Developer Rob Brewster Jr., who recently has been working on a proposal to build in the east end of downtown what would be the citys largest multistory building, says he also hopes to develop land he owns farther east near Gonzaga University, possibly for student housing.


Brewster says the site is near the southeast corner of the Gonzaga campus, on the south side of Trent Avenue where Habitat for Humanity-Spokanes Builder Surplus Store currently sits. While plans are still on the drawing boards, Brewster says some of the options for that site include condominiums or possibly apartments he would seek to rent to students. Earlier, he had mentioned perhaps developing a hotel on that site, but now downplays that as an option. The project wouldnt start for some time, since Habitat for Humanity-Spokane currently occupies the site, he says.


We want to have something that will have a big impact on that area, he says, but adds that hes not going to push out Habitat for Humanity.


Meanwhile, Brewster recently talked about his desire to develop a $40 million, 32-story mixed-use project, called the Vox Tower, at the east end of downtown. That tower would be the citys tallest building and would include 21,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space, four stories of parking, 275 apartment units on 23 floors, and 12 luxury condominiums on the top four floors. It would be located on the site of a parking lot that sits in the middle of the block bounded by Riverside Avenue, Sprague Avenue, Browne Street, and Bernard Street, amidst the Havermale Park development he also owns.


Brewster says that before he could start constructing the tower, he would have to obtain permission from the city of Spokane, since the projects height would exceed the height limit for that area of downtown.


Brewster also hopes to start construction in October on a two-story condo building on the South Hill, says Travis Evans, development assistant at ConoverBond Development LLC, a Spokane company headed by Brewster. The project, called The Montrose, would be located at the southeast corner of 20th Avenue and Grand Boulevard, and is expected to have 10 units and underground parking, although plans are still preliminary, Evans says.


Other Brewster projects include the Havermale Park multi-use development thats under way in the east end, and the Holley Mason Building and Montvale Block downtown, both of which he renovated a few years ago.


Contact Emily Brandler at (509) 344-1265 or via e-mail at emilyb@spokanejournal.com.