Mike McLean

JC Wright Lighting owner plans building east of downtown Spokane

Value of project on Third estimated at $1.3 million

April 27, 2017

The owner of a Spokane lighting sales company plans to develop a $1.3 million, 10,800-square-foot office building east of downtown. Doug Wright, owner JC of Wright Lighting Sales Inc., says he hopes construction will start in May on the two-story JC Wrig

Space studies blast off at North Idaho STEM Charter Academy

North Idaho STEM Academy to send own satellite into orbit

April 13, 2017

Mike McLean

Students at North Idaho STEM Charter Academy, in Rathdrum, have started up their own space program, dubbed Project DaVinci, and they hope to inspire excitement among younger people around the world about science, technology, engineering, and math-and sp

Inland Capital to start its first private equity fund

Private lender hopes to raise $50 million; will launch fund next month

April 13, 2017

Mike McLean

Since its launch in 2008, Inland Capital LLC, a Spokane-based private money lender, has grown its total annual loan volume to $30 million, as of year-end 2016. Now, the company plans to start its first private equity fund this spring with a goal of raisi

Wheatland Bank expands its mortgage division

30 percent increase in total staff anticipated this year

April 13, 2017

Mike McLean

Spokane-based Wheatland Bank has expanded its mortgage division downtown. The home loan division, led by Troy Sims, senior vice president and director of residential lending services, has a team of 15, including six residential lenders and support staff,

Lincoln Center returns to its roots as church venue

True Hope buys complex to serve growing assembly

April 13, 2017

Mike McLean

True Hope Church, a Spokane-based Assemblies of God church, has bought for $2.6 million the Lincoln Center, at 1316 N. Lincoln, where True Hope has consolidated its South Hill and North Side operations, says Ryan Layton, a commercial real estate broker in

Cheney credit union develops West Plains branch

Membership has expanded 17 percent since early 2013

April 13, 2017

Mike McLean

Cheney Federal Credit Union has started construction on its second branch, which will be located at the south corner of Westbow Boulevard and Aero Road, near the Interstate 90-Medical Lake interchange, says JoAn Sanders, CEO of the credit union. The 2,70

Oil, coal train measure aims for ballot

Some call initiative illegal, worry about taxpayer cost

April 13, 2017

Mike McLean

One proposed ballot initiative that would put restrictions on oil and coal shipments via railroad through Spokane for public safety reasons is in the signature-gathering process, while another that sought to ban such shipments outright by codifying people

Extended-stay hotel opens after long renovation

Old Solar World complex rehabbed over two years

April 13, 2017

Mike McLean

Lee Carney, principal and general manager at Turning Leaf Townhomes extended-stay lodging on Spokane's North Side, says the facility is now fully operational after two years of room-by-room rehabilitation of the former Solar World Estates complex. Turn

Kootenai County building industry riding surge

Health care-related projects top high-profile construction

March 30, 2017

Mike McLean

High-profile construction projects valued at more than $210 million are planned or under way this year in Kootenai County, which has been seeing a steady surge in construction over the last few years. Multiyear residential developments potentially exceedi

Construction momentum rolling here in 2017

Industry builds on strong permit year

March 30, 2017

Mike McLean

Coming off a year in which projects valued at well over $1 billion were issued building permits throughout Spokane County, 2017 is looking to be a strong construction year. A sampling of larger Spokane-area projects underway and planned this year totals