Tod Stephens: The Dirt:Big bookstore and bistro coming to Post falls

Jan. 4—By the end of the month, workers at Kindred & Co, a bookstore and bistro in Post Falls, hope to open its doors to a-14,000 square-foot building.

The space will feature 20,000 expansive and inclusive book titles, rooftop seating and a gourmet bistro, according to business partners Elizabeth Harrison and Selinna Maesau.

The property, at 851 E. 4th Ave., is located just south of the Kootenai County Fire & Rescue Station 1.

Harrison, who said she owns the business, and Maesau, who will manage it, first pitched the idea when they were 15 and have been best friends ever since.

After high school, they both studied English literature and held onto their deep interest in reading.

Not only do they hope to offer an impressive book selection to fellow bibliophiles, but also a space for community and conversation, they said.

The menu is simple and approachable yet top of line.

Sandwiches, salads and other shareable items like charcuterie boards, which can be found at any tapas bar or french restaurant and often includes preserved foods, meats, cheeses and crackers or bread.

"It's going to be centered around good food and good conversation," Harrison said. "We're going to be dancing the line between a sit-down place and quick service."

Harrison said there will not be a typical wait staff but instead patrons will order at the counter.

Some of the motivation for the cuisine offerings came from their travels in, Maesau said.

"The French items on our menu are kind of like an ode to our travels we've had in Paris and around France," she said.

When the two travel, they make it a point to visit bookstores — partly because of their vested interest in them and also to conduct research for their dream.

"We wanted to take everything that we liked from other bookstores and make it our own," Harrison said, "And include some of the things that we had wished to see — we just brought that all under one roof."

Bookshelves will comprise 8,000 square-feet of the building and span two floors. Some 6,000 square-feet is dedicated to the bistro, seating and a reservable community room, Maesau said.

The rooftop deck will act as outdoor seating for the bistro until the business's second year of operation when the two hope to turn it into event space.

The estimated cost of the building was $5 million, according to permits submitted to the city of Post Falls in May, 2022. Construction for the building began shortly after and is expected to be completed this month, according to Harrison.

The two have not narrowed down an open date because they have much work to to do after construction is completed, Harrison said.

"We still have team building to do and beautifying the inside of the store," she said. "Plus, we have to put all those 20,000 books on the shelves."

The location will employ about 15 workers, Maesau said.

According to the permit application, Spokane-based Leone & Keeble is the listed contractor. No Architect was listed.

New fourplex planned

A four-unit residential building will be constructed across the street from the new Denny Yasuhara Middle School. The school was built just before the 2022-2023 school year.

The fourplex will be constructed just south of the school, at 1222 E. Marietta Ave., according to plans submitted to the city of Spokane.

The project was made possible by the Building Opportunities and Choices for All.

The 2022 initiative changed zoning rules to allow duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes and townhomes to be built in all residential zones citywide, according to previous Spokesman-Review reports.

According to Eli Glushchenko, president and chief builder of Big Blue, a Spokane-based development firm, the .15-acre plot is the perfect place for multi-unit homes.

This is not only because of its proximity to the middle School and Gonzaga Preparatory School, but because rent costs will likely make the building affordable housing, he said. This is housing deemed affordable to those with a household income at or below the median.

As of December, Glushchenko said his company is still in the process of finalizing the sale of the small property which it would not have done two years ago.

In 2018, the company, which typically specializes in high-end and custom homes, began building multiplexes on larger plots in addition to custom homes.

But last year, when it became legal to do multi-plex projects on smaller, residential properties. Glushchenko said his company began shifting gears.

"We're taking on all kinds of projects now," he said. "The new zoning improves density and allows us to make more affordable housing for people."

He said constructing multiplexes on a small site consists of unique challenges that his company and others in the industry are still working to remediate.

The building will be three floors, encompassing 6,948 square-feet, the permit application said. Each of the four units will consist of two bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms, he said.

The project is expected to cost $700,000, according to the permit.

Big Blue is the contractor listed in the permit documents. Spokane-based Inland Northwest Engineering Inc. is the listed engineering firm. No architect was listed.