Real estate affordability has been a top concern in Spokane and Kootenai counties this year for both the commercial and residential markets, and high costs are expected to persist in the new year.

A burst of construction activity in the beginning of the year has given way to a development slowdown that's projected to stabilize at a slower rate in 2025.

Construction of Spokane’s next dog park is expected to begin in mid-2025 and wrap up two to three months later.

Clearwater Paper Corp. is planning a $4 million tenant improvement project at the company's headquarters in the Bank of America business center at 601 W. Riverside, in downtown Spokane.

Kimco Realty Corp. is planning the interior renovation of a 22,800-square-foot vacant retail space, at 5630 N. Division, in the Franklin Park Commons shopping center on Spokane's North Side.

Spokane area apartment vacancy rates are returning to normal this year as multifamily construction projects wrap up and add new units to the housing supply, however affordability concerns are still straining the market, some market observers here say. 

The need for cardiovascular care is growing, and the planned renovation of Providence Heart Institute is expected to help meet that demand.

The Davenport Lusso is undergoing a rebrand, complete with a name change and a multimillion-dollar renovation project.

Ed Walker will retire from his 32-year career in construction on Jan. 1.