MetroSpokane

NAC's shiny new exterior

Fresh from the MetroSpokane tipline, a reader informed of the new copper cladding being added to the exterior of the glassy NAC expansion between west Riverside and West Sprague.  What can we say other than we LIKE it.  No, seriously, we love this addition to the downtown, and can only hope others get as daring in the coming years.

• NAC|Architecture grows south [MetroSpokane]

Touching Base: Fuller Academic Center gets glassy

UNIVERSITY DISTRICT - Long pined after, the W.P. Fuller building finally became a Gonzaga asset last fall for $1.4 million.  Prior to that it sat idle after briefly housing an awkward public/farmers market, and playing host to one detached "Ultimate Bagel" sign which taunted nearby college students for what seemed like years.

Northwest Boulevard: Aesthetic gateway = investment?

COEUR D'ALENE - When you don't have an interstate bisecting your downtown and your city grows enough to fill in between, the development opportunities can get interesting.  Lest you think it's all condos in Couer d'Alene take a gander at Northwest Boulevard.  Revamped a few years back by the Lake City Development Authority, what was primarily a boring four-lane arterial into the downtown has been greatly improved aesthetically...with cool feathers.  The addition of sculptures, an extension of the Centennial trail, and gobs of attractive landscaping has made a difference to this gateway:  some significant office projects have cropped up and are filling in the gaps.

Armed Forces & Aerospace Museum - Who knew?

[NOTE: Embedded video was disabled on YouTube-you can view it via this link ] WEST PLAINS - OK, let's see a show of hands:  How many of you out there were aware we're in the process of fund raising for a new museum...ahem...an aerospace museum?  That's what we thought.  We'd heard bits and pieces but only recently saw the sweet 3D video-clip on YouTube of what the place might look like, and we like what we see.  It's to be located on the West Plains adjacent to I-90 at the intersection of Electric Ave & Geiger Blvd [GMAP]. If you've ever driven by the Spruce Goose down in McMinville, OR you'll understand why.

The complex is big measuring in at around 123,000-square-feet when all phases are completed, and will have loads of glass that should help display the thirty-two suspended and parked aircraft from the collection.  One that won't be 'under-roof' will be the massive B-52 parked out in front of the building.  Still, it should make for a pretty memorable landmark for visitors entering Spokane from the West (e.g. "...and take the exit after the big plane...").  To date only $1.3 million of the $5.8 million Phase I cost has been raised.  The project overall is expected to run upwards of $30 million when complete.  It's also expected to attract between 50,000 and 100,000 visitors annually according to the Journal of Biz.  If you're interested in seeing  what local players have kicked in to help this thing get built you can view the list [pdf].  If you're interested in having your name added feel free to donate.

• Spokane Armed Forces and Aerospace Museum [main site]
• Aerospace Museum Worth the Hard Effort [JOB]
• Backers of aerospace museum prepare for takeoff [SR]

Extreme Makeover: Ye Ol' Selkirk Building

If Extreme Makeover had an office building edition this would be it.  The former Selkirk Building (506 W. 2nd) and the adjoining parcel sold last year for the tidy sum of $770K.  The new owners, Sun Devil Development, look to be dropping some change to spruce the place up.  The reconfiguration will mean two retail condos, four office condos, and a basement space.  The upside:  The 13,000sqf building is losing the fancy sheet metal, revealing the transoms, cleaning up that brick, adding a new side entry, and throwing in some  nice awnings.  The downside:  That side entry will front on the ample new surface parking for 32 (There's a parking shortage downtown, remember?).  Eh, can't have it all.  BUS DRIVER - MOVE THAT BUS!!!

• Listing - 506 W. 2nd [NAIBlack]
• 506 W. 2nd [GMAP]

An idea for the Spokane Art School...

The news a couple weeks back that the Spokane Art School would be putting their building up for sale was quite the downer.  If nothing else, the school and location was a pretty good manifestation of art in Spokane for the past 23 years.  The thousands of classes taught over the years exposed people of all ages to a very basic concept:  get out there and create something.

But we're convinced this turn of events doesn't have to be the death-knell for art in this building.  How about a conversion to live-work condos?  Now before you start ranting about overpriced condos hear us out.  The concept would be to target these live-work spaces at artists, but above all make them affordable.  The devil is in the details as the big challenge would be to take this relatively small building (10,000 sqf) and make it pencil.  Funds are out there that in all reality could be used to help make something like this happen.  With a future science/children's' museum proposed down the street, and a couple other condo projects as well, such a project could add some depth to this interesting part of downtown.  Yeah, we're idealists...

Touching Base: Kennedy Anchors Ruby

It seems like just last fall we were fawning all over the completed Kennedy Apartments-Phase I.  Phase II is underway and growing like a weed over on Boone and Ruby.  More important though is how this group of buildings is transforming that intersection.  It's a smart site plan that is respectful of it's urban setting (built to the curb-parking in the middle-permeable facade).  Compare it to this.

Architect ALSC [ALSC homepage]
Boone and Ruby [GMAP]

More views below...

Paulsen Building Penthouse - On top of Spokane

 

For anyone who's ever pondered Spokane's Skyline the Paulsen Medical and Dental Building is easily one of the most recognizable landmarks.  At the top of the fifteen-story skyscraper sits perhaps Spokane's most exclusive  (if not highest) private residence.  The solitary penthouse was home to members of the Paulsen Family for over seventy years, and a few weeks back we gained access to the now vacant residence to have a look around.

It's a decent-sized space inside with two bedrooms, three baths, and a servants quarters tucked way in the back.  The kitchen is modest by today's standards, and the living room and dining/sun room are quite large.  As you'd expect, the views from inside are pretty much unmatched by any residence in town (yes, even Upper Falls), but the real fun begins when you step outside onto the wraparound patio.  Long gone is the sixty year old arborvitae that was a landmark itself (In 1996 it partly fell to the twelfth floor roof during the ice-storm).  Still, it's all about the view.  From up there, and in every direction, you're looking at Spokane in an unfamiliar way.  It's like seeing your city for the first time again and it's pretty cool.

Highlight - The gun closet directly across from the wet bar.

• Paulsen Building History - [City of Spokane Historic Preservation Office]
• August Paulsen - [Wikipedia entry]

Grant Building: Let it breathe, baby...

If you've wandered by Post and Riverside lately, it's no secret that SRM and Dunn & Black's overhaul of the three-story Grant Building is well underway.  The fences are up, the facade is down, and the renderings dropped in our inbox give us tremendous hope for design downtown.  The architects at Nystrom-Olson-Collins have taken what was a looming windowless void and opened it way, way up.  Add in some muted colors, plenty of glass on the street (our fav) more up above, and this building is (finally) giving something back to this street corner.

More renderings below...

Cathedral Point bares its winter coat

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?

• Cathedral Point Condos [Windermere]