Spokane United Methodist Homes, which does business as Rockwood Retirement Communities, has submitted initial building-permit documents to the city of Spokane for its proposed $90 million expansion and renovation project on its South Hill campus.

The project, if approved, will include erecting a new 10-story apartment tower, renovating the seven-story apartment tower that was built in 1960, and constructing a new parking lot at the campus at 2903 E. 25th, in the Lincoln Heights neighborhood, documents filed with the city recently show.

Rockwood's South Hill campus has 210 full- and part-time employees and expects to hire 32 additional employees after the expansion, plans say. Spokane United Methodist Homes also owns Rockwood at Hawthorne, an 85-unit retirement campus at 101 E. Hawthorne.

Alan Curryer, Rockwood Retirement Communities' CEO, declines to comment on the South Hill project, which he says is under initial review by the city's building department. Curryer had disclosed nearly a year ago that Rockwood was considering the project. Since then, Rockwood has held several open houses to collect comments on it.

While the plans don't say when construction is expected to begin, they list a projected occupancy date of November 2011. Joe Wizner, the city's building official, says work on the parking lot and the project infrastructure might start this summer, but he doesn't expect building renovation and construction to start this year.

Wizner says city personnel planned to meet this week with Rockwood representatives to discuss the project.

The project is planned to be done in three phases. The first phase would include constructing a nearly 1-acre parking lot northeast of The Ridge, Rockwood's original 105-unit apartment building formerly known as Rockwood Manor, plans say.

The Ridge would be updated in the second phase of construction, plans say. Work there would include renovating common areas and dining rooms, converting six living units on the ground floor into a wellness center, and replacing the central heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system. Curryer had said previously that the wellness center would include a fitness room, an aerobics area, and a swimming pool.

The Ridge tower renovations also would include updating its exterior to give it the same appearance as that of the planned new tower, which would be constructed in the third phase, plans say.

The new tower, to be called The Summit, would be a 10-story, 93-unit apartment structure and would be located just west of The Ridge, plans say.

A parking garage would be demolished to make room for The Summit, which would have eight floors of living units, and two floors of underground parking. Work would include constructing an indoor plaza that would connect the two towers and house shared amenities, including dining venues, plans say.

Walker Construction Inc., of Spokane, is to be the contractor on the project, and Spokane-based NAC/Architecture and New York-based Perkins Eastman Architects PC designed it.

The 90-acre Rockwood South Hill campus also includes a total of 165 duplex units and single-family homes.

Separately, Rockwood and Community Frameworks, another Spokane-based nonprofit, are developing Appleway Court, a $6.7 million, 38-unit, low-income senior housing complex at 221 S. Farr Road, in Spokane Valley. Kop Construction Co., of Spokane, is the contractor on that project, which is expected to be completed by next spring, and Zeck Butler Architects PS, of Spokane, designed it.