Camkels Holdings LLC, a Post Falls development company, is preparing to overhaul a portion of the city's central district with a $6.7 million mixed-use project at the southwest corner of Spokane Street and Fourth Avenue.

Camkels was established in 2022 by developer Laura Horn, who is working with her daughter Kelsey Horn on the project. The mother-daughter duo and Post Falls natives say they're excited for the opportunity to bring new life to an overlooked intersection in their growing hometown.

Laura's vision for the property started with an idea to open a brunch restaurant about four years ago and has evolved to incorporate apartments above commercial space, reminiscent of the historic properties that previously lined the streets in downtown Post Falls, explains longtime friend Josh Hissong, co-founder of Spokane-based Hissong Design Group PLLC.

The development company purchased the property for the project in two transactions that include a 0.24-acre commercial site in September 2022 followed by the purchase of a 0.4-acre residential site, east of the commercial land in October 2023, according to Kootenai County Assessor's records.

The project, named Nonna as a reference to Laura's role as a grandmother, will be a four-story, 50,000-square-foot mixed-use building located at 102 E. Fourth, in Post Falls, says Hissong.

Hissong Design Group, which does business as HDG Architecture, is designing the project.

Nonna consists of 9,800 square feet of ground-level commercial space and 38,000 total square feet of residential space combined in the three upper floors.

The Horns say they plan to operate a 3,000-square-foot brunch restaurant, named Miss Dazee's, in one of the building's commercial spaces.

"It's something that Kelsey and I have wanted to do together for a while," Laura says. 

Kelsey adds that the restaurant will have a calm, soothing, and modern yellow atmosphere as a nod to daisy blossoms. It also will take inspiration from other venues the pair has visited over many years of travel.

The remainder of the commercial level will accommodate up to six additional retail spaces, each about 1,200 square feet in size, Hissong says.

Nonna's $6.7 million construction value includes the apartments and the shell of the main floor. Additional costs will be added to build out the commercial units, he says.

Each of the three residential floors will have 11 living units. The 33 apartments will be comprised of 15 one-bedroom units and 18 two-bedroom units. Apartments also will have large, expansive windows for natural light instead of balconies to mitigate noise and dust from the nearby freeway.

Nonna residents will have access to landscaped courtyards featuring gathering areas to promote a sense of community and a dedicated space for secure package deliveries, Hissong explains. 

The courtyards also provide a deliberate design function for Nonna, he says.

"The courtyards give relief to something that's 100-plus-feet long and four-stories," he says. "Laura knows that that square footage is money she'll never get rent for, but she was willing to put those in ... so that the building felt better."

Tenant parking for Nonna will include 25 covered and 18 on-street parking spaces.

"Our goal is to have a nice place for people to go ... and that tenants above can come downstairs and have brunch and do a little shopping," says Laura Horn.

Hissong says the property has limited amenities to intentionally encourage outdoor recreation nearby, such as the Fourth Street Centennial Trailhead, about a block west of Nonna, and the Spokane River, about five blocks south of the site.

"They're so close to hiking trails and the river that people could actually go out and enjoy the community," he says.

The developers say their vision for Nonna is to create a community-focused space for residents and businesses that adds a modern element to the downtown Post Falls community.

"It's giving people a reason to come to this side of town, closer to the water, to experience a new part of the city and be involved in a more family-oriented area of Post Falls," Kelsey says.

A 7,100-square-foot multitenant commercial building and 2,500 square feet of residential space currently occupy the site. Demolition is expected to occur in the coming weeks to make room for the new project. Spokane-based Bouten Construction Co. is the demolition contractor, Hissong says.

The project includes soil remediation due to previous site uses including a dry cleaning business and an auto repair shop.

Allwest Testing & Engineering LLC, of Hayden, is working on the environmental remediation, says Hissong.

"We're dealing with some asbestos in the old building right now before that (commercial structure) can be demo'ed and before they can start pulling any dirt out for the remediation," he says.

Foundation work for Nonna is expected to begin in March, and the project will take 16 to 18 months to complete, says Hissong.

The Horns say they're waiting until closer to completion before seeking retail tenants and announcing additional restaurant details.

"Our location ties in a lot of stuff that's happening along Spokane Street toward the river and kind of brings downtown Post Falls to life," Laura says. "We've seen the city change, and we're just trying to be part of the growth."

Project update:

*A $3 million, 14-unit apartment building is under development on vacant land at 2711 S. Lee, about two blocks north of East 29th Avenue on Spokane's South Hill, according to a predevelopment application on file with the city of Spokane.

The project, dubbed Lee Street Apartments, will be a four-story residential building, including a basement level, site plans show. Two units are planned below grade, and the three upper floors each will have four units. All 14 units will be two-bedroom apartments, designs show.

About 13 parking stalls are planned onsite, in addition to covered and secure bike parking, according to a preliminary site plan by Spokane-based Bernardo Wills.

The half-acre property is owned by Grit & Timber Properties LLC, of Spokane Valley, which purchased the land for $290,000 in September, Washington state tax records show.