$500 million-plus in work planned, underway in Spokane area

With sweeping wins in school bonds and a mix of big public-works and private-sector projects slated to gear up, the Spokane-area construction industry is expected to see more than $500 million in work continue or get under way in 2015.

Much of that work, however, isnt slated to be permitted until later this year, and building permit data for Spokane County and the cities of Spokane and Spokane Valley show a decline in activity last year, compared with a banner 2013.

For all of 2014, the county and the two cities issued building permits for construction projects worth a total of $739.2 million. Thats down 28 percent from just over $1 billion in permit volume in 2013, but still higher than any other annual total since 2006.

Last year, the city of Spokanes then business and development services director, Jan Quintrall, predicted that permit volume wouldnt keep pace with the 2013 clip, calling that an amazing year for permit valuations.

The largest private project to be permitted in 2013, the $135 million Davenport Grand Hotel, is nearing completion. The 15-story, 716-guestroom downtown hotel, located across Spokane Falls Boulevard from the Spokane Convention Center, is expected to be completed late this spring and is being marketed as available for reservations starting June 20.

Developed by prominent Spokane hoteliers Walt and Karen Worthy, the hotel will include an 18,000-square-foot ballroom and 62,500 square feet of meeting space, as well as an attached parking garage with 900 stalls.

That hotel will be the fourth that the Worthys operate in the citys core, with the others being the historic Davenport Hotel, the Davenport Tower, and Hotel Lusso. Known collectively as the Davenport Hotel Collection, the four properties will have a total of about 1,380 guest rooms in the citys core once the new venue opens.

The Worthys Spokane Valley-based Worthy Enterprises LLC is the contractor on the project. Craig Woodard, of Brick & Mortar Architecture & Development, of Spokane, is collaborating with Worthy Enterprises on the project design.

Across Spokane Falls Boulevard from the soon-to-be-completed Davenport Grand Hotel, the Spokane Public Facilities District has completed a $55 million Spokane Convention Center expansion. A design-build team consisting of Garco Construction Inc. and ALSC Architects PS, both of Spokane, and LMN Architects, of Seattle, handled the 91,000-square-foot convention center addition, which is located on the north side of the complex and overlooks the Spokane River.

A 112-foot sky bridge, designed by Integrus Architecture PS, of Spokane, has been erected across Spokane Falls Boulevard to connect the convention center and the hotel.

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$500 million-plus in work planned, underway in Spokane area