Apartment developments continue being proposed in Cheney

By DAVID TELLER

Staff Reporter

The scarcity of availability of off-campus apartments in Cheney will likely ease with The Grove opening this fall, but with enrollment at Eastern Washington University increasing steadily that may not be enough. More apartments may become available soon if another apartment development is approved by the city of Cheney.

Spokane-based construction company, Lanzce Douglass, has submitted a set of plans for a 51-acre, multi–phase apartment complex called Eagle Point that would be built at the elbow in Betz Road where it becomes Washington Street.

The plans had not been approved, nor had Douglass committed to the project, but if both the city and Douglass approve the project, the site would bring about 576 more apartments to Cheney.

According to the set of drawings submitted to the city for review, the three-story apartments would offer two different floor plans. One style would be two or three bedroom apartments ranging from 1,030 to 1,226 square feet; each having two bathrooms. The other style would be two to four bedroom units ranging from 1,030 to 1,491 square feet. The two bedroom units would each have their own bathrooms; the three and four bedroom units would have three bathrooms.

All of the apartments would have their own washer and dryer, dishwasher, air-conditioning and either a patio or balcony with a storage closet. All of the bathrooms are full bathrooms that consist of a shower/tub and basin. All of the living rooms and bedrooms would have carpeting.

The first phase of the development consists of eight buildings and a common area that includes a swimming pool on a portion of the site. The completed project, as it has been submitted for review, would be 24 buildings; the ground floor of each being Americans with Disabilities Accessible (ADA) and the upper units are “adaptable.” Cheney building official Bob McClure said that means the units could be converted to be ADA friendly although they would be built to non-ADA standards.

Cheney city planner Elisa Rodriguez said “appropriate city staff” is currently reviewing the project and she stresses that nothing has yet been signed or agreed to on the part of the city.

Douglass said there's really nothing else to talk about in reference to the plans. No cost estimate is available.

Another project that is proposed in Cheney is an unnamed development proposed at 2424 University Ln.

The project owner, Gary Geschke, proposes a 12-unit studio apartment building on a 77,500 square foot site just north of the existing apartments on the 2400 block of University Lane.

The new two-story building would have 32 one- and two-bedroom units in two buildings.

The deadline for public comment on the development at University Lane is due by Sept. 18. Direct comments to Cheney city planner, Elisa Rodriguez at [email protected].

David Teller can be reached at [email protected]