MetroSpokane

One Fifty-Three Wall Street: Design still evolving

And we wait.  No activity on the site of Prium's proposed mixed-use residential tower has skyline fans wanting (arms crossed, foot tapping).  Since One Fifty-Three Wall's last signs of life, the design of the mid-rise has changed slightly.  The previous articulated look has been replaced with plenty o' glass, and the inset penthouse units are no more.  The parking over retail is still present, but the residential unit count has jumped from a previous 96 to 126 units.  Going smaller?  Dropping the price point?  Thoughts?  Leave 'em in the comments section.

Upper Falls Condos: Live and Inside

The Upper WALL Falls Condos opened it's doors Sunday afternoon and we were there to bask in the luxe sweetness.  Move fast because with only two units remaining, this may be your only chance to share a wall, floor, or plumbing system with Spokane's celebrity circle.  If that doesn't peak your interest then the views most certainly will.  Even from the large bargain-priced first floor unit that we toured, this view will be tough to beat at any time of the day.  Still, as nice as the inside was (think beige), it's the outside that seems to have people troubled.

Spokane River: The Ultimate Urban Amenity

Photo courtesy Tsack on Flickr

What do these news stories have in common?

• Phosphate ban urged In Spokane County - Seattle PI
• West Plains aquifer falling - SR
• Study of aquifer too late - SR
• Avoiding a lake mistake - SR
• City may raise water rates in bid to boost conservation - SR
• Avista, Activists argue over Spokane Falls - KXLY

Hmmm...this river of ours is sure taking a beating.  But let's keep it all in perspective - what's important is the Upper Falls Condominiums maintaining a year-round, full-scale water feature...

From the City of Spokane Water Department Website:  "Daily water usage varies from 30 million gallons a day in the winter to a peak of 180 million gallons a day in the summer."

REI: It's Not About The Outdoors...

Have you ever found yourself asking just how innovative Spokane is?  You're in luck.  A study released by the Small Business Association back in 2005 (yeah it's been out for awhile) ranks 394 regions on their entrepreneurial and innovation activities.  For your sake, we plowed through the seventy-one page document to figure out how Spokane fared.  Overall, not too bad.

So why is this showing up on MetroSpokane?  We like urban re/development, and a critical component to the type of urban development we enjoy seeing happen in Spokane is a strong economy.  And increasingly, a strong economy is dependent on innovation and risk-takers, a.k.a. entrepreneurs.

Question: Are We Doing Enough to Preserve & Protect the River Downtown?

Into the Metrospokane Mailbox a former Spokane resident gets rhetorical about public access to the river downtown...including views. 

I grew up in Spokane, have not lived there for several years, but visit often to see family and friends. Last week, while strolling along the Centennial Trail in Riverfront Park it occurred to me that the Spokane River has been thoroughly hidden from public view, even more so with the erection of the new convention center. I realize that this area has been reinvented mostly due to Expo '74. But what if.. the majority of the Expo buildings, especially the Opera House and original Convention Center (and DoubleTree Hotel)  had been built on the north side of the river? A greenbelt could have been placed along the south side of the river, allowing sweeping views over to the river itself from downtown.

Take a look at the park along the Deschutes River in downtown Bend Oregon for a vision of what could have been. Realizing that of course we can't turn back the clock, those landowners, developers and government planners should consider the fact that urban aesthetics are an important component to quality of community and life and to preserve the natural features and beauty as much as possible in future public and private development in downtown Spokane.  There appears to be increased interest in downtown living throughout the country and in Spokane also. Be thoughtful in the process, as once the natural beauty is altered it may never be reclaimed!

So, how are we doing with maintaining the natural environment downtown?  All considerate answers and thoughts can find solace in the comments section.

NOTE:  We added in the remainder of the letter for clarification.

Fresh Digs On the Heylman Block

When the big white sign appears near a vacant lot chances are something is up.  In this case, the long fallow Heylman Block on west Main Avenue is getting a new access road.  This raises the question:  What was wrong with the old one?

The grading and filling is moving pretty quick, and the new road is taking shape.  Below the ridge along Riverside Avenue some 'light pruning' has taken place as well.  If we were to speculate, might it be a new surface parking lot?  Perhaps a little site-prep for the long awaited big brother to Riverfalls Tower(pdf)?  Time will tell.

More Zillow Love: Spokane Housing Prices Up...But Where?

Last Friday we received an update from Zillow providing us access to their freshly released 2006 Q4 data on housing values in Spokane County (Zillow Quarterly Home Value Reports).  Today we take a closer look at how home values in some Spokane County neighborhoods have performed over the past year.

First some definitions: 

• Zestimate = Estimated current market value for a home
• Zindex = The median current market value (Zestimate) for a given geographic area on a given day.  In other words, the 'middle value'.  Half of all home values are above the Zindex and half of all home values are below for the geographic area (county, neighborhood, etc.)

South Hill Strawbale: Traditional and Sustainable

Check out the Slideshow

Sustainability and green development are getting more and more attention here in Spokane like we've never seen.  Fringe no longer, sustainable development is starting to hit the mainstream.  On Sunday we took an opportunity to walk through one of the latest straw-bale homes under construction in the Spokane area.  Located in an existing South Hill neighborhood (Manito) the home fit in quite nicely with the existing older housing stock nearby. 

Question: What's the Best Use For This Building?

From a reader who's been gleaning the Tomlinson-Black MLS site comes this question about the best use for an aging building on west First:

"I saw that the building at the other end of 1st ave. from the Otis Hotel is For Sale. It is listed with Tomlinson-Black. It is a big
building on the last block that has not been gentrified in anyway. I am interested to hear what you think may be the most likely outcome of this sale."

The ol' Jefferson Hotel, across from the ol' Greyhound Station (picture this place in 1987).  Sale price in 1990:  $125,000.  Asking price today:  $1.3 million.  Whatever the outcome, we doubt it will contain the word "affordable" in the title.  Armchair developers, now is your chance, leave your ideas in the comments section.  For everyone else, send future tips to [email protected].

Elkridge Heights: More dreams coming true

We first heard of Elkridge Heights, when we saw one of their billboards on North Monroe the other evening.  Intrigued, (their marketing strategy was working) we hopped online and in seconds had the lowdown on the development.  Essentially it boils down to this:  Take the best of Spokane's 100 year old neighborhoods, transport it to a ninety-acre parcel of land in southeast Spokane County, slap a gate on the main entry, and call it a community.