A pair of development companies are taking the initial steps to build a massive new industrial park on the West Plains, a State Environmental Policy Act checklist filed with Spokane County shows. 

A SEPA application shows the companies plan to develop an industrial park with up to 40 buildings with a total of up to 1.24 million square feet of space on a 93-acre site located south of Spokane International Airport between Geiger Boulevard and Electric Avenue, and one mile east of the Amazon Fulfillment Center, documents on file with the county show. 

The envisioned project was submitted by High Tower Business Park LLC and Big Cigar LLC, both led by developer Peter Thompson, according to Washington state Department of Revenue records. Garco Construction Inc. founder Tim Welsh is also listed as a co-owner of High Tower Business Park.

Attempts to connect with Thompson prior to publication were unsuccessful. 

The proposal for the first phase prepares the site for utility installation, interior road construction, and stormwater management, which would occur between the summer of 2025 and fall of 2026, documents show. No date was listed for the construction on buildings.

If the proposed industrial park comes to fruition, it will be one of a number of massive developments on the West Plains in recent years, including new manufacturing plants, distribution centers, industrial facilities, and additional lodging facilities. 

Thompson, who is also a commercial real estate broker with the Spokane office of First Look Real Estate, has been involved in West Plains economic development transactions for multiple decades. He had been the long-time business partner of the late developer Dick Edwards, who died Feb.11.

Both High Tower Business Park LLC and Big Cigar LLC, which are two of multiple limited liability companies started by Thompson and Edwards, have been involved in a multitude of West Plains land transactions over the years, including those that led to the development of a Petro Travel Center, the Caterpillar Inc. distribution center, and the Douglass Legacy Park. 

In 2019, the developers, under the name Jolt Development LLC, sold 125 acres of land to Spokane developer Harlan Douglass for close to $12 million, which is now home to the Douglass Legacy Park.

Douglass, who died in November 2023, developed the industrial park, which includes 19 buildings totaling about 1.5 million square feet of space, located at 5010 S. Thomas Mallen Road.

Tenants include United Parcel Service Inc., which leases a 96,000-square-foot building, and Performance Pro Supply.

A year earlier, Big Cigar LLC sold 10 acres for $3 million to Salt Lake City-based Kenworth Sales Co. to build a $15 million, 60,000-square-foot showroom and maintenance facility at 9010 W. Geiger Blvd., where it had planned to relocate its current facility, located at 6420 W. Broadway. 

Jolt Development also played an important role in securing the development of Amazon facilities in the area. 

The company, along with West Plains Development LLC, sold five parcels of land to Boston-based real estate investment company CF Hippolyta Spokane LLC for $4 million in 2019. The land was developed into an Amazon Fulfillment Center, at 10010 W. Geiger Road.

KW Distribution Center, a proposed project located at 1528 S. Hayford Road, in Airway Heights, involves 41,800 square feet of space on nearly 30 acres of land south of the Cyrus O’Leary’s Pies production plant. The project is slated for development this year.

Wealth Hospitality Group LLC, a Ridgeland, Mississippi-based construction company, is proposing a dual-branded four-story Home2 Suites by Hilton and Tru by Hilton hotel on the West Plains, which will include 168 rooms.