Spokane-based weekly newspaper Pacific Northwest Inlander says it's moving this week to the 10,000-square-foot fourth floor of the Hutton Building, at 9 S. Washington, downtown, from smaller quarters it had leased in the old Spokane Area Chamber of Commerce building.

The newspaper has occupied about 8,000 square feet of office space in the former chamber building, located at 1020 W. Riverside and also known as the Civic Building, since Oct. 2001.

Ted S. McGregor Jr., the Inlander's editor and publisher, says the Hutton Building will be the newspaper's fifth location since it began publishing in 1993.

The newspaper's circulation and revenue didn't stop growing during the recession, McGregor says.

"In 2010, we had sales growth of 3 percent, and we think we're poised to continue to grow," he says.

The paper's staff includes 36 full-time employees, McGregor says. "We've added two or three people in the last couple of years, and we have the biggest editorial staff we've ever had," he says.

Spokane developer Rob Brewster, who owns the building and heads Spokane-based ConoverBond Inc., says he's optimistic the Inlander's move is indicative of the start of an economic-growth trend here that will lead to an improved commercial real estate market, he says, adding that the Hutton Building has about 25,000 square feet of retail and office space available for lease.

Current tenants there include the Spokane office of Seattle-based mechanical and energy-efficiency contractor McKinstry Co.; Novato, Calif.-based employee background screener Reference Pro.Net Inc.; and Thinking Cap Communications & Design Inc., a Spokane advertising and graphic design company.

Cody George, a commercial real estate agent with Spokane-based Kiemle & Hagood Co., is marketing remaining vacant space in the Hutton Building.

Meantime, as the Journal reported earlier, the Spokane Club, which owns the Civic Building, has listed that three-story, 20,000-square-foot structure for sale for $1.3 million.

The Inlander had occupied the main and mezzanine levels, and the lower two levels were already vacant.

The club bought the building adjacent to its five-story main facility in 1997, when the chamber, which now operates under the name Greater Spokane Incorporated, moved to 801 W. Riverside, but decided last year it doesn't need the space.

Mike Livingston, of Kiemle & Hagood, says some prospective buyers have shown interest in the Civic Building, but no sale is imminent.