The company that owns Dishman Dodge here plans to build an estimated $2 million new showroom and sales facility at the southeast corner of Sprague Avenue and Park Road, and to remodel and expand its current new-car sales area for other uses.


Marlene Hollenback, who co-owns Dishman Dodge with her father, Mark Hollenback, through a company called M&G Investments, of Spokane, says its unclear when work will begin on the project. She hopes the exterior of the new facility will be completed by next winter.


The new building, which is expected to have about 13,000 square feet of space, will house both a new- and used-car showroom, office space, a detail area, and a vehicle-delivery area, Marlene Hollenback says. The building is expected to front on Sprague and will have a rounded showroom that would be visible from Sprague, Park, and the eastbound leg of the Valley couplet, part of which Spokane County plans to build this summer, she says.


Were on a fast track to get this accomplished, Hollenback says. Dishman Dodge would like to have the new building completed at about the same time the eastbound part of the Valley couplet is completed, although such plans are very optimistic, she says.


The dealership plans to remodel its current new-car sales building, at 7700 E. Sprague, and add seven service bays onto that structure. Hollenback says that building will continue to house the dealerships parts and service department.


Meanwhile, the building that houses the dealerships used-car showroom is for sale. Hollenback and her two sisters own that 14,600-square-foot building, across the street at 7803 E. Sprague, and the nearly two acres upon which it sits, and are asking $850,000 for it. Sam Campbell, of the Campbell Co., is listing the building.


To secure the land for the new showroom and sales building, Hollanren Inc., a Spokane car leasing company owned by Mark Hollenback, swapped land with Spokane County. Through the land swap, Hollanren received a 40,000-square-foot pie-shaped parcel south of the Little German Inn at 25 S. Park. In return, it gave the county a 16,000-square-foot parcel behind the dealerships body shop, plus the difference in land prices, so that the county could use the parcel as right of way for a segment of the eastbound leg of the Valley couplet.


The first segment of the eastbound leg of the new arterial already has been built between Dishman-Mica and University roads along county right of way. The next stretch of the road, which has gone out to bid, will parallel Sprague to the south, running just south of Dishman Dodge.


The dealerships truck center and delivery depot, as well as the Little German Inn building, all of which are owned by Hollanren and are located on land at the southeast corner of Sprague and Park, will be razed to make room for the new dealership building, Marlene Hollenback says. The Little German Inn is expected to close at the end of this month, staff members say. Dishman Dodges body shop will remain where it is, Hollenback says.


Denny Christenson & Associates, of Spokane, is designing the dealership building, and TC Sherry & Associates, of Spokane, is handling the projects landscape architecture. A general contractor hasnt been selected for the project yet.