The West Plains-Airport Area Public Development Authority district is a hub of new development, with a new pharmaceutical manufacturing facility getting underway.

North of Spokane International Airport, crews have poured the foundation for the $38 million Selkirk Pharma Inc. facility.

The Spokane-based injectable drug manufacturing and packaging startup is building a 147,000-square-foot facility at 9110 W. Granite, in the Pacific Northwest Technology Park.

Bernardo|Wills Architects PC, of Spokane, designed the facility. Bouten Construction Co., also of Spokane, is the contractor.

Documents filed with the city of Spokane indicated the structure is intended to be completed by first quarter 2022, with occupation by summer of that year. 

The West Plains PDA, which does business as S3R3 Solutions, covers more than 9,000 acres encompassing the airport and surrounding area. 

The airport was awarded a $11.3 million U.S. Department of Transportation grant in 2019 to fund the second-phase construction of a new transload facility. In total, the project is expected to cost $16.9 million. Project plans show two 500,000-square-foot warehouses are also planned adjacent to the facility.

Phase one of the project included the construction of a $2.5 million, mile-long Geiger spur rail extension to airport property.

Todd Woodard, director of marketing and public affairs for SIA, says the second phase of the project is still in the design phase. Construction bid requests are expected to go out this spring, he says.