Permit application filed for massive project

That hush-hush big building project planned for the West Plains near Spokane International Airport, rumored to be a massive Amazon fulfillment center, has a permit application in front of Spokane County Building and Planning personnel.

But don't let that revelation make you think the possibility of the online retail giant locating here is a done deal 3rd District County Commissioner Al French said.

Speaking on Monday, June 11, French said any turning of earth on nearly 80 acres of property north of Geiger Boulevard and along Interstate 90 could still be a long way off - or might not happen at all.

"I am under a non-disclosure agreement, working with the ultimate user of the building," French said. "The project is moving forward, but despite what you might read, it is not a done deal."

The two-page application is jammed full of all kinds of numbers for the proposed project with an official address of 10010 W. Geiger Blvd. But nowhere is there even a hint that it could belong to Amazon. It is simply named "Project Rose," an office warehouse valued at $181 million.

The application outlines a massive four-story, 75-foot high structure covering 700,000 square feet on the ground floor and 648,000 on each of the remaining levels. All together the project, with 40,000 square-feet of office and administrative, is just short of 2.6 million square feet.

By comparison, Katerra, makers of engineered wood products, is currently building a $35 million, 250,000-square-foot multi-story manufacturing facility south of Trent and east of Barker Road that will employing about 150 people. The new Costco warehouse on Spokane's far north side will be a $15 million, 134,000 square-foot project.

TC Pursuit Services from Portland, Ore. is listed as the applicant, Jolt Developments, LLC the owner, and Layton Construction of Sandy, Utah is the builder. All have prior Amazon projects in their files.

If there is a hint Amazon could be the tenant when all the T's are crossed and I's dotted, it might have been contained in a June 4, 2018 story in the Spokane Journal of Business which reported the office-warehouse was "originally called Super Duper Project Rose, it's now named Project Rose Fulfillment Center."

As much as the effort has seemingly moved swiftly ahead, French again reiterated, "There are still a number of challenges that need to be addressed before the project can be solidified and be in a position where it can move forward."

The application shows several areas and items on a to-do list, or "in the queue." They include plan, land use and environmental review.

If it gains approval, the facility could employ several thousand people.

"A lot of projects get an application and then as part of the due diligence decide the project can't move forward," French said.

French said work goes on with the client "On a couple of outstanding issues so that we can move the project to a point where it can move forward and get under construction."

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