Loan completes funding package: Spokane builder lands contract for Palouse Community Center

After years of fund-raising, the first day of construction for the planned Palouse Community Center will be July 25.

“It’s going to be a fabulous Christmas present for Palouse,” said Janet Barstow, a member of the center’s board, pointing out the project should wrap up just before Christmas 2011.

Walter Construction of Spokane was selected as contractor for the project, with a winning bid of $483,600.

A ground-breaking ceremony will be Aug. 4 at 5:30 p.m. at the building site in downtown Palouse.

Final paperwork has been signed for a $150,000 loan from AmericanWest Bank. In tandem with the $380,000 raised over the years by Palouse Community Center Board, the current expected bill for the construction will be roughly $530,000.

“We’re very excited. We started spending money on planning back in 2007,” said Palouse City Clerk Joyce Beeson.

The completed center will feature the community’s Needful Things thrift shop in the front quarters of the building. As they have for the last few years, proceeds from the thrift shop will continue to go to the community center.

The center of the building will feature a kitchen and a bathroom. The back of the building will feature the community room which will be rented out for events.

“I’m thrilled and we really appreciate everything that got us to this point,” Barstow said.

Five other companies submitted bids on the project: Halme Builders Inc. of Davenport bid $566,000; KOP Construction Company, Inc. of Spokane, $533,824; TW Clark Construction of Spokane, $565,800; Blew’s Construction Inc., Spokane Valley, $558,100; Carlton Builders, LLC of Colfax, $508,509.