Inland Empire Paper Co., of Millwood, is seeking a zone change on 106 acres of the land it owns in the Mirabeau Point area, as part of a long-standing plan to have some of its holdings there developed commercially.


The Spokane Valley paper manufacturer is asking Spokane County to change the zoning of the land, which is part of a larger, 230-acre holding it has there, from rural residential to light industrial.


A portion of the 106 acres has been promised to Mirabeau Point Inc., a public-private partnership that plans to develop a multiuse park, and the remainder is expected to be sold and developed, along with the rest of the 230 acres, into one or more business parks, says Wayne Frost, Inland Empire Papers urban lands manager.


The overall 230-acre tract is located roughly south of Trent Road, southwest of the Spokane River, north of Indiana Avenue, and east of Pines Road.


Inland Empire Paper already has donated 12 acres of that land to the YMCA, which is building a facility there in conjunction with the Mirabeau Point project. The paper company plans to donate another 58 acres to Mirabeau Point Inc. for development of a community center and senior activities center and a 44-acre public park, Frost says.


The remaining about 160 acres, which is split into two separate sections, would be used to develop perhaps two business parks, according to a conceptual master plan filed with the county.


A portion of the 160 acres is located on both the north and south side of Euclid Avenue and is being referred to as the North Business Park, while the other portion is located north of Indiana Avenue and is being called the South Business Park. Some of the land already is zoned for light industrial uses and isnt included in the 106-acre rezone, Frost says.


The conceptual master plan, which was prepared by Ramm Associates Inc., of Spokane, shows a proposed hotel site within the South Business Park, along with several proposed buildings for business and light industrial tenants in both parks.


Frost says that the hotel site was included in the conceptual master plan simply to show that such a facility would be allowed under the light industrial designation. A hotel operator hasnt been sought.


It seems appropriate for a hotel to be built within the development, but were just guessing, at this point, about its location, Frost says.


Inland Empire Paper first proposed its development in 1996, at which time the paper company said it planned to find a developer who would build a variety of projects, including sizable commercial and industrial parks, a business park, a hotel, and a recreational complex.


Frost says that Inland Empire Paper believes its land there will be attractive to developers because of its location, which is about halfway between downtown Spokane and the Washington-Idaho state line, putting it in the heart of the Spokane Valley. He adds that the sites easy access to Pines and Indiana and its proximity to the Spokane River and the Centennial Trial also should make it attractive.


Since Inland Empire Paper first proposed its development, the Spokane Valley Mall, which is to the southeast, has been completed and other commercial development has sprung up in that vicinity. Pinecroft Business Park is being developed to the west of the Mirabeau Point project. Also, the planned Evergreen Road interchange on Interstate 90, which will improve access to the Mirabeau Point development, is fully funded and is expected to get under way this summer.


A public hearing regarding the zone reclassification has been set for June 9. Frost says that he doesnt anticipate any trouble receiving the light industrial zone classification because land to the north, south, and west of the 106 acres already is zoned for light industrial uses. A majority of the 106 acres currently is zoned for rural residential uses, and once had housed the Walk in the Wild Zoo.


If the zone reclassification is approved, Frost says that Inland Empire Paper will move into the next gear, which is to divest ourselves of this (160 acres of) land. We wouldnt be developing this ourselves. We arent developers, he says.


Frost says that so far, the company has had a smattering of interest in the land from various parties, but nothing he considers real serious. He doesnt know how much money the company hopes to receive for the land.


Inland Empire Paper is owned by Cowles Publishing Co., a subsidiary of which owns the Journal of Business.