A new barbecue restaurant is coming to Main Avenue in downtown Spokane.

According to permits filed with the city, Austin Live Fire BBQ will open in the renovated block of historic buildings between Washington and Stevens streets, at 421 W. Main.

Work to build out the 1,200-square-foot restaurant interior and 1,700-square-foot kitchen will cost $245,000, according to permit estimates.

The stretch of Main has seen significant investment in the past five years. The two-level former Huppin’s building that the barbecue restaurant will occupy was purchased for $1.25 million in 2013 by Spokane business owners Chris Batten, Bobby Brett and John Pariseau. The trio also purchased the building next door that housed Dutch’s Musical Instruments for $479,000.

The 1889 Building on the corner of Main and Stevens was sold in 2014 for $1 million.

Current restaurant tenants on the block include Hills’ Restaurant and Lounge, Madeleine’s Café & Patisserie and Durkin’s Liquor Bar. Sweet Peaks Ice Cream is also to open soon.

The general contractor for the restaurant renovation is Basso, of Post Falls. Spokane’s Uptic Studios designed the project. – N.D

Machinery dealership planned in Valley

Plans for a more than 40,000-square-foot Volvo machinery dealership are underway in Spokane Valley near the Spokane Business and Industrial Park.

PacWest Machinery purchased more than 8 acres for $1.3 million from Canada-based Graham Group Inc. to build the facility, according to Spokane County assessor’s records.

The facility at 3515 N. Sullivan Road will include a 22,500-square-foot shop area, 13,400-square-foot showroom and parts warehouse as well as 14 service bays, according to permits filed with the city.

PacWest Machinery is part of the Joshua Green Corp., a Seattle-based company.

PacWest Machinery is responsible for sales, rental, service and aftermarket parts in the Pacific Northwest for Volvo’s line of production and road machinery equipment. The company, which provides services from four facilities in Seattle, Spokane, Portland and Eugene, supplies equipment for manufacturers Metso Minerals, Roadtec, Tymco and others.

The dealership will be designed by Architectural Ventures, of Spokane Valley. – A.E.

Union Tavern to open in August on East Sprague

The Union Tavern on East Sprague Avenue will be open in August.

Dale Kleist, the project’s developer, said he wasn’t ready yet to describe his plans for the tavern, which was issued permits this month to convert the 111-year-old “palmistry” building on East Sprague Avenue into a restaurant and bar.

First, Kleist will remove an existing “lean-to” in the building’s rear and build an addition to the existing brick building at 1914 E. Sprague Ave.

Once home to Pete Seeberger’s barbershop, the building was more recently owned by the Marks family, who are best known for their battle with City Hall over a botched police raid in 1986 that seized $1.6 million in cash and $160,000 in jewelry from the family.

For years, the structure was a vacant building that carried a sign advertising palm readings.

Kleist owned downtown’s Fast Eddie’s bar until 2011.

In 2010, he and Mark Starr, owner of David’s Pizza, opened Famous Ed’s restaurant near 57th Avenue and Regal Street on the South Hill, which was closed last year when Rock City Grill moved into the space and purchased kitchen equipment and furniture from Kleist and Starr. – N.D.