Airway Heights is the center attraction for commercial growth on the West Plains, some developers, contractors, and city employees say.

Projects valued at more than $90 million are planned or under way on the West Plains, many of them within the city of Airway Heights.

That total doesn’t include the proposed casino-resort development envisioned by the Spokane Tribe of Indians.

Albert Tripp, Airway Heights city manager, says city planners are busy handling a recent spate of commercial projects.

“In the last six to eight months, we’ve seen a sharp increase in commercial interests,” he says.

One newly proposed commercial development, tentatively named West Plains Plaza, would be located on a 6-acre parcel of land at the southwest corner of Hayford Road and U.S. 2.

There, West Partners LLC is proposing a $4 million, six-building complex with 54,500 square feet of retail and office space, says Mark D’Agostino, a member of West Partners.

D’Agostino also is president of Meridian Construction Inc., of Spokane Valley, which would be the contractor for the development.

“We’re excited about the location,” he says. “The corner of Hayford and Highway 2 is the most marketable corner in Airway Heights for retail and office development.”

Spokane-based Pawn 1 Inc. has committed to one stand-alone building, and a Jimmy John’s Sandwich shop has agreed to lease space in a multitenant building, he says.

The project would include three inline buildings with a total of 38,000 square feet of space in the southeast quadrant of the plaza.

D’Agostino says two national tenants are negotiating leases for two of the planned in-line buildings, though he declines to identify them.

Three stand-alone buildings each would have 5,000 to 6,000 square feet of commercial space.

One of those, in the northwest quadrant of the plaza, will house the Pawn 1 outlet, he says.

D’Agostino says the development is in preliminary planning stages with the city of Airway Heights, and Meridian Construction hopes to obtain building permits and break ground shortly after Labor Day.

He says the first building would be completed early next year, and others would be completed about a year from now.

Kevin Edwards, of Spokane commercial real estate brokerage Hawkins Edwards Inc., is the leasing agent for the plaza.

Edwards says he’s marketing one of the stand-alone buildings that would face both Hayford and U.S. 2 to banks and credit unions.

The other stand-alone structure, which would be in the back of the plaza, would have office space, Edwards says.

Edwards says the developers have had to turn down a couple of larger retailers because the project didn’t have enough space, and those retailers likely will try to land elsewhere in Airway Heights.

Edwards says he expects commercial development activity in Airway Heights will spur Walgreen Co., the Deerfield, Ill.-based pharmacy chain, to accelerate development plans for vacant property the company owns at the southeast corner of Hayford and U.S. 2.

Across U.S. 2, a commercial construc-tion project is under way at Centerpointe Plaza, which is anchored by a Walmart store at the northeast corner of the intersection.

There, Vandervert Developments LLC is erecting Centerpointe Plaza Retail III, a 12,000-square-foot multitenant retail building.

The project site faces U.S. 2 just west of an O’Reilly Auto Parts store and east of a Jack in the Box restaurant.

Jason Strain, director of leasing for Vandervert Developments, says the project will have up to seven retail bays, and two tenants—a pizza maker and a phone service retailer—have committed to leasing space in the development.

The $1.1 million project is expected to be completed in early October.

Vandervert Development affiliate Vandervert Construction Inc., of Spokane, is the contractor on the project, and Russell C. Page Architects PS, also of Spokane, designed it.

Strain also says he’s hearing of rising interest in commercial development in Airway Heights.

In-line retail spaces are fully occupied at Centerpointe Plaza, he says.

“We’re getting a lot of phone calls for the Retail III building and other pads,” he says. “Dick (Vandervert) had a couple of good meetings lately with perspective mid-sized retail users. He’s optimistic about it.”

A few blocks to the east, near the northeast corner of U.S. 2 and Centre Way, the Kalispel Tribal Economic Authority is developing a Chevron gas station and convenience store.

Garco Construction Inc., of Spokane, is the contractor on that project.

Derrick Braaten, Airway Heights’ director of dev-elopment services, says construction is nearly complete at the new Exotic Metals Forming Co. manufacturing facility near McFarlane Road and Lawson Street.

Walker Construction Inc., of Spokane, is the contractor on the $25 million, 150,000-square-foot project.

Exotic Metals Forming, a Bellevue-based aerospace manufacturer, has said it will employ 150 people at the plant.

Seattle-based Seaport Steel is nearly complete with a 60,000-square-foot warehouse building at its satellite facility at 2634 S. Hayden Road, in Airway Heights, Braaten says.

Garco Construction is the contractor on the $6.9 million project, which also includes constructing a half-mile extension of a railroad spur.

The project is expected to generate 20 new jobs, Greater Spokane Incorporated has said.

Edwards says it’s looking like North 40 Outfitters, the Great Falls, Mont.-based farm and ranch store chain, might break ground in 2016 on a 200,000-square-foot-facility that would include a new retail store and a distribution center.

North 40’s parent company CSWW Inc. acquired 30 acres of land in 2013, about two blocks south of the planned West Plains Plaza.

Keystone Automotive Operations Inc. likely will occupy its new 250,000-square-foot warehouse and distribution center at 9212 W. Hallett before year-end, Edwards says.

Garco Construction is the contractor on that $20.4 million project.

Keystone, the Exeter, Pa.-based aftermarket automotive parts and accessories distributor, has said it will hire 60 people at the plant.

Near Medical Lake, Waterville, Wash.-based grain cooperative HighLine Grain LLC, is constructing a $26.4 million grain shuttle facility, at 9025 S. Craig Road.

Also on the West Plains, Spokane development group Millson LLC is developing two 40,000-square-foot warehouse and distribution facilities at 4330 S. Grove, near the Interstate 90-Geiger Road interchange.

Divcon Inc., of Spokane, is the contractor on that $5 million project, and Architectural Ventures, of Spokane Valley, designed it.

Boston-based Iron Mountain Inc., an information-management company, has agreed to lease the first building, which will be completed in September, says John Miller, chairman of Divcon, and managing member of Millson.

The infrastructure is in place for the second structure, which will be completed 120 days after a lease agreement is negotiated, he says.

Miller says the West Plains has seen a spate of large distribution center developments in recent years.