U.S. Pies Realty LLC, an affiliate of Spokane-based Cyrus OLearys Wholesale Pies, has bought six acres of land in Airway Heights and is studying the feasibility of constructing a 35,000-square-foot pie-production facility there.


Barclay Klingel, managing partner of U.S. Pies and chairman and CEO of Spokane-based Fresh Foods Corp. of America, which owns the wholesale pie operation, says U.S. Pies also has hired Garco Construction Inc., of Spokane, to study design-build options for the new plant. He expects to know within a month whether the company will move ahead with the project. He declines for now to disclose estimated construction costs for such a production facility.


Earlier this year, the Washington state Economic Development Finance Authority agreed tentatively to issue $2.3 million in bonds for construction of the pie plant and for new equipment for the proposed facility. The state agency still must take final action on the bond issue, but hasnt scheduled a hearing it yet.


The land for the prospective pie plant is located along the west side of Hayford Road, just south of a building at the southwest corner of Hayford and U.S. 2 that formerly housed a Burger Stop restaurant.


Klingel says U.S. Pies bought the property from John Peterson, of Spokane, but declines to disclose the terms of the transaction. Dick Edwards, of Hawkins Edwards Inc., handled the transaction.


The current pie-production facility employs about 60 people and is located in a 20,000-square-foot building at 319 W. Second in downtown Spokane, where it has been since 1988, Klingel says.