Thomas Clouse: The Dirt: Spokane Valley arborist expanding into rental business
Jan. 20—The owner of a Spokane Valley-based tree service is hoping to build two new apartment buildings near the intersection of Barker Road and East Appleway Avenue.
Benjamin Stanton, owner of Spokane Tree Pro, has begun the pre-application process for two buildings that would contain 30 apartments at 18403 E. Bow Ave., just south and west of the Barker Road intersection with Appleway.
"It's always been a dream of mine. It's a shooting-for-the-moon-type of thing," Stanton said.
"We've had some rentals, but nothing this big."
The estimated cost of the building is listed at $4.1 million. He stressed the project is just in its beginning stages.
"We hope to start construction this year, depending on how the permitting process goes," Stantonw said. "I'm just after some long-term rentals. Hopefully, I can give the buildings to my kids some day."
Stanton has operated Spokane Tree Pro for eight years but is hoping to diversify with the new apartment buildings, he said.
New Nom Nom coming to Bigelow Gulch
A building permit was issued Thursday for a proposed Nom Nom convenience store at 8926 E. Bigelow Gulch Road, near the intersection with Argonne Road.
Plans call for a 24-foot tall building with 4,778 square feet of space for the convenience store. Plans also call for a fueling station.
Estimated cost of the project was listed at about $1.3 million.
Wolfe Architectural Group is designing the building and Baker Construction & Development Company is listed as the contractor. Idalia Guillen of Wolfe Architectural Group said she thinks construction could begin in September.
Storage unit expansion pursued
Retired attorney Jay Rambo submitted an application this month to start the fourth phase of an expansion at Wilbur Road Self Storage, located at 1710 N. Wilbur Road, building H. The location is just south of the Interstate 90 and Pines interchange.
Plans call for building 48 storage units that would be added to the 240 currently built at the location, Rambo said.
"We would hope to start as soon as we get the permit and the ground thaws out," Rambo said.
The certificate of occupancy, which allowed Rambo to rent the new storage units of phase three, was obtained last fall. The expected cost of the expansion is listed at about $575,000.
"We are new to the storage unit business," Rambos said. "It's been a good business for the last three or four years."
The new addition will include larger units, including 10-by-15-foot and 10-by-30-foot spaces.
"Those tend to be our most popular units," he said.
Mead office buildings planned
Diamond Construction Co. filed an application last week to build two new multitenant office buildings and a parking garage at 12913 N. Raptor Lane, which is north of East Farwell Road and just west of Northwood Middle School.
Plans call for two, two-story buildings. One would have 20,138 square feet and the other would have 27,988 square feet. The permit application also calls for a parking garage to serve both office buildings.
The combined project cost is estimated at $1.8 million. The project contactor, Tom Riley of Diamond Rock Construction, of Spokane Valley, could not be reached for comment.
The project is being designed by architectural firm Bernardo Wills, of Spokane.
