AMX-Harman property in on market

The next chapter in the AMX-Harman story seems to be in the offing.

The electronics manufacturing business, once known as XN Technologies, and founded by former Eastern Washington University computer science professor Alan Hale, was an outgrowth of projects Hale and his students were working on for NASA's Space Shuttle program.

Its closure was announced in July 2016 and just last week real estate signs from Kiemle & Hagood of Spokane were erected along Cheney-Spokane Road. Tracy and Mark Lucas represent the property.

The property consists of two major buildings, one constructed in 1996 and the other in 2000. Asking price for the entire complex if $5.58 million, but there is also a lease option should separate business interests want use of the property. The lease price is $9.75 per square foot, per year with the office priced at $6.50 psf.

"The lease price was arrived at with comps provided by a Spokane appraisal firm," Tracy Lucas wrote in an email. "The sale price was arrived at essentially the same in house."

The 1996 building covers just over 26,000 square feet and includes office, manufacturing and shipping components. The newer structure consists of slightly over 33,000 square feet and includes a second story. There is parking for 245 cars in the complex, which sits on 9.38 acres.

Who might be the perfect new tenant? Any company that requires the availability of high-demand electrical service and climate control in a campus type setting. A research and development type company or school were two possibilities that came to mind for Lucas.

Other plusses include additional land and close proximity to the tracks of the Eastern Washington Gateway Railroad that passes to the west of the property.

Hale, who passed away in July of 2012, sold the company in 2006 to the AMX Corporation in Richardson, Texas.

Harman announced to its employees that it would move manufacturing and warehouse activities from Cheney to other existing Harman facilities. Sharp competition in the industry led Harman officials to relocate certain company functions in an effort to gain increased productivity, Harman spokesperson Darren Shewchuk said.

Cheney Mayor Tom Trulove first announced the intentions of the shutdown at a July 11, 2016 meeting of the Cheney Merchants Association, and despite the loss of jobs he saw an upside of sorts. "It looks like we're going to have a considerable amount of prime, Grade-A industrial space available," he said at the time.

"One of the things we've always lacked in Cheney is facilities," Trulove said. "Yeah, you can come, we've got lots of land and it's all serviced, build your own, but that's pretty steep for a lot of businesses."

Paul Delaney can be reached at pdelaney@cheneyfreepress.com.