New building planned for downtown Medical Lake

Medical Lake may be seeing a new building downtown, at least if the plans of Bob and Jennifer Maxwell come to fruition.

The couple has purchased the lot, including the building commonly known as the Icicle Stand, at 112 S. Lefevre Street, for $32,500, according to Spokane County records.

"This will be a metal and wood-type of building," Maxwell, a 30-year real estate agent and property investor, said.

He and Jennifer moved to Medical Lake from Spokane's South Hill about a year ago, Maxwell said.

Jennifer, whose maiden name is Jundt, grew up and attended school in Medical Lake. Their teenage daughter, Emma, is a student athlete currently attending Medical Lake High School.

"We really like the downtown area," Maxwell said, noting that he feels investing there has future potential.

The couple had just sold an apartment building and were considering building a home with a shop for Jennifer, who is a wood and metal artist. But they enjoyed their neighborhood and neighbors so much they decided to instead invest downtown.

"We thought the downtown needs to start putting up some decent looking buildings and make it attractive," Maxwell said.

He was actively seeking other investments in the area he said; empty lots or buildings that should be torn down.

Medical Lake City Administrator Doug Ross, who said Maxwell had contacted him about utility hookups, said he'd mentioned the long-empty laundry building at the corner of Lake and Broad streets, considered an eyesore by some, to the investor.

Maxwell, who is working with local contractor Steve Simpson, said he felt he could get his new building framed-in and the outside completed before winter.

"Then that will give me a project to do inside during the wintertime," he said.

The building will be 20 feet wide and 48 feet deep, and about 14-feet tall at the front façade along Lefevre Street, sloping to a height of eight feet at the back.

However, it will not be a commercial retail business. Jennifer, a wood and metal artist, will be using it as a studio-shop, Maxwell said.

Development of the lot will require connecting to city water and sewer, as the lot is currently dry.

Maxwell said the city had been very responsive to his questions and proposal.

The building next door at 110 S. Lefevre, owned by Spokane investor Andy Louie, is currently under condemnation pending a city review of a recently received engineering report.

Maxwell said he had discussed purchasing the building, but the price Louie wanted - $75,000, according to Maxwell - was too rich for his blood.

Louie purchased the condemned lot and building for $35,000 in March 2018, according to county records.

Asked what he planned to do with the small existing structure on his lot, Maxwell said it was for sale.

"I've got it on Craigslist, but I'll probably be putting a free sign on it pretty quick," he said.

He said the sale price started at $1,500 and had fallen to $750, noting that it would drop to free by Wednesday, Aug. 14.

"I'd rather do that than tear it down myself - let somebody get some use out of it," he said.

Lee Hughes can be reached at [email protected].