Tightening credit and a cooling real estate market are the main drivers behind a 12 percent rise in foreclosures in Spokane County in 2007, although local observers say the higher foreclosure numbers here still would be the envy of much of the on a

Acme Machine Works Inc., a Spokane Valley company that designs and builds huge pieces of equipment for the aluminum industry, has spent nearly $2 million to double its floor space and also plans to hire additional workers.Dennis McManus, who a

Spokane Countys commute-trip-reduction program has outperformed all others in the state, but still has fallen well short of the state-mandated programs lofty original goals, says Aurora Crooks, the program director here. Now, those goals to

Demand for retail space in most of the Spokane area continues to be strong, while vacancy rates for office and industrial space are shrinking at a moderate pace, real estate market observers here say.One of the brightest spots in an annual fall

A Spokane development company has applied for permits to build an $18.2 million, 144-unit apartment complex south of Indian Canyon Golf Course, on Sunset Hill, city records show.Those plans, however, may now be on hold, says Spokane attorney on

Two companies are spending an estimated $1 million each on competitive proposals to win the right to design and construct Spokane Countys planned $115 million waste-water treatment plant, then operate the facility under a contract that could be a

Despite a steep slowdown in the residential real estate market in Kootenai County, the economy there is expected to remain strong in 2008, especially in terms of commercial, retail, and tourism growth.Jonathan Coe, president and general manager

Residential real estate sales here are expected to ebb again in 2008, though the market likely will post respectable numbers given that the declines would be from a very solid 2007, industry observers say. The outlook for the commercial market next

Contractors and industry observers here say theyre optimistic about the construction market in 2008, despite having seen building permit volumes fall sharply this year overall.Values for permits issued during the first 10 months of 2007 in of

Michael Miner and Kathryn Hapke-Miner are changing the idea of re-gifting from a social taboo to an environmentally friendly cause. To this Spokane couple, however, re-gifting is all about the wrapping, not whats inside the their company, the