Three real estate projects worth perhaps as much as $20 million in all are under way or planned at Liberty Lake, all involving Spokane-based real estate company Janek Co.According to Janek Co. President and founder Jan Ekstrom, the three 90 that

Wells & Co., the Spokane design-build enterprise owned by Ron and Julie Wells that specializes in rehabilitating historic buildings, plans to convert several older structures just west of the Steam Plant Square complex into an office-retail center

Fred Meyer Stores Inc., of Portland, has started construction of a two-story, $20 million retail outlet at the southwest corner of Third Avenue and Thor Street in east central Spokane.Rob Boley, Portland-based spokesman for Fred Meyer, says the

Spokane-based Cominco American Inc. expects to call for bids this month on the first parts of a $70 million project to reopen the Pend Oreille zinc and lead mine near Metaline Falls, Wash., says Dave Godlewski, an environmental manager for Cominco

Northwest Regional Facilitators, a Spokane nonprofit organization, plans to begin building its third adjacent affordable housing apartment complex in the Spokane Valley next month.The planned 25-unit complex, which is to be called Hidden Pines,

AirPol Inc., a Parsippany, N.J.-based subsidiary of MPM Technologies Inc., of Spokane, has entered into a joint marketing agreement with USX Engineers & Consultants Inc., a subsidiary of big Pittsburgh-based USX Corp.Separately, MPM Technologies

Crown West Realty LLC, of Spokane, has bought a former Itron Inc. office-and-manufacturing facility and adjoining land in the Spokane Business & Industrial Park, Crown West President Richard Rollnick says.Crown West, which owns the 600-acre has

Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the giant Bentonville, Ark.-based retail chain, is looking to expand its store in the Spokane Valley into a supercenter store that would carry groceries, in addition to its typical mix of general merchandise.Wal-Mart has an

Central Valley School District has selected Lydig Construction Inc., of Spokane, to build the planned new University High School in the Spokane Valley.Dave Jackman, the school districts director of auxiliary services, says the project, near of

Helen Givens grew up not far from the Oregon coast, became a competitive swimmer at an early age, dreamed as a child about being a mermaid, and developed a lasting appreciation for aquatic life.Given such a background, its not surprising that