Long regarded as little more than an unpicturesque, roadside appendage to Fairchild Air Force Base, the small town of Airway Heights has been experiencing a rapid climb in development activity recently.


Industrial, commercial, and residential projects collectively worth tens of millions of dollars are under way or planned there, and the militarys recently disclosed plans to keep Fairchild operating could spur even more construction, says Tom Lien, the citys community development director.


I think there was some hesitation in sales because of the unknown factors, Lien says. Because that decision now looks to be final, and positive in respect to Airway Heights and the Spokane region, I think that will have a positive impact on the increased level of growth in this area.


Recent development activity in Airway Heightseven factoring in the Fairchild-related hesitancyhas been the strongest Ive seen it in six years of observing that community, he says.


Building permits with a total value of more than $7.8 million were issued in Airway Heights last year, up 175 percent from $2.8 million in 2003. The biggest rise was in new residential structures, where the permit valuation jumped to $4.7 million in 2004, from $2.2 million the prior year. Lien says overall permit activity so far this year is running well ahead of last years pace.


To be sure, Airway Heightslocated seven miles west of Spokane and bisected by U.S. 2and the overall West Plains area have fallen short of growth expectations over the last three decades, compared with areas north and east of Spokane where development activity has been focused. Also, the population there still is too scant, at about 4,600 people, to draw the attention of larger retailers or to assure a rapid lease-up or build-out of new retail centers and business.


However, factors such as good availability of comparatively low-cost land, a growing work force, natural population creep westward from Spokane, and close proximity to both Interstate 90 and Spokane International Airport appear finally to be elevating the citys profile.


Five large residential developments, some involving multiple phases, currently are under wayall north of U.S. 2, also called Sunset Highway there. Collectively, they are expected to add more than 500 residential lots and 700 apartment and duplex living units to the housing inventory in or next to the city.


Big Naccarato project


Spokane developer Rich Naccarato is developing the largest apartment projectan estimated $22 million complex called Cedar Summiton 30 acres just east of Hayford Road, the citys eastern boundary.


Naccarato has said that the complex would include 26 apartment buildings and 21 duplexes, with a total of nearly 400 living units, as well as a community pool and exercise facilities.


Separately, Spokane developer and home builder Craig Condron has begun developing a 247-lot subdivision, called Sekani at Cross Pointe, on land a company he owns has bought just east of the apartment-complex site.


Just to the south of those projects, along U.S. 2 east of Hayford, Spokane developer Dick Vandervert is developing a $20 million, 56-acre commercial-retail center called Cross Pointe Plaza.


No tenants have opened yet in an initial multitenant retail building that has been constructed there. Vandervert said earlier, though, that the envisioned 178,000-square-foot shopping center likely would be anchored by a supermarket and also would include four free-standing retail pads that might be taken by a bank, a gas station, a fast-food restaurant, and a drug store.


Xllent Corp., a Spokane-based gas station chain, has said it plans to develop a 4,000-square-foot convenience store and Shell-brand gas station at the northeast corner of Hayford and U.S. 2, next to the Vandervert development.


Dave Nagra, Xllents general manager, says he expects the project to be completed later this year. He says the convenience store-gas station, one of 14 outlets the company owns in Spokane and North Idaho, probably will employ six to 10 people.


Other projects under way or planned in or next to Airway Heights, based on a city compilation and information from other sources, include the following:


Hayden Homes Inc., owned by Hayden Watson, of Redmond, Ore., recently began developing the 34-lot first phase of a 152-lot subdivision called Sunset Crossing, just north of Sixth Avenue and west of Russell Street inside the city limits.


Korsumo Inc., owned by Mike Torrence, of Nine Mile Falls, is developing a large subdivision called Aspen Grove, north of 12th Avenue and east of Craig Road. That company has completed an initial phase of starter-level homes, and the next three phases are expected to include a total of 161 lots, also all inside the city.


Separately, Torrence bought land south of Sixth and east of Russell and has begun building duplexes there as part of a big planned duplex-and-apartment complex called Russell Heights, according to city records. The project is expected to include a total of 64 duplex homes and 220 apartment units.


Whitewater Creek Inc., of Hayden, Idaho, has applied to the city to develop a 51-unit, low-income housing complex called Airway Pointe south of Sixth and east of Craig. Project plans are being reviewed now, and a building permit is expected to be issued within a month or two.


Local businessmen Ken Kalin and Jack Grady have applied to the city to develop an extended-stay lodging facility, comprised of 15 four-unit buildings, on a roughly three-acre site south of 12th and east of Garfield Street. Plans for that project also are being reviewed, and a building permit probably will be issued within a few weeks, a city representative says.


Les Schwab Tire Centers Inc., of Prineville, Ore., says it plans to develop a 16,000-square-foot, eight-bay service center on land it has bought just southwest of that intersection, inside the city of Airway Heights. (See story on page A3.) That store will be located near a new $1.4 million Altons Tire Centers store that opened early this year.


John Barrier, president of Barrier Industries Inc., of Airway Heights, has begun developing two 30,000-square-foot buildings in his West Spokane Industrial Park there. The industrial park is located south of 21st and west of Lawson Road, near the citys southern boundary.


Airway Heights earlier this year bought 75 acres of vacant land, west of Russell and south of 21st on the south side of the city for a planned $28 million wastewater-treatment plant.


The construction timetable for the 1 million-gallon-a-day plant will depend on the citys success in finding money for the project, but the city hopes to have the plant operating by 2009 or 2010.


In one of Airway Heights largest pending projects, the Kalispel Tribe of Indians has been working on a master plan for a mixed-use development that would be located on 245 acres of land the tribe has bought next to its Northern Quest Casino. The acreage includes considerable frontage along both Hayford and U.S. 2.


The tribes spokesman couldnt be reached for comment, but sources familiar with the planning effort say initial site work on the mixed-use development could begin later this year, once the tribes federal application to get the land converted to trust status is approved.


The Kalispels Web site says the tribe plans to develop its land in Airway Heights into the Kalispel Commerce Park, which would accommodate both Indian-owned and non-Indian businesses.


Another lingering question is what the Spokane Tribe of Indians will do with 145 acres it owns along the citys western boundary, just north of U.S. 2.


Desiring to develop the site commercially, the tribe applied to have the property annexed to the city of Airway Heights so it could use city services, and the City Council approved the application, but the tribe then withdrew it, Lien says.


Were waiting to see what their next step is going to be for development. We dont know, he says.


Also undetermined yet is whether one of the developers that controls larger commercial properties in or near Airway Heights will be able to persuade a big-box retailer, such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Costco Wholesale Corp., Lowes Cos., or Home Depot Inc., to open a store there.


Through the citys Web site, Lien has been conducting a survey aimed partly at identifying what additional types of businesses or services are desired there, both by civilian residents of the area and people who work or are stationed at Fairchild. Wal-Mart is the highest-rated entity so far, Lien says.


Residential construction in Airway Heights is benefiting partly from Fairchilds de-emphasis of on-base housing, he says, adding, About 60 housing units will come off the base this year.


Lien says, What we do not have is the retail business structure to support the residential growth.


He says he is working to attract to Airway Heights some smaller types of businesses that could help provide that structure, such as a dry cleaner, car-stereo shop, copy shop, small fitness center, and urgent-care center.