The second and third floors of a 130-year-old, former hotel in downtown Spokane are being remodeled into apartments.

Nick Barnes, owner of On-Top Realty & Construction Services, says he’s part of the Howard Partners LLC ownership group that bought the three-story building at 220 N. Howard in August 2021 for nearly $1.5 million.

In total, eight two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartments will be constructed for about $1.8 million. 

Barnes says the interior of the building’s upper floors has been demolished down to the wall studs. Each floor consists of about 12,000 square feet of space.

“My understanding is when we bought it, it had been vacant since the late ’70s,” Barnes says. 

Atticus Coffee & Gifts and the Steelhead Bar & Grille restaurant occupy the building’s ground floor.

The ownership group is awaiting a change-of-use permit from the city before construction can begin on the apartment units. Barnes says he expects work to start in December, with the project to be finished with units leasing in June.

On-Top Realty is the contractor on the project. Russell C. Page Architects PS, of Spokane Valley, designed and is providing engineering services.