It was a snowy, foggy afternoon in the waning days of 2017 — the last Friday before New Year's Eve — when then-Assistant Spokane Fire Marshal Megan Phillips arrived at the Ridpath building.
Hundreds of thousands of dollars were riding on what she had to say.
Investors were eager to begin benefitting from the downtown project's historic tax credits. So they put in deadlines in their agreement with the developer: If the Ridpath didn't get a temporary certificate of occupancy for enough apartment units by the end of 2017, the group led by local developer Ron Wells would have to pay considerable financial penalties.
But as Phillips walked through the halls of the old hotel, she says the renovations weren't even close.
On the third floor alone, there were plumbing leaks, exposed electrical wires and capped sprinkler heads. Big electrical cords snaked through the hallways. Exit doors were padlocked. The sinks didn't work. Neither did the heat. Some apartments were missing doors, cabinets, flooring and running water. Ultimately, Phillips' report tallied more than 50 deficiencies with the project, stretching across four pages.