Former rental homes on a block just east of the Fred Meyer Stores outlet at Fourth Avenue and Thor Street have been vacated recently, and the landowner says shes planning to clear the property to make room for a possible commercial project there.


The property is owned by Joy Hart, of Chattaroy, Wash., who also serves as chairwoman of the citys East Central Neighborhood Council.


Her family also assembled the property for the Fred Meyer store across the street, which opened in 2001.


Hart says she plans to raze the homes that currently occupy the property, but says she currently doesnt have a specific project or tenant lined up for the site.


The houses there are posted with no trespassing signs, and the doors and windows on several of them are boarded up.


Were getting the property ready for development, Hart says. I cant say whats going to be there. Theres nothing concrete yet.


Hart says the property includes 14 lots, including 11 that make up an entire city block bordered by Fourth and Fifth avenues and Thor and Ferrell streets. The remaining three lots are on the north side of Fourth on the next block to the north.


Most of the lots have former rental homes on them. A few are vacant, however, and one has a small medical office building on it. That building, located at 3401 E. Fifth, also is vacant, and most recently was occupied by Porter Chiropractic.


The property, which is just south of the Thor-Freya interchange on Interstate 90, is zoned for commercial uses. It also is near what is planned to be the southern terminus of the north-south freeway, which is to extend from I-90 north to U.S. 395 at about Wandermere.


Hart says all of the former residential tenants have found other dwellings.


Relocation wasnt an issue, other than packing up and moving, she says. The tenants were very cooperative.


Hart says shes working with professionals on development concepts for the property, although she declined to disclose who they are.


Contact Mike McLean at (509) 344-1266 or via e-mail at mikem@spokanejournal.com.