Spokane-based Riverview Retirement Community plans to build three memory-care duplexes at the southeast corner of North Crescent Avenue and Stone Street, east of its current facilities, according to preliminary plans filed with the city of Spokane.

The 3,700-square-foot, single-story duplexes, totaling, 11,100 square feet, will be memory care group homes on a 1.7-acre parcel at 2315 E. North Crescent. The preliminary occupancy designation indicates the buildings will house tenants who will reside on the premises full time in a supervised environment, as designated by the International Code Council. 

The International Code Council is a member-focused association that develops codes and standards used in the design, build, and compliance process.

Construction cost is estimated to be between $500,000 and $800,000.

A representative of Riverview couldn’t be reached immediately for comment.

The predevelopment application information shows the project is estimated to be complete this summer, with occupancy available by July 1. The project might be behind that schedule, however, as the application information also shows the applicant had anticipated obtaining building permits last fall. As of last week, the company hadn’t applied for building permits.

Bouten Construction Co. is the contractor on the project, says Michael O’Malley, principal architect with NAC Architecture, who did the preliminary design work for the project.

O’Malley says NAC Architecture is no longer actively involved in the project.

Bouten was also the contractor on the $7 million, 20-bed Riverview memory care facility at 1952 N. Granite that was completed last September. The 20,000-square-foot facility is located on the north edge of the Riverview campus and has several features, including an outdoor fountain, an 18-foot-long fish tank, and an edible plant wall near the dining area.

Jake Closson, project executive and senior project manager with Bouten Construction, declines to comment on the project. 

Preliminary site plans indicate the project will displace a 2,000-square-foot single-family home described in Spokane County Assessor’s records as a vintage bungalow. Plans also show new water services taps will be installed with water connection planned off North Crescent.

Assessor’s records also show a 144-square-foot, free-standing residential greenhouse and a 500-square-foot garage attached to the house. The Riverview plans don’t indicate whether the greenhouse will be removed. 

Other planned site improvements include the addition of roughly 22 parking stalls, six of which are designated as disabled parking. 

Preliminary site plans also show Riverview intends to develop another 4.5-acre parcel of undeveloped land it owns at 2308 E. Illinois, to the northeast of the community. Riverview purchased the parcel in 2003 for just under $150,000.

Charlie Tirrell, president and CEO of Riverview Retirement Community, told the Journal in September that he discovered there’s a shortage of at least 500 memory-care beds in the Spokane area and Riverview was working to create dedicated memory care facilities to fill this gap.

Riverview Retirement Community operates Riverview Terrace, Riverview Care Center, and Riverview Village, all of which are located on the nonprofit’s 32-acre campus at 1801 E. Upriver Drive. 

Riverview Retirement opened in 1959 and was founded by regional Lutheran congregations. It continues to be affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.

The most current data reported show Riverview has over 390 units, 95 of which are memory care or skilled nursing units, and roughly 300 employees.