A 50-acre Post Falls development more than a decade in the making appears to be moving forward.

The Prairie Crossing development, which is expected to include multifamily residential, retail, medical office, and other commercial uses, is proposed at the northeast corner of Prairie Avenue and state Route 41 in north Post Falls.

Bob Seale, community development director for the city of Post Falls, says the next step is a traffic study for the site.

“They’re hoping to start turning dirt this fall and that they’re able to get their site plans rolling in conjunction with completion of the traffic study,” Seale says.

As shown on pre-application documents filed with the city of Post Falls, 22 buildings are slated for the site, which is currently vacant land. The commercial complex will be centered around a 52,000-square-foot retail building. A 44,000-square-foot structure is planned for the northwest corner of the property, along Highway 41, although preliminary documents don’t list its intended use.

South of that building, plans call for six commercial buildings of about 8,000 square feet each, three of which are marked for medical use. The southwest corner of the development will be occupied by a 5,200-square-foot convenience store and a 5,000-square-foot restaurant area, preliminary plans show.

Seale says Prairie Crossing has been in the works for years. Jack Smetana, of Coeur d’Alene-based civil engineering firm Frame & Smetana PA, initially proposed the development more than a decade ago.

Smetana couldn’t be reached immediately for comment.

Seale says he’s unsure about the valuation of the development. It appears, however, to be similar in scope to the $40 million Radio Tower Village development that was initially proposed on Spokane’s upper South Hill a few years ago.

Seale cautions that plans have continued to change somewhat.

“They’ve changed (plans) multiple times in the 2 1/2 years I’ve been involved in this project,” Seale says.

Seale says two tenants have been identified for the development, but he’s not sure what kind of tenants they are or which buildings they’ll occupy.

“The two anchors are basically ready to go as soon as plans are completed,” Seale says.

Eleven apartment buildings of 24 units each could occupy the northeast portion of the site; Seale notes that the number of units and buildings on the multifamily portion of the development continue to fluctuate as plans evolve.

South of the residential portion of Prairie Crossing, plans show a 53,500-square-foot grocery store. Seale says it appears that a grocery tenant has likely been identified, though plans have yet to be finalized. A 4,250-square-foot building on the southern edge of the site, along Prairie Avenue, is expected to host a bank.

The Prairie Crossing development will be beneficial for traffic flow in Post Falls, he asserts.

“It follows well with our comprehensive plan,” Seale says. “From the city’s perspective, having a larger commercial center up on Highway 41 and Prairie Avenue will actually reduce some of the traffic that needs to come down from the north side down to Seltice Way and other corridors.”