New life at the outlet site

POST FALLS — These are the days that Hong Newman has looked forward to for about 15 years.

For several years, Newman's store, Oriental Gifts and Food, and L'eggs-Hanes-Bali were the lone survivors that remained at the deserted factory outlet site along Interstate 90 in Post Falls.

"Walmart, Sept. 11 and the recession took them," said Newman, referring to what she believes was a string of factors that pushed companies out.

Finally, the two stores, nearly a year after Tedder Properties announced it was purchasing the complex on both sides of Riverbend Avenue (excluding the Post Falls Factory Stores to the east), have company at what is now called the Tedder Business Center.

Five businesses — 59 Escape Adventures, Ace Industrial call center that sells tools, Riverstone Apparel screen printing and embroidery, Special Needs Recreation costumes and Woodshop Specialties training and classes — have joined the survivors in the north building.

Coming soon will be Knowhere Comics, China Direct, My Big Fat Greek Deli, The Johnson Group (restored game consoles) and Hauser Lake Christian Church. Two other undisclosed occupants also plan to move in.

Tedder Industries, a manufacturer of concealed gun holsters, recently finished moving its operations in three buildings in Hayden to under one roof in the former outlet facility south of Riverbend. It occupies all of that space.

"It's nice to walk down the hallway to go to the manufacturing area or my office rather than drive to another building," said Thomas Tedder, CEO of Tedder Industries. "We have 70,000 square feet of space compared to 30,000 in the three buildings we were in. Instead of being on top of each other we now have room to breathe, a gym for employees, more office space and a larger break room."

Newman said she has been often asked by customers if her Oriental store is going to close, so she's left a sign on her door stating that it is not. Committed clientele and the central location between Spokane and Coeur d'Alene allowed her store to stay in business, she said.

"The parking is convenient and you can swing in and out here," she said, adding that she's looking forward to increased activity at the site because that will help her business.

Much of the former outlet spaces on the north side of Riverbend are still being remodeled. In one unit, shelves marked with the former Van Heusen factory outlet logo — a remnant of the days gone by — still stand.

A crew performed fall cleaning of the complex grounds and parking areas this past week. Factory outlet signs have been replaced with Tedder signage and the most visible outlet sign along the freeway is in the process of being torn down. Vehicles of Tedder employees now nearly fill the parking lot of the south building — a sight not seen in years.

"This place needed a lot of work because it had gotten run down," said David Volking Jr., who owns Riverstone Apparel with his wife Corinna. "(Tedder) has done a good job of getting what we need to get started. I'd love to see this whole complex fill up and I bet it will next year."

It will be a new era for the site, though, with a mixture of types of businesses rather than one retail theme.

Leases for the units, which are now 35 cents per square foot for each of the first two years and 50 cents for the third year, are below the market average for business space.

John Winter, manager for the Ace Industrial call center, said the company moved to the site from a different Post Falls location due to a "sweetheart" lease deal.

"It's been perfect for us," he said. "We don't have foot traffic and everything is done over the phone."