SPOKANE, Wash. — Recent reports claim development projects like 11th Avenue Cafe in the Perry District have come to a stop due to unpaid bills. KREM 2 went straight to the developer, Spokane native Rob Brewster.
Brewster insists his Spokane projects are not delayed because of missed payments but rather the projects have hit snags along the way.
His projects include the 11th Ave. Cafe in the Perry District, McKinley School building project in East Sprague, and the Spokane Central Market in downtown Spokane.
Some residents in the Perry district have told KREM 2 they have not seen any construction work on the cafe in weeks.
Over text messages, Brewster told KREM 2's Amanda Roley the building is still under construction.
He said about a month ago, it was turned over to the tenant and the completion of the building is now in their court.
Last week, the operations manager told KREM 2 they expect to open the cafe this fall.
We also noticed things have been quiet at the future Spokane Central Market on Wall Street.
Brewster said his development company is still working to lock down 80 percent tenant occupancy for the market, "otherwise we don't open."
That's a decision he said was made from the beginning.
On East Sprague Avenue, Brewster's company decided to renovate the Mckinley school building into the Union Park Market.
It's now three years after Brewster took on the project and it remains vacant.
"The neighborhood is sad that he hasn't been able to push that project forward," said Jim Hanley. Hanley is the chair of the East Sprague Business Improvement District and owner of Tin Roof furniture store.
Brewster said the city of Spokane's construction of a sewage tank nearby put that project on hold.
But now construction is done, and he said they are able to move forward with the McKinley renovations.
City officials said construction is nearly complete on the second tank on East Sprague near Zip's.