Thomas Clouse: The Dirt: The Human Bean coffee shop coming to Northwest Boulevard

Sep. 15—A Spokane couple has wiped their slate clean, quite literally, and will be starting a new business in the empty lot where the old one once stood, at the southwest corner of the intersection of Northwest Boulevard and T.J. Meenach Drive.

Jim and Bridgett Gibson last year sold their old business, Custom Auto Detail, which they had operated for about 25 years, and are now preparing to bring in the latest franchise of the fast growing coffee shop, The Human Bean.

"I was always bombarded with coffee shops wanting to start up in that location," Gibson said. "Having the bigger coffee companies in town, it just didn't fit well. The Human Bean approached me and it was very appealing to my wife and I."

Based out of Medford, Ore., The Human Bean has about 260 locations in 21 states, according to its website.

It currently has locations in Coeur d'Alene and Hayden. Gibson said he was told by company officials that they hope to expand to 400 locations by early next year.

"It's a new venture for my wife and I," he said. "We've always been small business people. We are going from cars to coffee."

The former Custom Auto Detail, which was sold and now operates at 1521 E. Sprague Ave., has been demolished.

Gibson said he hopes to obtain the building permit from the city of Spokane to begin the coffee shop in the next couple of weeks.

Volro Construction LLC, of Mead, is the contractor. The 614-square-foot coffee shop was designed by architect Justin Hawkins, of Medford.

The expected cost of the 20-foot building was estimated at $500,000.

The ongoing closures of the T.J. Meenach bridge should not hinder the project, he said.

"It's been kind of a blessing," Gibson said of the ongoing road construction.

"By the time they are wrapped up and what we are doing, it shouldn't be too bad. It should be good timing."

Townhouses completedA Spokane Valley couple has nearly reached the final step, obtaining certificates of occupancy, that would complete their project to develop nine townhouses at 12625 E. Main Ave. in Spokane Valley.

The "Main Street Townhomes," which are located a few blocks east of Pines Road, have been completed and most have already been sold, said Joel Elgee.

"They all have single-car garages. They are all the same, with two bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths with fireplaces," Elgee said. "It's a family project, something my wife and I did."

The project, developed by Elgee and his wife, Lisa Clarizio Elgee, was built by Construction Services of Spokane and the townhomes were designed by Ryan Neary at D'Zign Group Architecture of Hayden.

Combined, the six-unit and three-unit buildings were estimated to cost about $1.3 million to build.

"This was one of the first or second townhomes projects in the city of the valley," Elgee said.

Construction took about a year to complete.

"It was way longer than we hoped," he said, but the final occupancy permits are expected soon. A couple of the units remain available to purchase, he said.

Banner Bank remodel

A permit request was submitted Wednesday by Banner Bank for a substantial remodel of its downtown Spokane office at 508 W. Third Ave.

The branch is located at the northwest corner of West Third and Stevens Street.

Plans call for remodeling the 3,262 square feet of interior space. Meridian Construction Inc., of Spokane is the contractor.

The detailed plans were designed by Dana Kauffman of Insight Architects of Boise.

Efforts to reach applicant Derik Grindy, Meridian and Kauffman were unsuccessful this past week. The estimated cost of the remodel was listed as $600,000.