For a company that's a wholesaler of hardware tools Jensen-Byrd is synonymous with some pretty cool buildings in downtown Spokane. Aside from the obvious hulk of a warehouse in the University District, it is their other warehouse/office space downtown that has no doubt had the eye of most developers in Spokane at one time or another.
A full six-stories of nothing but brick, ornate corbels, and massive windows, this Jensen-Byrd building has no choice. It. Must. Become. Condos. Not that another use wouldn't work. The ground level storefront certainly needs a bit of love, but that will happen someday. Until then it sits there doing hard time as the central office for Jensen-Byrd silently mocking every empty-nester that happens to glance upwards as they walk by.
Both Jensen Byrds are beautiful old buidings. The downtown condo craze will not save all of these buildings. Construction costs have already killed several large projects previously announced. The City of Spokane needs to work with developers and landowners to create partnerships that can make these projects go forward. By setting aside a few units in a development for low/mod income folks, suddenly the project qualifies for federal low interest loans and weatherization funds which can update heating systems and provide new energy efficient windows. Suddenly the owner has enough leverage to go forward with these costs covered. These type of partnerships are working in cities all over the country. The alternative is to sit and do nothing with the landowner and wait for the property to sell at his right price or create another Rookery disaster.
Posted by: Jim | June 08, 2007 at 08:41 AM
I work a block away from both Jensen-Byrd buildings and it actually angers me what they did to the store front in the 80s (the one off Bernard). Pretty much destroyed the rest of a otherwise awesome building.
Posted by: gillsans | June 08, 2007 at 12:15 PM