Signs of life on North Monroe
Add 10-16 units to the "under construction" or "proposed" downtown or near-downtown housing totals. The Spokesman-Review is reporting that the Jenkins Building, home to Alpine Bistro and Bakery, will be extensively remodeled and refurbished by new owner Mark Agee. Agee is the CEO of Pamiris, an HR management and payroll information systems company he started with his wife, and is well-known in the local community for his service to the low-income population.
The building, at 802 N Monroe, dates to 1910 and features both retail and office space. The upper two floors will be converted to 10-16 apartments, likely in keeping with Agee's strategy of providing low-income housing for chronically underserved populations. An elevator will be added, and Alpine Bistro will remain. Regardless, the addition of new residents to this area of Spokane reminds us of 2007 plans to improve the streetscape on North Monroe. That plan called for traffic calming, tree islands, improved intersections, and a general revitalization a la South Perry. It should be interesting to see if those plans are revisited with the new redevelopment.
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What do you think? Are you excited for the addition of new residents to the North Monroe area? Does this revitalization of a historic building bode well for the cause of historic preservation? Share your thoughts in our comments section below, on Facebook, on Twitter, or in person. We love to hear from you.