A subsidiary of real estate development company Greenstone Corp. plans to construct a five-building apartment complex with a total of 47 dwelling units in the River District south of the Spokane River in Liberty Lake, preliminary plans on file with the city show.

The plans have passed initial environmental muster with the city's planning and building department, and the subsidiary, Rivercrossing LLC, of Liberty Lake, hopes to begin construction this year, the documents say.

An environmental review of such a project is required before the developer can submit a building-permit application.

Project representatives couldn't be reached for comment.

The apartment complex, to be called The Courtyard at River District, would be developed on 3 acres of land near the northwest corner of Bitterroot Street and Bitterroot Lane, just north of the Bitterroot Lodge apartment complex, which was constructed in 2008 and 2009.

The property is vacant and undeveloped, although some of it is used for agricultural purposes. It's zoned for mixed residential land uses. The development would include a public road that would connect to Bitterroot Street, plans say.

Rocky Hill Homes LLC, of Liberty Lake, another Greenstone affiliate, would be the contractor on the project, and Nystrom Olson Architecture, of Spokane, designed it, plans say.

The plans don't list a project value, but say it would include two- and three-story structures similar to nearby residential development, the closest of which is the 228-unit Bitterroot Lodge apartment complex.

Units there are listed on Greenstone's website for monthly rents ranging from $755 for a one-bedroom, 800-square-foot unit to $1,115 for a three-bedroom, 1,200-square-foot unit.

Land to the east, west, and north of the project site also is vacant, although the plans say Rivercrossing has an option to buy land near the project site and that development likely will occur in areas next to it.

The River District is a 900-acre development that lies north of Interstate 90 and south of the Spokane River.

Greenstone also is developing the Meadowwood Technology Center, in Liberty Lake; the Kendall Yards urban village northwest of downtown Spokane; and several other residential developments in Spokane and Kootenai counties.