Spokane-based Washington Trust Bank has begun a tenant improvement project that includes a new branch and an upgraded lobby at its Washington Trust Bank Tower East building, formerly the Wells Fargo Center, at 601 W. First in downtown Spokane.

The new Washington Trust branch will be located on the building's first floor in an approximately 4,700-square-foot space previously occupied by a Wells Fargo branch.

The project also includes an update of a new west lobby space on the first floor to match the lobby space on the east side of the first floor, as well as new mechanical and electrical systems and site maintenance, according to site plans submitted to the city by Spokane-based Wolfe Architectural Group PS, the project architect.

In addition, the new branch will feature a two-lane drive-thru located in the parking structure directly south of the building, that’s scheduled for completion with the branch, says Carie Nelson, senior project manager at Washington Trust Bank.

Construction of the lobby and new branch began Sept. 29 and is expected to end in the second quarter of 2026, she adds. 

“The goal (of the renovation) is to give people more of a community feel, so if they don’t want to go outside during the winter, they can stay in the building and have a nice little spot,” she says. “Sit by the window and have a cup of coffee or have a meeting and not have to go outside.”

The former Wells Fargo suite, along with the west lobby, are currently in the demolition phase. Existing restrooms located in the northwest and northeast of the tower will also be improved.

Washington Trust Bank purchased the building for $24 million in April 2019 from Inland Northwest Health Services, Washington State tax records show. Wells Fargo remained a tenant in the building until Sept. 25, 2024 when it closed its branch, Nelson says. The space was vacated on Nov. 13, 2024 and has been vacant since that time.

The new Washington Trust branch, which will open as the Downtown Spokane Financial Center, will feature an open “pod” concept, with transactions and advising taking place at booths, around tables, and at couches.

The bank first implemented an open concept at its Pullman, Washington branch, Nelson says. The Manito branch in Spokane has a similar design.

Permit application information shows the project’s value at $2.2 million, but the true value is likely closer to $2.4 million, Nelson says.

“We used to have space in three or four other buildings around us, and it was like, ‘OK, we're leasing space here, and we're leasing space here, and we’re leasing space there,’” she says. “Let's find a way to keep us in close proximity and bring all of our employees together in more of a campus style and then continue to support downtown.”

The general contractor is Associated Construction Inc., of Spokane, Nelson says. Other design team members include Coeur d'Alene-based Hatch Interior Design LLC, which does business as Hatch Interiors; LandTek LLC, of Spokane; the Spokane office of DCI Engineers; and Spokane-based MW Consulting Engineers PS, which does business as MW Engineers, according to site plan information.

The total area under construction is about 6,100 square feet and includes the bank area and the west lobby, according to permit information. The building’s total footprint, of 12,400 square feet, will not change.

The first-floor café Brews Bros Coffee Bar & Bistro and the east lobby both will remain open during the renovations, with a temporary wall separating the café and the construction site. The west lobby and elevators are closed for the improvement project.

Tenants of the building include Randall Danskin PS, MW Engineers, and PotlatchDeltic Corp. in addition to Washington Trust Bank, which operates office space on several floors of the building.

Washington Trust Bank Tower East is located south of First Avenue, about 250-feet southwest of the bank's headquarters at 717 W. Sprague.

Project Update

Tapa Spokane LLC’s $2.5 million three-warehouse expansion of Tapa Business Park East in Spokane Valley, dubbed Tapa Business Park North Barker, is expected to be finished and ready for its first tenant this month, says owner and developer Tom Andersen.

The new buildings are designed similarly to those found at Tapa Business Park East, Andersen says. The three new warehouses are two-story structures about 8,300 square feet in size featuring 1,500 square feet of office space, according to building permit information on file with the city of Spokane Valley.

Construction began in November 2024, Andersen says. The first two buildings are planned to be ready for occupancy before Oct. 31, and the third building is expected to be completed in November, he says.

The new warehouses are located at 18713, 18809, and 18815 E. Euclid. The expansion is considered a part of Tapa Business Park East, Andersen says, which is located at 16003 E. Trent, about three miles northwest of the site.

Otis Orchards-based R.W. Gallion Inc., a granite countertop fabrication and installation company, will be moving its operations into the warehouse at 18713 E. Euclid, as soon as the structure receives a certificate of occupancy.

“Barker (Road) is getting pretty busy and we’re hoping because of the exposure, we’ll get a lot more customer traffic and walk-in traffic,” says Randy Gallion, owner of R.W. Gallion.

R.W. Gallion will pay approximately $9,000 a month, plus insurance, taxes, and operating costs for the space as part of a five-year triple-net lease, Gallion says.