A development group led by Spokane real estate executive John Becker has bought the former Ram Brewery & Restaurant building, just north of downtown, and plans to convert the three-story structure, formally called the Park Center Building, into office space.


The group, Park Center Building LLC, plans to start a $600,000 remodeling project in the next couple of weeks at the 18,600-square-foot building, which is located at 910 N. Howard, across that street from the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena, Becker says. Those improvements will take about four months to complete.


Becker says the propertys appraised value, once that work is finished, will be $2.6 million.


Spokane developer Dick Vandervert is a partner in Park Center, and his construction company, Vandervert Construction Inc., will handle the remodeling project. Russell C. Page Architects PS, of Spokane, designed the improvements.


Becker says Park Center already has two tenants lined up for the building, and is negotiating with a third.


Windermere Real Estate City Group Inc. real estate agency will take half of the first floor, and Windermere Services/Inland Northwest, which provides support services for Windermere offices in Eastern Washington, North Idaho, and Montana, will take half of the second floor. Both companies will move to the building from smaller quarters in the Rivers Edge Building, located a half-mile east at 111 W. North River.


The prospective tenant, which Becker declines for now to disclose, will take all of the third floor and the remaining space on the second floor, leaving only about 3,000 square feet of floor space at ground level available for lease.


Becker is part-owner of Windermere Services, and he and his wife, Marianne, own Windermere/North Wall Inc., a real estate agency on Spokanes North Side.


In addition to Becker and Vandervert, other partners in Park Center Building LLC include Rick Lake, owner of Windermere City Group, and Joe Nichols, owner of Windermere Real Estate/Manito LLC.


Park Center had been an office building before Ram International Ltd., of Lakewood, Wash., bought it in 1995 and opened the Ram Restaurant & Brewery and Havanas dance club there.


Ram International closed those establishments in June 2003, and the building has remained vacant since then.


Mike Meagher and Mike Livingston, both of Kiemle & Hagood Co., handled the Park Center transaction, which was completed earlier this month.