New owners of the former Redemption Church building, at 212 S. Division, are proposing a conversion project that will revamp the church into office and retail space, according to a change of use permit application under review with the city of Spokane.  

The former church building, located at the southwest corner of a heavily traveled intersection at Second Avenue and Division Street, was purchased for $850,000 on Sept. 3 by Spokane-based SDS Division LLC from Redemption Church of Spokane Inc., a Washington state Department of Revenue real estate excise tax affidavit shows. 

Dignified Workday LLC, a Spokane-based nonprofit that provides low-barrier jobs for people experiencing homelessness, will occupy space in the updated building following the completion of parking lot improvements that are currently underway at the site. 

Steve Schmautz, owner of SDS Division and Spokane-based real estate company SDS Realty, co-founded Dignified Workday with his wife, Tresa Schmautz in January 2024 in partnership with Spokane-based Career Path Services.

Steve Schmautz also is the contractor for the improvement project, permit information shows. 

The scope of the project includes the installation of new security fences on the perimeter of the parking lot and the addition of a new retaining wall on the southern boundary, that will add 10 feet of parking space. Fire-rated doors also will be installed in the church building. The project is valued at an estimated $100,000, according to permit information.

The 18,400-square-foot structure has two stories above grade and a partial floor below with a footprint of 9,200 square feet. About 3,900 square feet of inside the building is proposed for office use, 4,100 square feet of space is proposed for retail use, and 1,300 square feet will be used for storage. 

The parking lot project is expected to be completed in the next two months, says Robbie Bernardin Jr., associate general manager at SDS Realty who helps assist with Dignified Workday. Future renovations to the former church property are in the planning stage.

Dignified Workday currently occupies office space at 1711 E. Trent, in Spokane's East Central neighborhood, but the site isn't large enough to meet all of the organization's needs, says Bernardin.

“(Dignified Workday) needs more space. The Trent shop is real small,” Bernardin says. He adds that the organization will continue to occupy the office on Trent Avenue, "but they really wanted more space where they could grow their operations, as well as something more central.”

As previously reported in the Journal, Dignified Workday works with businesses and municipalities such as the city of Spokane on construction and maintenance projects including street cleaning, interior demolition, landscaping, and snow removal. The organization employs over 70 work crew members who are experiencing homelessness and instability, according to its website.

About half a mile west of Redemption Church, Bernardin says the Schmautzes also own the Collins Apartments at 701 W. Second. The historic three-story brick building has been renovated to office suites on the first floor and residential units on the second and third floors. Of 43 residential units, 16 units are reserved for people involved with Dignified Workday.

“A lot of the folks that work with Dignified Workday, many of them live around here in temporary shelters or in Catholic Charities housing,” he adds. “Some are fully unhoused. Most of them are getting into some sort of transitional housing at this point. But the goal was they need more space.”

Project Update

The former Thai Bamboo restaurant property at 12722 E. Sprague in Spokane Valley, has been purchased by Spokane Valley-based investment company Prolific LLC.

Prolific purchased the 11,400-square-foot property Oct. 1 for $325,000, according to a real estate excise tax affidavit on file with the Washington state Department of Revenue. 

The property is being held as an investment, and while specific details aren't yet available, it will eventually be renovated into a new restaurant, Prolific owner Edith Corson says.

Edith Corson and Donald Corson, both psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioners, currently own and operate Spokane Valley-based Greenacres Residential Care, a 16-unit long-term care and behavioral support facility.

The Spokane Valley Thai Bamboo location closed in July 2023 after sustaining exterior damage due to high winds.

Mark McLees, a broker with Spokane-based Black Commercial Inc., which does business as NAI Black, and Jeff Johnson, president of NAI Black, handled the transaction, McLees says.

The property was sold by Spokane-based Korbin Holdings LLC. Thomas and Matavee Burgess, who own Korbin Holdings, also own the Thai Bamboo restaurant chain.

The former Thai Bamboo location at 12722 E. Sprague was the first Thai Bamboo opened — opening its doors in 2001, according to the restaurant chain's website. The Matavees own two locations in Spokane and one in Coeur d’Alene.