A pair of long-vacant three-story properties considered by some as a blight on downtown Spokane is being revitalized, says Spokane developer Chris Batten.

Batten, principal of Spokane-based real estate company RenCorpRealty LLC, owns a pair of historic buildings located at 115 S. Jefferson and 1121 W. First, through a separate real estate entity, No-Jeff LLC.

No-Jeff purchased the 116-year-old Norman Building and the 117-year-old Jefferson Building in November for a combined price of $1.1 million. The property has been vacant for 17 years, he says.

"It's been a dark spot on downtown for the better part of two decades," says Batten. 

Batten's vision for the property involves the construction of 40 apartment units on the second and third floors of the historic site. Studios, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom apartment units will help facilitate a diverse downtown population with much-needed housing in the community, he contends.

Plans for the main floor include retail spaces facing Jefferson Street and First Avenue, he adds.

"It's called the Norman and Jefferson based on the historic names of the buildings," Batten says of the redevelopment project.

He compares the potential impact of the mixed-use development to other successful redevelopments of historic properties, such as the old Otis Hotel, now known as Hotel Indigo, at 110 S. Madison, and the New Madison Apartments building, at 1029 W. First, both located in downtown Spokane. 

"This is one of those pivotal projects, " he says. 

Development of the historic No-Jeff property is being spearheaded by Urbin Developments LLC, a Spokane-based real estate development group that was formed in 2022 and includes Batten in partnership with Chris Olson, owner of Spokane-based architecture firm OlsonProjects PLLC.

The No-Jeff project is currently in the design phase, and developers expect to submit permit applications by midsummer. Construction is tentatively set to start in the fall, after the completion of an ongoing RenCorp development at the Wharton Building, at 411 W. First, downtown, which is expected to wrap up by October, he says.

The cost to update the Norman and Jefferson property is still being determined, but Batten says developers are incorporating contingencies for factors such as rising costs and potential impacts from tariffs. Those contingencies are intended to help mitigate financial risks, he says.

The Norman and Jefferson redevelopment project is part of a larger vision to bring new housing to downtown Spokane, he says.

"Our goal at the end of the day is to put 100 to 200 new units downtown in the next two to three years, and Norman and Jefferson is a big piece of that," says Batten.