AgWest Farm Credit PCA, a Spokane-based agricultural lending cooperative, is updating a portion of its 122,000-square-foot headquarters building, at 2001 S. Flint Road, in west Spokane.

Chris Roche, chief administrative officer at AgWest, says the co-op is working to revamp the building with $9.5 million worth of construction upgrades that will provide cohesive workspaces for its 334 Spokane-area employees. 

"We're modernizing the whole building to be more in line with the workplace of today," Roche says.

The project primarily involves updating over 43,000 square feet of warehouse and cafeteria space. The warehouse, which has been used primarily for storage, will be the main focus of the renovations, she says.

Existing second-floor office space in the warehouse will be extended over the main floor, where over 100 workspaces will be added. 

Additionally, the updated warehouse will have private phone booths, quiet work areas, conversational couches, lounge spaces, and sit-stand workstations for employees.

"We'll have cubicles in the new area. We'll have offices, and we'll have a gym, all very much built around collaborative spaces," says Roche. "We have offices and cubicles in the existing parts of the building, but not really any of that collaborative space, which is really important."

Demolition of the interior of the warehouse has been completed, and crews are currently working on structural improvements to the foundation. Construction is expected to be completed by April 2025.

Yost Gallagher Construction, of Spokane, is the contractor, and Portland, Oregon-based GBD Architects Inc. is the project architect, she says. The Portland office of Seattle-based KPFF Consulting Engineers is providing engineering services, design plans on file with the city of Spokane show. 

Other improvements will update restroom and locker areas and existing mechanical systems and lighting also will be replaced, according to project information.

Additionally, new windows and skylights are planned to provide more natural light to the updated work space, she says. 

"All of this is to make a welcoming work environment, but also a very productive work environment," says Roche.

AgWest Farm Credit was formed in early 2023 following the merger of Spokane-based Northwest Farm Credit Services and California-based Farm Credit West. The company has about 1,200 employees in all, and operates 59 locations in seven states: Washington, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, California, Arizona, and Alaska. The lending co-op has about $32 billion in assets, according to its website.