Work on the first residential buildings in the long-planned Beacon Hill development should start next spring. 

Developer Ryan Buth says the 140-unit Beacon Apartments complex will be located at 4328 N. Havana, at the base of the hill and northeast of Esmeralda Golf Course. 

The project has gone through the predevelopment process. The next step is to apply for building permits, Buth says.

Buth is working in conjunction with Pete Rayner, who owns the 200-acre development with business partner Dave Baker through their company Beacon Hill Spokane Inc. Buth says Rayner has been handling the infrastructure issues associated with developing the site, including constructing a water booster station and tank in order to supply water to the development. 

Meanwhile, Buth is working on plans for construction of the three-story multifamily buildings that eventually will occupy part of the site.

Buth says he expects the Beacon Apartments project will be valued at about $14 million. From start to finish, construction will take between eight and 12 months, he says.

Beacon Apartments will consist of six apartment buildings and a clubhouse. Buth says about 60% of the units will be two-bedroom apartments, with the remaining 40% split evenly between three-bedroom and one-bedroom units. Apartments will range in size from 800 to about 1,500 square feet.

The clubhouse, which will host a workout facility and management office, will occupy between 6,000 and 8,000 square feet, although plans for the clubhouse haven’t yet been finalized, Buth says.

He says he aims to make the units high tech, much like The Ledge at Five Mile, a cottage housing project Buth developed and co-owns.

“We’ve offered a lot of smart home packages, like key fobs for entry, a secure site, and … thermostat controls,” Buth says. “We’re going to try to automate a lot of stuff.”

The complex will include 257 parking stalls, including 38 covered spaces, according to site plans. Buth says there will also be some garages available.

The architect on the project is Spokane-based Russell C. Page Architects PS, and J.R. Bonnett Engineering PLLC, also of Spokane, is handling engineering services. 

A contractor hasn’t been selected yet. Buth says the project likely will be put out for bid.

The proximity to the planned route of the North Spokane Corridor freeway will be another draw for tenants, Buth asserts.

“Once they get that portion of the Wellesley project done for the North-South Freeway, it’ll be nice because there’ll be an off-ramp directly to (the development),” Buth says.

The development has been a long time coming due to infrastructure issues.

As previously reported by the Journal, solving the issue of pumping water uphill to the development has been complex because the site spans three distinct elevations. 

Ultimately, the development site is expected to include more than 3,000 residential units, about 1,200 of which will be multifamily units. About 60 acres are zoned for multifamily use.