A Spokane development company is planning a multi-building retail center surrounding the Barney’s Harvest Foods in south Spokane Valley.

To be called Ponderosa Village, the project will involve construction of five new buildings with roughly 25,500 square feet of space on 5 acres of land surrounding the grocery store at 11205 E. Dishman-Mica Road, says Rex Anderson, principal at Spokane-based Fusion Architecture PLLC.

Clyde Haase, of Spokane-based Haase Landscape Inc., is serving as project manager and planner for Ponderosa Village. He says the project cost is estimated at between $5 million and $6 million.

Haase says the final project cost will depend on tenant mix and other factors.

Anderson is designing the project for Spokane-based Tuntland Enterprises LLC, which owns both the grocery store and Ponderosa Village LLC, the company that’s developing the commercial complex.

The developer is seeking community comment to help determine what area residents would like to see in the new space, Anderson says.

Currently in the design phase, the new buildings each will have 4,000 square feet to 6,000 square feet of space. They will be built on the perimeter of the parcel surrounding the existing 33,300-square-foot supermarket, which has a True Value Co. hardware store within it, says Anderson.

Each building will include space for three to six tenants, he says. In addition to those buildings, the Ponderosa Village project will involve construction of new parking lots and new landscaping.

Anderson says the buildings will be designed to blend with the Barney’s Harvest Food and other existing architecture in the area.

“This is something the owners want to fit in the community as opposed to stand out,” he says.

Anderson describes the existing Barney’s store as “anchored in the community.”

“The store has been in the community for a long time, and they just want to grow and help foster what’s already been there,” he says.

No tenants have signed on yet, he says.

Haase says project workers will send out about 8,900 flyers and questionnaires asking what residents in nearby ZIP codes would like to see in those tenant spaces, and the initial community input phase will end in early January.

Haase says a new turn lane will be constructed on Dishman-Mica Road to serve the development.

Anderson says, “The intent is for this development to be integrated into the community. That’s why they’re taking the effort to seek the feedback from the community to help drive who inhabits these buildings.”

Several residents already have expressed interest in food-related tenants, such as sit-down restaurants, bakeries, or delis, he says.

The project hasn’t gone to bid yet, so no general contractor has been selected, and a full construction schedule hasn’t been set yet.

Anderson says construction is expected to begin next spring. The five structures will most likely be built individually, depending on community response and tenant demand.

Tuntland Enterprises previously owned the land Barney’s Harvest Foods occupies. The company purchased a remaining half-acre of land that had been occupied by T&J’s Pour House Tavern. Demolition of the tavern started  Wednesday, Dec. 20, Anderson says.

He says Ponderosa Village is expected to be entirely funded through Tuntland Enterprises, although a bank has agreed to provide financing if needed.

Tuntland Enterprises LLC owns two other Barney’s Harvest Foods stores, one in Pinehurst, Idaho, and another in Orofino, Idaho.

Harvest Foods stores are part of a supermarket chain with outlets in Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Oregon, he says. Stores under separate ownership in Eastern Washington include Denny’s Harvest Foods, in Medical Lake; Mitchell’s Harvest Foods, in Cheney; Ritzville Harvest Foods, in Ritzville; and Trent Harvest Foods, in Spokane.

(UPDATED with confirmed information about the tavern demolition at 10:04 a.m. Pacific, 12/22/17)