Special Report

Medical Lake hospital plans upgrades worth $1.7 million

Spokane contractors' jobs include security system, campus facility updates

January 17, 2013

Eastern State Hospital, the state-run inpatient psychiatric facility at Medical Lake, has selected two contractors for three separate upgrade projects valued at a combined total of at least $1.7 million.Meridian Construction Inc., of Spokane was

Spalding concern acquires former furniture store site

New owner envisions ground floor retail space, upper-level living units

January 17, 2013

Mike McLean

Richmond & Bickett LLC, a development company headed by Spokane artist and commercial property owner Dan Spalding, has bought for $400,000 two downtown buildings that had been occupied by furniture stores for more than 75 years.The structures, a

Musselman sees growth in heavy equipment rentals

Company with facility here widens its service delivery to follow contractors' jobs

January 17, 2013

Treva Lind

Since its $5 million Liberty Lake building opened in 2011, Musselman Rentals & Sales has attracted some clients who have spontaneously stopped in their travels after seeing the facility and lineup of heavy equipment visible from Interstate 90.The

Nonprofit here set to begin two senior housing projects

Values total $10 million for construction at Valley, lower South Hill locations

January 17, 2013

Mike McLean

Spokane-based Community Frameworks expects to start construction by spring on two low-income senior housing projects with a total value of $10 million, says Chris Venne, the nonprofit's finance director.One project will be the $4 million, Park a

Kootenai County impact fees sent back to drawing board

Commissioner Green cites 'problematic' collections for smaller jurisdictions

January 17, 2013

Mike McLean

Less than a year after approving development impact fees, Kootenai County commissioners have suspended them for up to 18 months, during which time they hope either to come up with a better system to collect the fees or to repeal them the fees were

DOT continues to pick up properties

Yet-to-be-completed land purchases along North Spokane Corridor route said to total $130 million

January 17, 2013

Jessica Valencia

The Washington State Department of Transportation has roughly $130 million worth of unfunded right-of-way land purchases yet to complete, aside from far larger remaining construction costs, before it can finish the North Spokane Corridor, says Al

Construction spending up mostly in '12

Activity dropped slightly in November, but showed gain for year, AGG says

January 17, 2013

Associated General Contractors of America

Construction spending dipped from October to November, but resolution of the uncertainty regarding federal taxes for 2013 should unleash more private construction investment, according to an analysis of new federal data released this month by the a

Title company Turnaround

Increasing real estate sales, some new construction contributing to rebound

January 17, 2013

Mike McLean

Title companies expect to see continued business growth in the Spokane-Coeur d'Alene area on the heels of a turnaround year that followed a protracted market decline, sources here say.Anthony Carollo, president of Stewart Title of Spokane Inc.,

Timber industry assisted by the rallying housing market

December 20, 2012

The wood products market is showing signs of recovery in the coming year, due in part to an uptick in new home construction in the second half of 2012.Shawn Church, editor of Eugene, Ore.-based Random Lengths, a publication that tracks lumber 34

Prices, demand for most ag products to remain strong

December 20, 2012

Most agricultural producers in the Inland Northwest had a strong year that will spill over into 2013, including a successful wheat crop and high wheat prices—and a trend toward growing more chick peas to meet consumer demand.However, face a