Inland Orthopedic Institute PLLC, of Spokane, is moving forward with plans to develop an ambulatory surgery center downtown.


Inland Orthopedic could join forces on the project with Premier Development Inc., of Spokane, says Randy Ramey, president of Premier Development. Plans call for the facility to cost about $10 million to build, he says. It would include about 80,000 square feet of floor space.


Ramey says the two companies are considering a couple of potential sites downtown for the facility. They hope to secure one of those sites soon and break ground on the project next spring.


If that schedule is realized, the facility could be completed late next year, he says.


Leanne Mason, clinic administrator of Northwest Orthopedic & Fracture Clinic, a member of the Inland Orthopedic Institute, says that while the institute and Premier Development are looking at sites for a freestanding structure, the institute hasnt ruled out the possibility of a joint project with one of the Spokane-area hospitals.


Inland Orthopedic Institute is a managed-service organization formed five years ago to help small Spokane orthopedic practices survive in a managed-care marketplace.


The project has grown in cost since Inland Orthopedic first disclosed preliminary plans two years ago to study construction of a surgery center. At that time, a company executive said the facility could cost $6 million to $7 million to build.


As envisioned, the facility would include surgical suites, in which outpatient orthopedic surgeries could be performed, and offices where members of the doctors groups in Inland Orthopedic could locate their practices.


Inland Orthopedic Institute, located at 105 W. Eighth, provides marketing and other support services to its membership, which includes 36 orthopedic physicians here.