The West Plains has an array of commercial and residential construction projects that are moving ahead, despite the anchor-dragging effects of the recession, and developers and builders say a number of pending or stalled projects could resume quickly when the economy begins to rebound.

A hotel, a theater, singlefamily homes, apartment complexes, wastewater-treatment facilities, and industrial parks are among projects in various stages of planning and development in that still largely rural area west of Spokane that includes the cities of Airway Heights, Medical Lake, and Cheney. The total value of those projects exceeds $500 million.

"A lot of houses and apartments are planned there," says Dick Vandervert, who heads Vandervert Construction Inc., of Spokane. "We're still getting deals done, and growth will continue."

The company, which developed the Crosspointe Plaza retail center anchored by a Wal-Mart Stores Inc. supercenter at the east edge of Airway Heights, has more activity planned on the West Plains, Vandervert says.

The construction company broke ground recently on the 33,000-square-foot Village Centre Cinemas, a 10-screen theater complex in Airway Heights. The $6 million project, which was designed by Design West Architects PA, of Pullman, is scheduled to be completed in about eight months.

Vandervert Construction also won a contract late last year to build a 44,000-square-foot La Quinta Inns & Suites hotel near there at the southwest corner of Flight Drive and Deer Heights Road, and hopes to begin work on that project this year. Vandervert says Seattle-based developer Surinder Khela still is seeking financing for the project.

Corey Condron, vice president of Condron Construction Inc., a prominent Spokane home builder, says that despite the slowdown in the national and local housing markets, the company has maintained steady sales of homes near Airway Heights. Sales have slowed, however, of higher-priced homes such as those the company is building in Medical Lake.

For the entry-level market, Condron Construction is developing the 247-lot Sekani at Cross Pointe subdivision in several phases including one that started recently near the Crosspointe Plaza retail center, at the northeast corner of U.S. 2 and Hayford Road.

Homes built on speculation there are attractive to military families with immediate housing needs, Condron says. "We get our share of presales there, too," he adds. The homes at Sekani are priced in the $170,000 to $250,000 range.

Despite the significant slowdown in sales of higher-priced homes, Condron says he expects construction activity throughout the West Plains to return to a brisk pace as the national economy begins to rebound.

"I'm going to keep a presence out there," he says.

Airway Heights

Airway Heights is preparing for growth in its population and physical size, says Matthew Pederson, the city's mayor.

The city, which has about 5,500 residents, is developing a $43.5 million wastewater treatment facility to accommodate growth, Pederson says. So far, the city has secured $23 million for the project, and Robert B. Goebel General Contractor Inc. has started work on the $7.6 million first phase of the plant.

Airway Heights also is negotiating with the city of Spokane on a proposal to annex about 320 acres of land just east of Airway Heights' current city boundary, which would include retail and residential developments east of Hayford Road and would increase Airway Heights' population by 1,500 people, Pederson says.

Airway Heights also is considering a request from the Spokane Tribe of Indians to annex 145 acres it owns on the west side of the city, Pederson says. The Spokane Tribe has said it wants to build a $130 million casino, hotel, and retail complex on the property, and it is seeking approval of a gaming license from the U.S. Department of Interior.

Meantime, the Kalispel Tribe of Indians has expanded dining areas and gaming floor space and is building a 10-story hotel at its Northern Quest Casino on the north edge of the city as part of a $275 million expansion plan that's intended to transform the casino into a resort.

In addition to commercial growth, residential construction is holding steady in Airway Heights, Pederson says.

The city issued 53 building permits for single-family homes between April 1, 2008, and March 31 of this year, down just two permits from the year-earlier period. Pederson says one reason residential construction has remained steady is because few homes in the city are built on speculation, meaning most recent new homes there were sold before they were built.

Airway Heights may be faring better in the residential-construction sector than much of the rest of the West Plains.

During March, the home sales volume on the West Plains totaled $4.3 million, down 21 percent from volume of $3.4 million during the year-earlier month, according to the Spokane Association of Realtors' Multiple Listing Service.

Of 19 homes sold on the West Plains in March, 10 were new homes. In the year-earlier month, 25 homes were sold, and 11 of them were new, the report says. The average sales price of West Plains homes sold in March was $179,900, down sharply from $227,703 during the year-earlier month and well below that of the entire Spokane-area market, in which the average March sales price was $200,475.

Medical Lake

Sales of new mid-priced homes in Medical Lake have slowed says, John Pilcher, a residential developer and associate broker with Tomlinson West Plains Realty.

Pilcher is head of PTH LLC, of Medical Lake, which is developing the Silver Hill subdivision there. The project is in its 42-lot second phase, and several completed houses in the mid-price range of $250,000 to $340,000 there are vacant and for sale. Though sales have been slowed by the recession, Pilcher says he's encouraged by the rising number of visits by potential buyers in recent weeks.

In the multifamily sector, the 65-unit Lakeside Apartment Community is under construction on the north side of Medical Lake Road, just east of Denny's Harvest Foods in north Medical Lake. The five-building complex, which is scheduled to be completed in July, is being developed by SharpCor Inc., of Salem, Ore.

"There is an extreme need for that housing in Medical Lake," Pilcher says. "So much is going on. There is lots of growth in Airway Heights, which we are a bedroom community for."

I-90 west corridor

Several projects are under way or planned near the Interstate 90 corridor between Cheney and Medical Lake.

Foursquare Properties Inc., of Carlsbad, Calif., recently obtained approval from the county for a preliminary plat for the planned 555-unit Aspen Park development, in the Geiger Heights area east of Medical Lake. Foursquare Properties plans to develop 395 single-family homes and 160 townhouse-style apartment units there on 137 acres of land south of I-90 and west of Spotted Road.

Spokane's Inland Power & Light Co. expects to open a 24,000-square-foot headquarters office at 10110 W. Hallett Road by fall. Leone & Keeble Co., of Spokane, is building the project, which will adjoin the co-op's maintenance and warehouse facility south of I-90 near the Medical Lake interchange.

URM Stores Inc., the Spokane-based grocery cooperative, plans to construct a 70,000-square-foot building for its produce arm, Peirone Produce Co., on a 10-acre site near the Medical Lake Road-I-90 Interchange. Lindquist Architects, of Spokane is designing the project. A contractor hasn't been named for it yet, but work on the project could begin sometime this year or next. Peirone's current facility is on leased land at 524 E. Trent owned by Washington State University.

Freedom Truck Centers Inc., of Spokane, is developing a $7 million, 49,000-square-foot dealership building near the Medical Lake interchange, at 10310 W. Westbow, where the company operates a body shop and large truck display area. Freedom Truck Centers, which sells Freightliner, Sterling, and Western Star trucks, as well as used trucks, also plans to consolidate its other Spokane-area operations there. Some site work has been done, but the project is on hold pending financing. Lydig Construction Inc., of Spokane, is the contractor on the project, and ALSC Architects PS, of Spokane, designed it.

Community Frameworks, a Spokane nonprofit that advocates affordable housing, is developing 24 ranch-style single-family homes at Takoda Park near the southeast corner of Thomas Mallen and Hallett roads, on the south side of I-90, about a mile east of the Medical Lake Interchange. The homes will be priced at $150,000 to $165,000.

Cheney

The city of Cheney is planning infrastructure improvements at Cheney Industrial Park, located north of state Route 904 and west of Presley Drive.

The work is to include construction of a road through the property and extension of water, sewer, and fiber-optic lines. The city hopes the improvements will help attract businesses to the park, roughly half of which is owned by Allpak Container East LLC, a Spokane-based maker of packaging. Allpak owns the former Honeywell Plant and is the only occupant of the park.

Sackett Contracting & Excavating, of Nordman, Idaho, is the contractor on the $1.8 million project, and Taylor Engineering Inc., of Spokane, designed it.

Cheney also is expanding its wastewater treatment plant in a project that's intended to double its treatment capacity. The contractor, Hoffman Contractors Inc., of Spokane, recently started work on the $8.5 million project, and Esvelt Environmental Engineering LLC, of Spokane, designed it.

Eastern Washington University has issued a request for consultant submittals for the $30 million expansion and renovation of Patterson Hall on its campus in Cheney.Work on the project, which is being designed by NAC/Architecture Inc., of Spokane, is expected to begin next year. The project will add 32,000 square feet of floor space to the 103,200-square-foot building.