The Spokane Regional Site Selector, a Web site that allows visitors to identify and research quickly available commercial properties here online, had a strong first year and is proving to be a multifaceted resource, say members of the consortium that established it.


The economic-development tool, at www.selectspokane.com, notched nearly 129,000 page views in its first 12 months of operation, ended June 13, according to data gathered using Googles Urchin Web-traffic analyzing software.


Page views refer to the number of times visitors viewed a page on the Web site. The page-view total for the first year translated into 11,721 sessions, meaning unbroken periods of time when a user was connected to and active on the Web site, and those sessions lasted an average of about four and a half minutes, the data show.


Partial-year figures gathered separately using a service called Google Analytics show that people from 45 U.S. states, plus Washington, D.C., and 24 other countries, visited the site selector Web site. About two-thirds of the more than 3,000 site visitors were from Washington, but 288 were from California, 129 from Idaho, 60 from Oregon, and 56 from Arizona.


Were real happy with the numbers, says Ian Von Essen, geographic information systems (GIS) manager for Spokane County and the countys representative on the consortium.


One of the big advantages of the site, he says, is the time saved by being able to refer people to it for commercial property data, rather than the county or one of the cities that are members of the consortium having to devote staff time to chasing down requested information.


It helps lower our costs, he says, adding that it also is proving beneficial in providing information agencies need for grant applications.


The biggest issue is just trying to get more people aware of it, and that effort still is in the early stages, Von Essen says.


Mark McLees, a commercial real estate broker here with NAI Black and last years president of the Spokane Traders Club, which is made up of commercial brokers from throughout the Spokane area, says, Its been a great tool. There are only a few really good Web sites that commercial brokers use and this is one of the three that are good.


Based on his discussions with other brokers here, he says, I know its being used.


The site selector links commercial real estate listings to a Web-based interactive map that uses GIS data gathered by local government jurisdictions over many years to provide layers of information about individual properties.


Visitors can search for properties by type and size, parcel number, or address, as well as whether the properties are for lease or for sale. They then can select from a list of properties matching their parameters to view details about, and see pictures of, the ones that interest them.


If they wish to delve further, they can select any of several types of demographic reports to view data about things such as the surrounding populations age, gender, and race distribution, consumer spending habits, business and work-force mix, and wages and occupations. By clicking on a separate tab, they also can find out what other businesses, including potential competitors, are located within a specified surrounding area.


The site selector project, as its called, is designed to use participating jurisdictions investments in computer-based GIS information to promote economic development by helping developers and investors research available properties in Spokane County.


The consortium that funds and oversees the project includes the county; the cities of Spokane, Spokane Valley, and Liberty Lake; Avista Corp.; and Greater Spokane Incorporated. Washington State University, acting as a facilitator, manages the Web site.


The site selector has a 2009 budget of about $95,000, which includes a $5,000 contribution each from Avista and Greater Spokane Incorporated, with the county and cities kicking in the remainder through a population-based cost-sharing formula.


That funding pays for site operation and maintenance and the proprietary software application on which the site relies.


The site selector has been operating for about 15 months, but Von Essen says, We spent about five years before we launched it promoting this idea, so were very excited and happy its been well received in the community.


Washington State University landscape architecture and GIS professor Kerry Brooks, who manages the site, says, I think its pretty successful. Along with providing a tool for the development community, he says, its a fabulous example of all of our local governments doing a project together successfully, and of the public and private sectors collaborating to achieve a common good.


After the years of preparation that went into developing the site, he says, The final piece is courting the real estate community and getting them engaged and getting them to include their properties on the site, which they can do at no charge.


Not every community has something like this, Von Essen says, which means it can be an advantage in competing for businesses to locate here. Also, he says, Its a great way to really provide a lot of information to people who want to start a business.


Contact Kim Crompton at (509) 344-1263 or via e-mail at kimc@spokanejournal.com.