Hanger Inc., a national provider of prosthetic and orthotic products and related patient services, plans to move its Spokane clinic to the medical district on Spokane’s lower South Hill, says Don Meng, the clinic’s manager.

The Austin, Texas-based company has started tenant improvements at the former Apple Spice Junction Deli & Catering site, at 514 S. Washington.

Meridian Construction Inc., of Spokane Valley, is the contractor on Hanger’s $200,000 tenant-improvement project, which includes constructing interior walls and ceilings; installing doors, fixtures, and equipment; and upgrading mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems.

CTA Architects Engineers, of Austin, designed the project and is providing engineering services for it.

Mark D’Agostino, owner of Meridian Construction, says the remodel project will be completed by the end of August, and Hanger is scheduled to occupy the space by Sept. 1.

The clinic will move there from its current location at 124 E. Pacific, downtown. 

The 4,000-square-foot former Apple Spice building is similar in size to Hanger’s downtown location, Meng says, adding that the new location will be more efficient with easier access to and from Deaconess Medical Center and Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center & Children’s Hospital.

Hanger also operates a smaller clinic at 212 E. Central, near Providence Holy Family Hospital. Together, the Spokane clinics have 12 employees.

Hanger entered the market here in 2000 when it bought Schindler’s Orthotic & Prosthetics, a longtime Spokane company. Hanger bought Riessen’s Orthotic & Prosthetic Services, another established Spokane company, in 2008 and combined the operations of both companies, putting them under the Hanger name in 2009.

Hanger, which has roots dating back 150 years, claims in promotional information to be one of the largest rehabilitative product and service organizations in the U.S. with 740 clinic locations in 45 states. The company claims it treats more than 1 million patents annually, and has more than 5,000 employees in integrated business units that work with patients, clinicians, providers, and insurers.

The Spokane franchise of Salt Lake City-based Apple Spice Junction closed last year, the Washington state Department of Revenue’s database shows.