SPOKANE, Wash. — Chick-fil-A is one step closer to opening a location in North Spokane, and the current occupants at the location of the restaurant's future site are planning to move.
Calvin Sundquist, a salesman at Automotive Specialties, told KREM that the dealership will be relocating to a vacant lot a few blocks south of their current location ahead of Chick-fil-A's potential move.
NAI Black, which owns the property, said the dealership is in the process of moving.
A notice on the City of Spokane’s website dated Dec. 16, 2019 says the restaurant’s Binding Site Plan application for a location on Newport Highway was approved.
According to the letter, the building permit became effective on Jan. 2, 2020 and will expire on Dec. 16, 2024 if a final binding site plan application has not been submitted or an extension prior to the expiration date has not been requested.
City of Spokane spokesperson Kirstin Davis confirmed to KREM on Tuesday that the final building permits for the restaurant are "under review."
KREM reported in September 2019 that the company filed two building permits for a location at 9304 N. Newport Highway. Confusion abounded, though, after the company tweeted on Aug. 30 that it had no immediate plans to open a location in Spokane.
Spokane's ongoing Chick-fil-A saga began in August 2018, when the company's website said a location was "coming soon" to Gonzaga University, which school leaders later denied. The company said an online error was to blame.
The fervor over the chicken restaurant also extended into North Idaho in December, when a "coming soon" sign on Government Way in Hayden featured the Chick-fil-A logo.
A development official later told KREM they believe the sign was a prank.
New documents on the city’s website say that the current Spokane project proposes a 4,833-square-foot building, with 96 interior seats and 16 patio seats, a playground, and a dual order drive-thru lane with capacity for 28 vehicles.
A portion of the site is already occupied by a used car dealership, which the project proposes to replace with the restaurant.
The project also proposes one access drive to the business from E. Hoerner Street.
Site plans say the existing piece of land will be split to create two properties, but only the western portion of the existing piece of land will be developed. The remaining eastern portion will remain undeveloped until a new user is established, documents say.