prium Condos-Spokane Enters a New Era..." »
Get yer checkbooks out and yer name on the list. Kendall Yards is moving ahead. As reported by the Spokesman this morning, the project has been deemed 'technically complete' by the city, which is a huge step. Simply put, Kendall Yards is going to have an impact far beyond anything else being proposed in Spokane. We're happy to see this major step being taken. It certainly bodes well for the project, and brings Spokane this much closer to a project that we hope will raise the bar for all future development in the Inland Northwest.
