Spokane/ CDA development discussions - Page 7

Hub for an Empire · #**121** Posted **Jun 2, 2006, 1:33 AM**

Hate to tell you.....but it will always be the Opera House to me!

oilcan · #**122** Posted **Jun 2, 2006, 1:41 AM**

Oh don't get me wrong Hub it will always be the Oprah House to me as well.

Hub for an Empire · #**123** Posted **Jun 3, 2006, 5:15 AM**

Saw this article on Yahoo News....

Another reason for Light Rail!

GASOLINE COSTS

The study also found expensive gasoline ate up nearly a third of annual wage gains in 2005. Among metro areas surveyed, Spokane, Washington, residents gave up the biggest portion of their 2005 wage increase -- 78 percent -- to higher gasoline costs.

Spokane, which had a wage increase of only $761 but higher gasoline costs of $595, was followed by Springfield, Massachusetts at 74.3 percent and Provo-Orem, Utah at 73.7 percent.

In the Miami metro area, wages gains were $2,109, but gasoline price hikes consumed 58.2 percent or $1,016 of that increase. In Detroit, gasoline prices ate up 41.7 percent of the local wage gain of $1,646.

oilcan · #**124** Posted **Jun 4, 2006, 1:03 AM**

Yes it is Hub...

The planning is there for it... needs a little kick in the tail...

Spokane is in for a population increase.. what was the population figures Hub in the next 10 to 20 years thought I heard 200,000?

Hub for an Empire · #**125** Posted **Jun 4, 2006, 4:49 PM**

^^^^ I read the article, but forgot the number......I think it was projected for the County's population at around 650,000.
Currently the County's population is at 441,000. Hopefully, most of that number goes into the City of Spokane. I think Kootenai County is around 125,000 now.

revrw · #**126** Posted **Jun 9, 2006, 8:08 AM**

http://www.spokesmanreview.com/local....asp?ID=134821

This is a good sign. Unfortunately recent poll numbers indicate that light rail would be a tough sell in Spokane, but with rising gas prices and a resurgence in downtown Spokane we may just get what we want.

oilcan · #**127** Posted **Jun 10, 2006, 12:54 AM**

i still like that fact that Spokane at the size it is has a plan in play already.. that says efforts are being made.... I do see this project taking shape... I would hope we continue to look at Portland as a prime example...

I think the city of Spokane in general should look to Portland in many ways for insperation as this new kick start begins....

Hub for an Empire · #**128** Posted **Jun 10, 2006, 1:59 AM**

^^^^ I think Spokane is way ahead of other third tier cities in the United States regarding Light Rail. Luckily, the right of way has been retained for years through the Spokane Valley. That will save a bundle....just there!

True, with fuel prices going up....it will be a trend that people will move back to the city, plus, I think there will be trend for smaller housing units due to energy prices and demographics. I think Spokane has been good to move this issue along....considering it's conservative past. I think with new people moving here, it will make the issue easier to pass, considering some of the new people are buying the $500,000 plus homes and condos!

ghost22 · #**129** Posted **Jun 14, 2006, 2:27 AM**

any developments on the vox tower recently?

chepe · #**130** Posted **Jun 14, 2006, 5:40 PM**

Well, I came across this today regarding the Vox tower. It is obviously a rumor and it seems like the person has a personal issue with the developer but I thought I'd put it here in response to your question not having heard anything else about the project. Hopefully the negative things said are not true about the project. http://spokurban.blogspot.com/2006/0...rs-rumors.html

Hub for an Empire · #**131** Posted **Jun 14, 2006, 7:39 PM**

^^^^ Let's hope the rumors aren't true. Spokane needs to be lifted up and the VOX would be a nice addition to the downtown. I'm sure some of the rumors might be true, since he seems to be involved in lots of projects from Lewiston, Idaho to Western Washington. You can't please all the people all the time! Let's hope the financing is in place for this project and the November start date is solid!

InlandEmpire · #**132** Posted **Jun 14, 2006, 10:05 PM**

The only news I have about the Vox is this:

I know one of the people in charge of drawing up the plans for the Vox. As of now, they have only been paid $8,000.... so that redering you have seen around is about as far as the building has been developed. 8K doesn't get you very far on a building like that, considering the single family homes I design here in Bellevue cost the client upwards of $15,000. This may mean nothing, or it may mean he doesn't plan on investing much into it.

urbanlife · #**133** Posted **Jun 14, 2006, 10:22 PM**

or it could be the typical Spokane trend, talk big with nothing to back it up, there are alot of developers that are like that there.

Just look at those beautiful twin towers south of the opera house that the person who owns a good portion of that block has proposed.....oh wait, he will never build them, just hold the land and dream.

We need more devlopers like Worthy, who actually do something, working in that city.

A long time ago before the Vox was even proposed I had talked to someone with the company that informed me that a tower would come for the partking lot on the block, but only after all the buildings on the block were renovated and sold and rented up, which made it sound like it would be a long time before any real ground breaking was ever to happen.

oilcan · #**134** Posted **Jun 15, 2006, 12:29 AM**

So true Urban^ guess time will tell with the Vox and Mr. B?

Rookery more chaos... but still a last ditch effort by Wells? Ha ha.. same old same old Rookery Drama..

It will be a parking lot soon...

Wendell Reugh is a punk!

From KXLY:

Asbestos discovery results in fine, impacts Rookery Block demolition
Dave Meany
Last updated: Wednesday, June 14th, 2006 04:58:50 PM

SPOKANE -- There’s another twist in the ongoing saga of Spokane's historic Rookery Block as concerns over asbestos have landed the property owner a violation notice from the local air pollution control authority which could delay demolition long enough for a developer to strike a last-minute deal to save the buildings.

For over a year-and-a-half the two remaining Rookery buildings have sat vacant while the owner has entertained offers to renovate the historic structures but it appears all this time the property has been contaminated with asbestos.

During the demolition of the Merton Building huge dust plumes filled the air around the property. Acting on a tip the Spokane County Air Pollution Control Authority took samples from the waste materials on the block property and found asbestos where demolition has already taken place and concluded that asbestos had been mishandled.

SCAPCA officials now believe the asbestos came from the demolition of the Merton Building over a year ago. Property owner Wendell Reugh is now facing a fine from SCAPCA for this incident and has been asked to remove asbestos from the two remaining buildings before continuing with demolition.

“It is a serious health concern,” SCAPCA Acting Director Ron Edgar said.

Edgar said that asbestos was found in waste material along the fenceline surrounding the property; that same fence also lines a public sidewalk. He says the cancer-causing material was also found on the roof of the nearby Fernwell building.

The discovery has not only led to the violation notice but SCAPCA says abatement work must be done in the two remaining buildings – the Mohawk and the Rookery - before they're taken down.

“It's a serious matter especially when we find actual samples of material that have essentially left the property site in particular,” Edgar said. “That means something that needs to be taken care of."

SCAPCA doesn't have the authority to stop demolition but it will write more violations to block owner Wendell Reugh if demolition resumes.

Meanwhile, a preservation group fighting to save the Rookery Block is hoping this delay will open the door for a last minute deal.

"Might give us more time to find the right developer and if the owner were able to make some concessions as well then these properties could probably be saved,” Dave Shockley said.

Developer Ron Wells, who submitted the only bid earlier this year to the city in an attempt to save the historic block, says he’s still working on a last minute deal to renovate these buildings.

Wendell Reugh - who did not return phone calls on this story - has until late June to respond to the violation notice and explain why the asbestos was mishandled and how it might be cleaned up.

Hub for an Empire · #**135** Posted **Jun 15, 2006, 12:43 AM**

^^^^ Let's hope for the best on the Vox and Rookery Block! Guess we as a city/region, need to count the blessings that has been accomplished over the last few years (Convention Expansion; Davenport Hotel/Tower, etc...) and the solid commitements that are coming our way (U-District and Kendall Yards). We aren't going to get everything we want, and we might get some more surprises down the line (projects that haven't been announced yet).
You have to admit......FINALLY.....Spokane is getting noticed, even from people that aren't from the west!

oilcan · #**136** Posted **Jun 15, 2006, 1:03 AM**

Yeah... Spokane does not get the recognition it does for all the projects completed just the ahhhs.. for it's failures.. and there has been plenty when it comes to it's highrises.. it will come especially with the population increase projected.. but the city is filling in nicely in the downtown area....

I could not read it because of the password but one of the headlines in today's Spokeman Review Spokane E-Wa News was about an agreement allowed to expand Spokane County's boundries in means of allowing the the City of Spokane to increase it's size?

Did anyone catch this article today?...

revrw · #**137** Posted **Jun 15, 2006, 7:04 AM**

^ here is the pdf of the city boundry agreement between the county and the city

http://spokesmanreview.com/docs/061306_spokanemap.pdf

The article just talks about the agreement they have reached and the current dispute over a small piece of land that is surrounded by the city but is unincorporated. If the city can incorporate that small piece of land, I heard that it would solve the budget sortage because all of that land is developed and is filled by business mainly Costco. The article does not say that, but that is what I have heard. I believe the city will win the argument, but what you see in the pdf is what they have agreed upon. This is good news for the mostly undeveloped west plains area. I think I better go buy some land out there as soon as possible. LOL

revrw · #**138** Posted **Jun 16, 2006, 12:36 AM**

The open house for new Spokane convention center will be on July 20th from 2pm to 7pm. Looks pretty nice from what I have seen thus far. Can't wait to get a more detailed look at it! I believe this, as well as the u-district, will be a big catalyst for the east end of downtown. FYI......about 1 block south of the new convention center, the developer of the Sarnac Hotel alone Main street wants to put in a public market on the corner of Division and Main street. If this happens it likely won't happen for another 3-4 years though. Currently Goodyear leases the land and the developer said he would not kick them out of their lease, but will just let it expire. Still great news for Spokane!

oilcan · #**139** Posted **Jun 16, 2006, 2:22 AM**

^Good news revrw it will be nice to see the new Convention Center up and going..

Side note I found this in the EDC.... I know the Upper Falls Condos http://www.upperfallsspokane.com/ are currently going up to the west of the Flower Mill... but looks like one to the east is being proposed... (Keep in mind the building portion of the court house is 125ft) so if this goes it will bring some good height/residence to the N. Banks at 127 ft.

1 June 2006 in the "On the drawing board" section of EDC:

Presidio Development Partners LLC, of San Francisco, has submitted an application with the City of Spokane for design review of a 30-unit condominium that would be built just east of the Flour Mill. The proposed space would be 56,600 square feet and be 127 feet high. No cost estimates have been released at this time.

Hub for an Empire · #**140** Posted **Jun 16, 2006, 3:05 AM**

^^^^ Shows that Spokane is up and coming, when other people from outside the area are getting involved with construction here! I can tell a difference in preception from even last year, that people are taking notice!