Construction activity in Spokane County is expected to remain steady in 2026 while the industry faces uncertainty around interest rates, tariffs, and workforce shortages, industry experts say.

Interest rates and affordability have been major factors in stagnant commercial and residential real estate markets in Spokane and Kootenai counties this year, according to some industry experts.

As financial institutions look ahead to 2026, Inland Northwest banking leaders say the industry enters the new year with cautious optimism, steady deposit growth, and persistent affordability challenges that continue to shape the behavior of members and customers.

Many U.S. businesses are bracing for the sharpest rise in health care costs in more than a decade, with employer coverage costs expected to jump nearly 10%, says Melissa Koontz, senior vice president, employee benefits at the Spokane office of Alliant Insurance Services Inc.

Glyciome LLC, a biotech startup developing microbiome-based genital health products, has moved a major portion of its federally funded clinical trials away from Harvard Medical School and into the Inland Northwest.

To meet increasing demand, Northern Idaho Advanced Care Hospital has converted and relicensed 17 beds from long-term acute care to inpatient medical rehabilitation as part of a joint venture between Albuquerque, New Mexico-based Ernest Health and Coeur d’Alene-based Kootenai Health.

A quiet and persistent crisis has taken hold across the American health care landscape. Hospitals and health systems — already stretched thin on both resources and resilience — are facing a structural fragility that short-term fixes can no longer mask. 

Palisades Christian Academy is planning a new $2.2 million early learning center.

Wilmington, Delaware-based GenJet Inc. plans to start work in spring 2026 on a $1.2 million townhome development in Spokane's East Central neighborhood, located at 1728 E. Hartson, immediately south of the Liberty Park Aquatic Center, company representatives say.

Construction is underway on a new warehouse and office building for Spokane-based trucking company S. R. Sicilia Inc.