Washington Trust Bank is considering relocating a South Hill bank branch across the street from its current location.

The City of Spokane Planning and Development department held a predevelopment conference with bank representatives last month to discuss the project. The proposal would include moving the current Washington Trust at 611 E. 31th to 3103 S. Grand Blvd., which is the developed lot just south of the branch’s current location, an initial site plan shows.

Tami Palmquist, an associate planner with the city, says five homes and two commercial structures currently occupy that lot. It isn’t clear yet whether Washington Trust Bank—which doesn’t own the land—will apply for a building permit, or what would become of those existing structures, Palmquist says.

“At this point, I don’t think they are contemplating taking any action this year,” she says.

A preliminary site plan submitted with the predevelopment conference application shows the new bank branch would have about 3,000 square feet of floor space, with three drive-thru lanes, landscaping, and lighting based on city standards. 

The early estimated construction cost of the project is $500,000 to $800,000, the predevelopment application says.

Russ Wolfe, of Wolfe Architectural Group PS, is listed as the tentative project architect. “It’s really a paper project at this point. Washington Trust Bank is merely exploring if this is something that can be done,” Wolfe says.

The preliminary site plan submitted with the predevelopment conference application shows the branch building on the south end of the lot and a space for a future restaurant on the north end of the lot, which is on the east side of Grand Boulevard and also borders 31st and 32nd avenues.

Palmquist says at this point, any potential restaurant structure likely would be built after the bank is constructed.

Predevelopment is an optional stage of the city’s planning process that aims to identify potential obstacles a project might face before an applicant files for building permits.