Residential Real Estate

Spokane Kootenai County Real Estate Forum

West Plains Development by Scott Person of NAI Black


I. Spokane County- There have been three areas in the west plains that
Spokane County has focused on existing or future development. These areas/projects have been identified as the Spokane Raceway, potential sites for the new Spokane jail, and the Geiger rail spur re-alignment.
a. Geiger spur re-alignment
i. Approximately 4 years ago in conjunction with the federal government, Spokane County started the process to move the Geiger spur off of Fairchild Air Force Base to help increase base security and allow for increase amount of weekly trips on the rail spur.
ii. Because of the re-alignment, there are several businesses that were able to benefit and stay in the area, such as Seaport Steel, Metals Fabrication Co., Western Rail Switching.
iii. Geiger spur will allow for future development, in which the county has set aside space for a potential transloader facility to enhance the attractiveness of new business into the area.

b. Spokane Raceway
i. Raceway encompasses 314.43 acres that are broken out into 3 areas.
ii. The overall intentions of the raceway were to provide space for community activities facilities that include a sports complex; maintaining operations of a raceway; provide space within the county for a future law enforcement training facility.
iii. Raceway has identified an operator and are negotiating the contract hoping to have the raceway up and operating by spring 2010.
iv. Working with Airway Heights to develop a 72 acre sports facility that will include soccer and baseball playing fields.
v. No immediate plans, but conversations with the sheriff have taken place on potentially developing a regional training facility, but nothing planned in the near future.

c. Jail Site
i. Current lease of a 400 bed corrections facility expires on airport land in 2013.
ii. County has identified 10 locations of which 6 are located in the West Plains area.
iii. County has completed 2 of 3 steps to narrowing down site selection from the 10 identified by mid-March.

II. New incorporation- As everyone has heard in the news, approximately 6,464 acres will be annexed between the city of Airway Heights and the city of Spokane.
a. Spokane will gain 6,144 acres and Airway Heights will gain 320.
b. This annexation is expected to go into affect January 1, 2012.
c. Until that time, all vested projects will be processed through the County.
d. Spokane owners should see some reduction in utility charges based on a use fee that was added when under county.
e. Services will not be affected by these areas.

III. Northern Quest Casino
a. New hotel that includes 250 rooms of which 22 are suites, and the new hotel will also house a 14,000 square foot spa and salon.
b. 22,000 square feet of conference & meeting rooms.
c. In addition to fine dining, there are 13 other food and lounge venues within the facility.
d. Future development includes the ability to develop another 450 room hotel and 252 acres to the south for retail and commercial development.

IV. Spokane International Airport Business Park
a. The airport has approximately 5,400 acres of which there are roughly 2,000 acres of development land broken down into the business park, industrial development and Airport Drive.
b. Business park consists of approximately 104 acres designed for office uses.
c. The industrial development land consists of approximately 950 acres for industrial development.
d. Airport Drive consists of approximately 120 acres that is being marketed for office light retail uses.
e. The Spokane Airport Business Park is identified as a foreign trade zone that does provide benefits to companies that conduct international business.
f. Waste to Energy contract expires at the end of 2011, although the plant will not be able to retail the energy, the airport and city will have the ability to utilize steam energy from the plant.
g. This year they’ll complete the extension of the main runway by 2,000 feet, replace the concrete apron and have increased number of non-stop flights and available seats.

V. City of Airway Heights
a. Focusing on residential development north of Hwy 2 , industrial south of Hwy 2 and commercial retail along Hwy 2.
b. Completing a new water treatment center in 2011 that will service properties along Hwy 2 and to the south.
c. Sports facility estimated some time in 2012.
d. Working to annex a small area at the west end of the city at Hwy 2 and Craig Road.

VI. Private Development
a. Supply of industrial land is approximately 9,300 acres.
b. Over the last 13 years, there have been approximately 935 acres used, of which approximately 4.5% have been utilized for manufacturing.
c. Average of 71.9 acres per year, of which 5.2 acres are for industrial uses.
d. At 71.9 acres per year, West Plains has about a 129 year supply for all uses.
e. Vandevert.
i. Northwest Tech Park
1. Consists of 223 acres.
2. Intent is to be developed with mixed office and light manufacturing/technology users.
3. Existing users consists of an 110,000 square foot Ambassadors Group building, 120 room hotel, 2 parcels under contract with government & office uses.

ii. Cross Point Plaza
1. Consists of 227,000 square feet of existing buildings that include an 188,000 square foot Walmart and approximately 39,000 square feet of retail space that was constructed starting about 2007. The 39,000 square feet of retail are near stabilized occupancy, and there is the ability to add an additional 60,000 square feet of retail uses, adjacent, to the east.

iii. Deer Creek Village
1. 25 acres.
2. New 29,000 square foot 10 screen theater.
3. Two Story 47,000 square foot office building to be built in spring 2010.

f. Other West Plain areas of development
i. Cheney Industrial and Research Park.
ii. County looking long term to encourage more commercial uses along the south side of I-90.

Over all, the West Plains has experienced a moderate level of growth over the past couple of years. Last year there was a dip in development that was obviously caused by the slow economy, but each of the private and governmental entities located in the West Plains have positioned themselves to continue business and development at a steady pace.