Wells & Co., the Spokane design-build enterprise owned by Ron and Julie Wells that specializes in rehabilitating historic buildings, plans to convert several older structures just west of the Steam Plant Square complex into an office-retail center equipped for high-tech telecommunications.


The project will involve historic-minded improvements to three adjoining, single-story buildings, at 920, 926, and 930 W. Second, and to a six-story building located around the corner at 170 S. Lincoln, all of which Wells & Co. is leasing with the intent to buy.


A parking lot at the northwest corner of Second and Lincoln that is adjacent to the buildings also will be landscaped and improved with an identifying sign and a direct entrance from the building on Lincoln to help create a focal point and to give the center a contiguous appearance, Ron Wells says.


He says he expects the development to enhance the aesthetic appeal of both the entry to Steam Plant Square, which Wells & Co. co-developed, and the Lincoln Street entry to the downtown area.


He estimates the overall cost of the two-phase project at about $4.5 million, counting property acquisition and remodeling expenses, and says he expects it to be completed by January 2002. It will include renovation of a total of about 61,500 square feet of leasable floor space.


The development will be called Freeman Center at Steam Plant Square, in honor of Clarence and Frances Freeman, a prominent black Spokane couple. Clarence Freeman, now mostly retired, is a longtime Spokane contractor, rental-property owner, and civic leader who was born in a house on Railroad Avenue at the rear of the project site. His wife, Frances, also once active in local organizations, died four years ago.


Im overwhelmed, says Freeman, who adds that he called relatives in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Florida to tell them about the Wells thoughtful gesture.


Wells & Co. already has begun making improvements to one of the buildings on Second, formerly occupied by Bikeworks, a bicycle retail and repair shop that closed last year after 17 years in business. Mr. Tux, of Spokane, and an affiliated costume-rental business called Broadway Costume, which occupied the two other buildings on Second, are in the process of moving and closing, respectively.


Renovations to all of the buildings on Second, encompassing about 26,500 square feet of floor space, are expected to be completed by next spring, Wells says. Improvements will include upgrading the exterior of the buildings to look more historically accurate, such as with awnings and color schemes appropriate to the early 1900s, and new complementary interior finishes, he says.


Although the buildings will be made to have a more historical look, theyll have modern infrastructures, Wells says. The developer plans to install high-tech telecommunications lines, including cable and fiber optics, and backup electrical-generating capacity to attract office and retail users who want space with such amenities.


Improvements to the six-story building on Lincoln are expected to begin next spring, after the first phase of work is completed, Wells says. All six floors plus a high-ceilinged basement, will be updated, he says. Display House Inc., a specialty retailer, currently occupies the entire building, but plans to move to new quarters next spring, Wells says.


Farmers & Merchants Bank is providing financing for the project, he says.