The small town of Medical Lake just southwest of Spokane is seeing a mini-surge in business activity with a number of new businesses having opened recently and several others reopening under new ownership.

Nine businesses, mostly retail, have opened there in the past year. While some of the new businesses can be found along state Route 902, most of them are located along the town’s main thoroughfare, Lefevre Street. 

Laura Parsons, a longtime resident of Medical Lake and a current member of the Medical Lake City Council, says this is the first time she can recall so many new businesses that seem to be thriving in the area. 

“This could be due to several reasons,” says Parsons. “Medical Lake has received a lot of attention from the new Washington State Veterans Cemetery, the grassroots group called Re*Imagine Medical Lake, and the Blue Waters Annual Bluegrass Festival.”

 The veterans’ cemetery, which opened in June of 2010 at 21702 W. Espanola Road just north of Medical Lake, is the first state veterans’ cemetery in Washington. It includes burial sites for in-ground cremains, a scattering garden, a memorial path, 2,000 pre-placed crypts and a committal shelter.

Re*Imagine Medical Lake is a citizen-driven organization that’s working to revitalize Medical Lake by helping bring services, resources and capital to improve the business environment and the quality of life of the town’s residents. The organization currently is making a documentary about the history of Medical Lake.

The bluegrass festival, held in partnership with the Inland Northwest Bluegrass Association and sponsored by Northern Quest Resort & Casino, is held annually on the shores of Medical Lake—this year on Aug. 12-14.

Parsons adds that the community also has hosted the filming of “Z Nation,” the American horror-comedy, post-apocalyptic television series that airs on the SyFy channel. The show has filmed in Medical Lake, at nearby Pine Lodge Corrections Center, at Eastern State Hospital, and other state buildings for the past three years, with several stars from the show even participating in the town’s annual Founders Day Parade, held annually on the third Saturday in June. 

“Overall, I think people have just finally realized this is a great place to live and work,” says Parsons.

Medical Lake is a town of about 5,000 people, located about 16 miles from downtown Spokane. The town extends along the eastern edge of Medical Lake, the body of water for which it is named. 

Perhaps one of the more popular new businesses in town, Lefevre Street Bakery & Café, opened in May along Medical Lake’s main street.  

Owners Kevin and Brenda Gerhart previously had owned Petit Chat Bakery in north Spokane. They say they saw purchasing the 2,400-square-foot, former Chinese restaurant building at 123 S. Lefevre as an opportunity. The newly renovated space is now 3,000 square feet, with the addition of a new front entrance area. 

“We saw this underserved community that needed a kind of gathering place for people to come have food and meet up with their friends,” says Kevin Gerhart. “Now we have customers who live here telling their friends in Spokane they should come meet out here to eat and visit instead.” 

Brenda Gerhart says the community has been supportive of the business. 

“We get a lot of retired couples and families with young children that stop in,” she says. “It’s definitely got that family-friendly atmosphere.”

Across the street from the bakery and café, at 106 S. Lefevre, is another new business, Brix Auto Sales.

Bryan Larson owns the small, used-car dealership, which occupies space in the same building as two other new Medical Lake businesses, Corner Closet Boutique and Studio D hair salon.

Larson says he took over the lease on the 1,000-square-foot office space in October and since then has been working to remodel it. The business leases a former gas station lot located nearby to display its cars, which Larson says has been helpful in attracting business. 

“We sold our first car in December, and since then, we’ve been doing pretty well,” he says. “The hardest part is getting the word out that we’re here.” 

Larson says it’s been a big year for businesses in town, and he’s excited to be a part of it.  

“I think a lot of these new places are like us. They saw a need for a certain type of business, so they went ahead and decided to try to fill it,” he says. “It’s a nice neighborhood, with lots of welcoming people to help you get started.” 

Holly Dalke and her partner, Todd Hoffman, are co-owners of another of Medical Lake’s newer businesses, Fresh Design Gallery & Vintage Rental, at 116 N. Lefevre. 

Dalke says she too sees the rush of business in Medical Lake as a reflection of the community’s needs. 

“It’s mostly just realizing the need for certain services,” she says. “It’s also partly because places like Spokane and Airway Heights are growing too, and people are starting to want to go back and travel to smaller, quieter towns.” 

Fresh Design, which opened in February of 2015, offers the rental of vintage furniture, housewares, and décor for events such as weddings, parties, and photo shoots. The business also rents out its garage room for use as a party venue. 

 “We’re about half rental, half retail,” says Dalke. “We sell new and old home goods and furnishings. I’m also a florist and designer stylist for weddings.”

At the moment, Dalke says she is most focused on growing the floral workshop portion of the business, which allows for groups of five or more people to stop by and learn how to create floral arrangements. 

Additional businesses new to Medical Lake this year include Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) learning center, a Subway sandwich shop, a Snap Fitness gym, and Medical Lake Rockwood Physical Therapy.

Several other area businesses either have changed locations or are under new ownership, including Cela’s Creative Learning LLC, The Pizza Factory, Medical Lake Veterinary Clinic, Morning Brew, and Tommy G’s Espresso stand.

West Medical Lake Resort is in the process of changing ownership, with current owner Ken Lewis selling the property to John Sandoval. 

Sandoval says he’s working through some remaining financing issues, but he hopes to purchase and upgrade the resort, restoring a fishing dock and adding more RV camping sites. 

The resort, located at 14032 W. Fancher Road, offers 14 RV camping hookups, on-site restrooms and showers, a basketball court, fishing dock, and the resort’s main building. 

“There’s an aquatic side and a land side,” says Sandoval. “The main building is built onto the docks, but it’s what is called a nonwater dependent structure, so the state would like to see us remove it.” 

Sandoval says it will take time and a sizable expenditure to be able to remove the old building, restore the dock, and create a new resort headquarters. 

 “Most of our business is in RV camping, with people looking to stay close to home but still get out on the lakes,” he says. “We’re a well-known trout fishing destination. I just hope we can fix it all up and keep it the traditional, quiet fishing spot people are used to.”