Lincoln Partners LLC, a development company launched by Spokane developer Joe Stanek and his brothers, Steve, Frank, and Tim Stanek, has doubled the size of a proposed Mead-area shopping center, named Mount Spokane Plaza, because of better-than-expected interest from potential tenants, Joe Stanek says.


Plans now call for about 144,000 square feet of retail space on 20 acres at the northwest corner of U.S. 2 and Mount Spokane Park Drive, Stanek says. Albertsons Inc. has committed to open a 57,500-square-foot grocery store there, and has an option on land to the north of its building site that would accommodate a future expansion, Stanek says. At the western edge of the development, a 50,000-square-foot strip mall will flank the supermarket to the south. Another 14,300 square feet of retail space is planned to the east of the grocery store closer to U.S. 2, Stanek says.


Six pads for free-standing buildings with a combined 22,200 square feet of floor space also are planned at the development, he says.


Site work is expected to begin in May, and construction of the Albertsons store and the first part of the strip mall is scheduled to start in September.


Previously, a same-sized Albertsons grocery store, a 15,000-square-foot retail center, and three commercial pads were slated to be built on 10 acres there.


Increased interest from potential tenants prompted the decision to double the projects size, Stanek says.


A lot of people are looking at that area, he says. Theres quite a bit of activity.


Thus far, Albertsons is the only user that has committed formally to open its doors at the development. Enough businesses have committed to the project orally, however, to fill the first part of the 50,000-square-foot strip mall, Stanek says. Businesses that have told Stanek they plan to open locations in the strip mall include a hair salon, photo-processing center, mail-box provider, coffee shop, dry cleaner, art studio, and greeting-card shop. Stanek says he has worked with all of the potential tenants previously in other developments.


Other businesses that have approached Stanek about the retail space include an office-supply store, an art-supply store, a video-rental shop, and a tire dealer.


Albertsons will use one of the free-standing commercial pads for a gas kiosk and miniature convenience store, Stanek says.


The big grocery-store chain sells gasoline at some of its supermarkets near Boise and in Arizona and Oklahoma, but the planned store at the Mead-area development likely would be its first store in the Spokane area to sell gasoline.


A few fast-food chains have inquired about available free-standing pads on the site, Stanek says, including groups interested in building eateries such as McDonalds, Dairy Queen, Taco Bell, and Carls Jr. None have committed to the project yet, he says.


Stanek says other pads might be used for a bank or credit union branch and an auto-lube station.