Spokane multifamily permit numbers are up in several categories this year compared to the first seven months of 2025, according to the city's latest monthly permit report.

Through July, the city has permitted 27 multifamily development permits of three or more units in size. Altogether, 561 housing units have been approved within multifamily developments between January and July this year, according to the city’s July 2026 Building Permit Activity Summary.

The year-to-date total through July is the third-highest number of multifamily units permitted through July in over 20 years, says Ryan Thompson, performance and business analyst for the city of Spokane’s Development Services Center.

“We’re still seeing some continued interest in multifamily in the city,” he says. “Spokane is growing, and we’re getting more densely populated.”

In the first seven months of 2025, the city permitted 17 multifamily projects featuring three or more units, for a total of 324 units, according to the permit activity report. This year, permitted multifamily housing units from January to July have grown 77% for buildings of five or more units and are up 23% for three- or four-unit apartment buildings, compared to last year.

Multifamily valuations also are up in the same time frame. Currently permitted large multifamily apartment projects are valued over $110 million, up 57% from $71 million from January to July 2025, according to the report. 

“For anything that’s three- to four-units and above ... it’s been a pretty good year so far,” Thompson says.

No mixed-use buildings have been permitted in the first seven months of the year, according to the permit report. 

Some larger, more expensive multifamily developments have been permitted since April, which is why permit numbers have increased this year, Thompson says.

The top-10 highest valued multifamily projects in plan review by the city at the end of July 2026 have a combined value of $160 million and a total of 630 units, according to the report.

Other large multifamily projects in plan review include The Vistas Townhomes project, part of the broader Beacon Hills development; Hatch Gardens, at 819 S. Hatch; the Peyton Building residential renovation, at 10 N. Post; The Crest at Riverview Apartments, at 1777 E. Upriver Drive; Riverpoint Multifamily, at 643 N. Riverpoint; Bethany Apartments, at 2607 N. Ray; the Avey Townhomes, at 7724 N. Austin; the Cancer Can’t Lodging Facility, at 1404 W. Mallon; and The Threshold, at 727 E. Hartson.

The largest project under plan review is the $71 million Kendall Yards Podium mixed-use multifamily development, at 1175 W. Summit, in Spokane. That project consists of 200 units throughout six floors, at a property located at the southeast end of Spokane's Kendall Yards neighborhood.

In all, over 800 multifamily units are in the pipeline for permit issuance in Spokane, Thompson says.

“I think we’ll have a good year coming up,” he contends. “I’ve done my rough estimates, and (we could) hit around 900 units permitted this year.”

The month of July has been active, as the city has permitted seven apartment building projects of three or more units, for 182 total residential units, the permit report shows. Compared to the year-earlier month, when the city issued zero permits for three- to four-unit buildings, and four permits for projects of five or more units, for a total of 30 units.

Major projects permitted by the city this year include the 82-unit, $42 million The Heights, at Riverview Retirement Community's campus at 1841 E. Upriver Drive, issued in July. Spokane-based Bouten Construction Co. and Bellevue, Washington-based Wattenbarger Architecture Inc. PS are the contractor and designer, of the four-story retirement community building, the Journal previously reported.

Another large multifamily development, NODO Normandie, has been in development since 2024, according to permit information. In April, the city of Spokane issued several building permits to owner NODO Spokane LLC, of Spokane, for the 236-unit, $37 million project located on two city blocks at 115 and 127 W. Mission, permit information shows.

River Family Haven Complex, planned by Catholic Charities of Eastern Washington as part of a collaboration between the organization and the Salish School of Spokane, also helped buoy permitting totals this year. The 72-unit, $21 million project is under development on a 3-acre parcel at 2720 W. Elliott Court. The Salish School of Spokane is planning an eight-classroom school with associated office and conference spaces, and a cultural and recreational community center on the remaining half of the property, the Journal previously reported. 

*Project update

A predevelopment application to demolish the former Peking North Chinese restaurant at 4120 N. Division and erect a new pho restaurant has been submitted to the city of Spokane, permit information on file with the city shows. 

The project, dubbed Pho Van Restaurant, calls for a new 6,300-square-foot restaurant and 21 parking spaces. Preliminary site plans show 216 total seats, a 4,400-square-foot dining room, and a 1,900-square-foot kitchen.

Upon completion, an existing Pho Van restaurant, operating at 2909 N. Division, will be relocated to the new building, a representative of the restaurant says.

Spokane-based Twin Investments LLC owns the property and purchased the land in March 2025 for $1.2 million, tax information on file with the Washington State Department of Revenue shows.

Spokane Valley-based Russell C. Page Architects PS submitted the predevelopment application and associated site plans to the city.