What was once an alfalfa field on developer Cary Snow’s grandfather’s farm is now the site of construction crews and cranes.

Earlier this month, developers broke ground on the Midway Market & Fuel Station — a prelude to the $200 million Village at Midway project slated to bring hundreds of luxury apartments, restaurants, and community spaces to North Spokane.

The Midway Market & Fuel Station, a $16 million project, is envisioned as an anchor for the 28-acre site.

The 18,000-square-foot market is located at 16221 N. Hatch, on the northwest corner of the U.S. 395-Hatch Road intersection. It will feature a boutique-style grocery store, including a bistro, a meat department, and produce, setting the tone for what Snow hopes will become a full-fledged neighborhood.

The market is being developed in partnership with URM Stores Inc., the parent company of Rosauers Supermarkets, Huckleberry’s Natural Food Market, and Super 1 Foods. The gas station will feature about six pumps and will operate as a Sinclair Oil station, he says.

Mike Winger, vice president of store development for URM Stores, says the vision for a market on the Snow family's land has been at least 20 years in the making. When Snow formally began taking steps to make that vision a reality, he told the URM Stores development team his concept for the grocery was a hybrid between a Huckleberry's Market, Trader Joe's, and Whole Foods.

"Cary's vision is expanded perimeter departments like fresh produce, an expanded deli, an expanded bakery, a floral section, and a wine section," he says. "It is upscale, but competitive."

The store, which is being constructed on two acres of the 28-acre development, is expected to be completed in late summer 2026, Winger says. Snow has been working with the URM team to procure the right mix of items and services, and has hired a retail manager from a well-known national grocery store to help him build a team that will be ready to work once the market opens. Winger estimates the market will employ between 50 and 60 people.

The gas station, which is on the same lot, was designed with lake traffic in mind, Winger says. He suggests the market and gas station are an ideal stop for people heading out to Loon Lake or Deer Lake with a boat in tow.

"The fuel center is a home run," he says, adding that Snow had hired a company to do a feasibility study.

Once permits are approved, the development's centerpiece, a 665-unit luxury apartment complex called The Gem Apartments, will follow, says Snow.

The Gem Apartments complex is planned north of the Midway Market and will take up about 16 acres of land, says Snow. The development will feature 19 four-story buildings, each with 35 units, and include elevators, a clubhouse, pickleball courts, and a pool on the site.

While addresses have not yet been determined, Spokane County Assessor’s Office information shows the land where the apartments are set to rise as 16633 N. Hatch, which could change once development starts, Snow notes.

The entire development will be comparable to neighborhoods such as Kendall Yards in Spokane, or the Bella Tess community in Spokane Valley, he contends.

The contractor for the Village at Midway development is Colbert-based Kilgore Construction Inc., and Spokane-based Bernardo Wills is the designer, Snow says. Snow Development LLC is developing the Village at Midway.

Depending on demand, the remaining land at the site — about eight acres — will be reserved for multifamily housing or commercial spaces, Snow says.

“We definitely want to get a few restaurants and a drive-thru coffee, like Starbucks or Wake Up Call, or something similar,” he says. “And maybe a medical facility, such as an urgent care center. … We’re really trying to have a boutique development where we’re very selective about what goes into it.”

Snow envisions The Gem Apartments might be built out in four phases over the next several years, but did not give an exact time frame. He is considering looking for investors, he adds.

For Snow, 48, the Village at Midway is more than a development project — it’s the continuation of a family legacy that began on the land more than a century ago.

Snow’s grandfather bought the property in the 1920s, raising dairy cows and cutting alfalfa on the fields that would stay in the family for generations. Snow says he still remembers visiting his grandparents’ house for holidays, fishing trips, and baseball lessons from his grandfather, whom he describes as the "ice cream and cottage cheese guy" for Darigold.

After the farm ceased operations in the mid-90s, the land eventually became the site of development: first with the Ridge at Midway, a 180-unit apartment complex completed by Snow’s father in 2009, and now with Snow himself leading the development of the Village at Midway.

Snow launched his career in 2003, running Snow’s Auto. While operating the Spokane-based automotive accessory retail establishment, he gradually became more involved in property management and development. He eventually took over managing the family’s apartments after noticing problems with outside management companies. When his family asked him to take the lead in developing the rest of the family’s land, he agreed.

The project has been about five years in the making, he says. Initially, the development was a $155 million, 500-unit development, but he decided to change the scope of the project.

For Snow, the Village at Midway represents an ideal setting for people looking to be just outside of the urban sprawl. The property is surrounded by tree-lined hills and mountain views — a quieter background than downtown Spokane, he asserts.

“You’re not in a sea of apartments,” Snow says. “It’s quiet. It’s safe for families, safe for older people. It’s just barely out of the hustle and bustle.”