A storm drainage extension project at 4221 S. Regal and 2900 E. 42nd, just northwest of a Maverik gas station and a Mister Car Wash facility on Spokane’s South Hill, is temporarily halted but nearing completion, according to information from the city of Spokane.

The two lots, both vacant, are owned by the estate of Harlan Douglass, the prominent Spokane developer who died in 2023, according to permit information. Construction at the site began Aug. 28.

“The city has an easement to provide drainage for Hazel's Creek, and the property owner can't do development with that the way (drainage) is. They asked for the drainage to be put underground and empty into a swale,” says Kirstin Davis, communications manager for the city of Spokane.

Hazel's Creek Drainage & Conservation Facility is a regional stormwater management project that serves a large portion of the South Hill, according to the city of Spokane's website. The site also serves as a demonstration of several low-impact development techniques and is a passive recreation and wildlife area.

Spokane Valley-based Simpson Engineers Inc. drew up the project plans. The project is being funded by the Douglass estate, not the city, Davis says.

The scope of the project impacts 4.6-acres of land, all of which is vacant, according to information from the Spokane County Assessor's Office.

The storm drainage extension project plans include new PVC storm pipes, a rock berm on the northeast side of the site, silt fences on the northeast corner and south sides of the site, inlet grates, water conveyance ditches, and a concrete headwall, according to permit information. The new drainage system will connect to Hazel’s Creek Stormwater Facility, located directly northeast of the property.

Work is on hold due to a delay installing the headwall, or the concrete structure the stormwater drainage pipe connects to as it enters the swale, Davis says. The piece controls and directs stormwater flow to prevent erosion.

Once construction is complete, the city’s Wastewater Management Maintenance Division will inspect the project for approval, she adds. 

A representative of the estate of Harlan Douglass declines to comment on the project’s cost, timeline, or potential future developments.

The estate owns the land directly southwest of the project as well, but does not own either the Maverik or the Mister Car Wash properties. 

The project is located just north, across 44th Avenue, from the recently-completed Home Depot store, at 4515 S. Regal, which opened in June.