Mike McLean

Gesa opens Spokane Valley branch

New outlet for credit union occupies former bank site

July 6, 2017

Richland-based Gesa Credit Union has opened a Spokane Valley branch in the Banner Center retail plaza at 509 N. Sullivan. The branch occupies the old 2,200-square-foot site of a Banner Bank branch, which closed after the Walla Walla-based bank merged wit

Conversion of Ridpath Hotel is underway downtown

First rental units to be finished in October

July 6, 2017

Mike McLean

Prominent Spokane developer Ron Wells says the ownership group he leads has obtained a building permit to convert most of the Ridpath Hotel into downtown workforce apartments, after a protracted effort to consolidate ownership of the Spokane landmark and

Taking 3-D printing to heart

Pediatric cardiologists use patient models to test procedures

July 6, 2017

Mike McLean

Dr. Carl Garabedian and other Spokane pediatric heart physicians are pioneering the use of 3-D printed models to plan and practice complex heart procedures. The physicians, who work at the Providence Center for Congenital Heart Disease clinic at Sacred H

Challenge after ascent

Drone pioneer Empire Unmanned expands geographic reach as revenues level off

June 22, 2017

Mike McLean

Following soaring sales growth in drone services reported by Hayden-based Empire Unmanned for 2016, activity this year has begun to descend as some potential customers are viewing drone operations as a do-it-yourself industry. Bradley Ward, president of

Father-son financial planners embrace tech tools

Longtime company here serves about 400 clients

June 22, 2017

Mike McLean

Financial planner Ted Demars founded what would become family-run Demars Financial Group LLC here in 1973, when he was still doing mostly insurance work, and the handheld electronic calculator was just coming onto the scene. Though such calculators initi

Office, retail structure in Mead to be expanded

Developer plans addition to physical therapy building

June 22, 2017

Mike McLean

Charles Gallagher, owner of the Institute for Physical & Sports Therapy, is developing a second phase of the multitenant commercial center, near Mead, in which the institute is a charter occupant. The 6,000-square-foot, two-story addition will be on the

Tekoa touts rail trail

Small town sees economic hope in former railroad line

June 22, 2017

Mike McLean

A small group of Tekoa-based boosters of the John Wayne Pioneer Trail hope a tentative agreement they've reached with owners of farmland between their town and the North Idaho town of Plummer will connect a three-state network of rail trails. The group

Gonzaga Prep works on gym project while fundraising

Wrestling program will be in new stand-alone building

June 22, 2017

Mike McLean

The Gonzaga Preparatory School athletic and fitness facilities renewal campaign has raised enough contributions to start work on the first two of three phases planned for the $6.5 million construction project. The first two phases include construction of

Douglass family members request five comprehensive plan amendments

Changes seek to increase levels of land development

June 22, 2017

Mike McLean

Prominent Spokane developers Harlan Douglass and his sons, Harley and Lanzce, are seeking a total of five amendments to the Spokane County comprehensive land-use plan. One request seeks to tweak language to clarify that development of access from major m

Work starts on two big Valley apartment projects

Adjacent rental complex phases total $35.5 million

June 8, 2017

Mike McLean

The city of Spokane Valley recently has issued building permits valued at a total of $35.5 million for two big phases to neighboring, but separately owned apartment complexes. One set of permits is for the $20.3 million, 192-unit second phase to Bella Te