Most of our work is residential, but some land is better used for a mix of housing and commercial space, or for commercial alone. UNI Developments takes on commercial projects with a mixed tenant base and mixed-use projects that put apartments and retail on the same site. We also buy property for the land around an existing building, or to add value to the building itself.
Harvard Road, Liberty Lake
Our current mixed-use project is a 3.14-acre parcel on Harvard Road in Liberty Lake. It’s zoned mixed-use commercial (MU-C) and sits at the gateway to Greenstone’s master plan. The corridor carries about 13,000 vehicles a day.
The project is in feasibility. The plan we have studied is apartments plus a retail pad. Feasibility is where we test whether that split works on access, parking, utilities and code before anything is designed in detail.
What we look at on commercial and mixed-use land
Access
How cars get in and out decides a lot of the plan. We look at which roads the site fronts, where a driveway could go and whether the jurisdiction will allow full turning movements or only right-in, right-out. A corner site or a parcel with frontage on two streets gives more options.
Zoning
The zone sets what can go on the site and how much. On mixed-use land we read what uses are allowed outright, whether ground-floor commercial is required, the height limit, setbacks and parking rules. Those numbers tell us how many apartments or how much retail floor area the site can carry.
Traffic
Traffic counts tell a retail tenant whether a pad is worth it. On Harvard Road, about 13,000 vehicles a day pass the site. Larger projects can also trigger a traffic study, and its findings can bring road improvements as conditions of approval.
Utilities
We confirm sewer and water capacity, power and how stormwater will be handled. Much of the Spokane Valley sits over the Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer, the sole source of water for most people in Spokane County. Local agencies have moved to pre-treat stormwater over the aquifer, so drainage design gets attention early.
Site shape and size
Parking, drive aisles, fire access and stormwater all take room. A parcel’s shape can matter as much as its acreage. A narrow lot with one short frontage may hold less building than a smaller, squarer lot on a corner.
How a commercial project moves forward
We use the same five stages on commercial land as on residential: identify, acquire, entitle, develop and deliver. For a mixed-use project, entitlement often means a site plan review and building permits instead of a plat. Construction is managed in-house, and our advisors include Tony Villelli and Jeramie Terzulli as commercial consultants and Whipple Consulting Engineers for engineering.
What happens at the end depends on the project. The exit can be a sale or a long-term lease.
If you’re bringing us a site, the most useful things to send are the parcel number, the current zoning, any existing leases on the property, and any survey or environmental report you already have. An address alone is enough to start.
Who we work with on commercial land
- Brokers with commercial or mixed-use parcels, or underused buildings with extra land
- Owners of older commercial property who want to know what the site could hold
- Retail and service tenants looking for a pad on a busy road
- City planning and public works staff
For residential land, see subdivision development. For a full overview of our work, see land development in Spokane and Spokane Valley or our projects page.
Frequently asked questions
What is mixed-use development?
Mixed-use development puts more than one use on the same site, most often housing and commercial space. On our Harvard Road parcel in Liberty Lake, the plan we studied is apartments plus a retail pad.
What does UNI Developments look at on commercial land?
Access, zoning, traffic and utilities first, then the size and shape of the site. Those decide how much building fits and whether a tenant will want to be there.
Do you buy commercial property with an existing building?
Yes. We buy property to use the land around an existing building, to entitle it for a new use, or to add value to the building itself.
Where is UNI Developments working on commercial projects?
Our current mixed-use project is a 3.14-acre MU-C parcel on Harvard Road in Liberty Lake. We are based in Spokane Valley and work across the Spokane area.
Have commercial or mixed-use land?
Send us the address or parcel number and tell us what’s on it now.