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Restaurant industry outlook improves, survey says

Most operators reported that same-store sales increased in February

April 12, 2012

Bolstered by positive same-store sales, traffic results, and an optimistic outlook among restaurant operators, the National Restaurant Association's restaurant performance index remained above 100 for the fourth consecutive month in February. RPI,

Statewide travel mag launches

Scenic Washington plans print edition that interacts with mobile technology

April 12, 2012

A new magazine named Scenic Washington State has started up to promote versatile travel planning in the state. Scenic Washington is an interactive glossy travel magazine that's designed to work in tandem with ScenicWA.com to assist savvy in says

Visitor spending in Spokane area declines, though not as much as feared

Drop in activity in '11, however, wasn't as precipitous as industry leaders expected

April 12, 2012

Treva Lind

Overall visitor spending in Spokane County declined in 2011 compared with the previous year, preliminary numbers show. Even so, Visit Spokane President and CEO Cheryl Kilday says the organization expected a drop in activity, and the numbers proved

Post Falls hotelier Rocky Mountain Hospitality grows through value acquisitions

Rocky Mountain concern saw opportunity during downturn

April 12, 2012

Mike McLean

Rocky Mountain Hospitality LLC, a Post Falls-based hotel operator with eight properties in Idaho and Montana, has grown steadily since buying a modest hotel in Coeur d'Alene and moving its base to North Idaho in 2004. At that time, it had two in

Vacation, investment home sales surge, NAR data show

National statistics say niche markets grow as other activity declines

April 12, 2012

Sales of investment and vacation homes jumped last year, with the combined market share rising to the highest level since 2005, according to the National Association of Realtors.The association's 2012 Investment and Vacation Home Buyers Survey,

City, mayor streamline permit process

April 12, 2012

Addressing a longtime sore point for some developers, the city of Spokane says it's launching an improved commercial permit process that's designed to provide customers with more timely and predictable service.In a press release announcing the a

Rendering courtesy of Waste Management of Spokane

Waste Management gears up for regional recycling - Art only

April 12, 2012

Waste Management of Spokane has begun constructing an $18 million recycling facility, on the West Plains. Called the Spokane Materials & Recycling Technology Center, the envisioned 8-acre, 62,000-square-foot facility, at 2902 W. Geiger Blvd., is to

Blew's lands $6.3 million in jobs outside Spokane

Projects involve Puyallup high school skills center, Yakima library building

April 12, 2012

Treva Lind

Blew's Construction Inc., of Spokane Valley, has won a $5.1 million contract to convert an old grocery store building in Puyallup, Wash., into a vocational-technical high school skills center. Separately, the contractor is in the midst of a $1.2

Concrete concern changes alignment under Oldcastle

April 12, 2012

Mike McLean

Central Pre-Mix Prestress Co., a Spokane Valley-based manufacturer of prestressed concrete building products, has changed its affiliation to another company within the Atlanta-based Oldcastle Inc. family of companies.Oldcastle Precast Inc., a of

Bids come in for $800,000 worth of airport upgrades

Work includes re-roof job at Felts, improvements to SIA parking garage lights

April 12, 2012

Chey Scott

The Spokane Airport Board has received construction contract bids for two separate projects totaling just over $800,000 that are expected to take place later this spring and summer at Spokane International Airport and at Felts Field.Power City a