Three restaurants will soon open in the Papillon Building as plans move forward for the adjacent Papillon Towers on Spokane’s North Shore
When Selkirk Development Founder and CEO Sheldon Jackson learned that the City of Spokane was redesigning Riverfront Park with the idea of providing connectivity to private properties, he purchased the former Park Center building.
Jackson planned to redevelop the building at 908 N. Howard St. as offices, but his vision for the site expanded in 2019 to the $80 million Papillon Towers project that would convert the three-story brick structure into a restaurant, retail and retail and offices.
The project also included a six-story, 36,000 square foot tower at 531 S. Cataldo Ave. and an adjacent 12-story tower with offices and five levels of indoor parking.
Jackson knew the site on the north side of the Spokane River was desirable, but he hadn’t anticipated how dynamic it would become with the addition of the podium, the Ice Age Floods playground, the renovation of the American Pavilion and from the Howard Street promenade, and a future sports stadium.
The new developments have prompted a reconfiguration of the Papillon Towers project to include more residential accommodation which would be surrounded by several walkable amenities including bars, restaurants and retail outlets.
“The North Shore is an opportunity for Spokane to do something really amazing,” Jackson said. “(The City) has already done some amazing things with the Podium, Riverfront Park and the stadium, but I think it’s something we can grow on.”
Three restaurants – Outsider, Kasa Restaurant & Taphouse and Lorèn – plan to open this summer in the 100% leased Papillon building.
Chef Juli Norris opens Kasa Restaurant & Taphouse on the first floor of Papillon and Lorèn, a French-inspired restaurant, speak-easy and social club with live jazz music on the ground floor.
Opposite Kasa Restaurant & Taphouse, chef Ian Wingate opens the Outsider.
“It’s going to be exciting, and I think the mix is great,” Jackson said. “You have everything from the Outsider, Kasa and Lorèn, and the jazz bar downstairs will be very interesting.”
Construction of the Papillon South Tower could begin as early as this summer, pending approval of a building permit filed with the city, Jackson said.
bernardo | Spokane-based Wills Architects designs the Papillon South Tower.
The tower will be mixed-use with offices, retail and hospitality spaces on the upper floors and a public market with restaurants on the ground floor.
“We would like to attract small, incubator-type restaurants, almost like a food court scenario,” Jackson said.
“Or someone with a food truck who wants to have a permanent location. They would have this little kitchen area where people could go and order.
Selkirk Development also plans to create Cataldo Alley, a pedestrian street adjacent to the Papillon Towers with lighting, seating, retail vendors and artwork.
The company will reconfigure its plans for the 12-story North Papillon Tower.
The change was driven in part by uncertainty about the need for office space during the pandemic, Jackson said.
“North Tower is always in the conversation,” Jackson said. “Spokane is growing dramatically and residential needs need to be part of it.”
Jackson is looking to potentially partner with other developers for the North Tower, which will be “residential and hospitality,” he said.
The size and architecture of the tower will be determined at a later date, Jackson added.
Because the Papillon Towers project is in an opportunity zone, Selkirk Development initially sought to raise $30 million from investors, according to a 2019 Spokesman-Review article.
Opportunity Zones were created under the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 to spur economic development by allowing investors to avoid capital gains taxes.
Selkirk Development, however, has since changed its course on financing the project.
“What we’ve done is reposition some of our properties so that we don’t need financing outside of the normal bank financing for the south tower and the existing (Papillon) building,” Jackson said. “It’s the North Tower that will take on a partner. We are looking more for a partnership than financing and are looking for a partner who understands the residential (development) for the North Tower. »
The Papillon Building’s name was inspired in part by the butterfly from Expo ’74 which was restored and placed near its original location at the North Rim entrance to Riverfront Park. The word “butterfly” is French for butterfly.
The Expo ’74 butterfly is being refitted after being damaged in a storm last year.
The estimated cost of the Papillon Building renovations and construction of the South Tower is between $15 million and $20 million, Jackson said. The cost of the North Tower will be determined after it is redesigned, he added.
The construction of the Papillon Sud tower is estimated at 14 months. Construction of the Papillon North Tower could take more than two years, depending on the size of the structure and permit approval, Jackson said.
“If you live in the neighborhood, you can walk everywhere,” Jackson said of the Papillon Towers development. “I think the next phase has to be residential.”
A restaurant hotspot
Norris, a local restaurateur and chef, looked at several potential locations for Kasa Restaurant & Taphouse before finding the Papillon building.
“I was able to visit the Papillon building and fell in love with the location, the charm of the building and the energy of the neighborhood,” she said.
“What sealed me was the moment I came down and saw the beautiful stone walls and the arch. I knew I wanted to create a second restaurant that would be perfect for this space in the building. »
The 2,500 square foot Kasa Restaurant & Taphouse on the first floor of the building will offer bent sandwiches, including the Bomb Me made with braised short ribs, marinated carrots, Daikon radish, red onions, jalapenos and cilantro topped with Asian barbecue sauce.
The sandwiches are served on homemade Kasa bread, fresh daily. The restaurant will also offer fresh salads, hearty bowls, starters and desserts. The taphouse will have 18 local and regional beers on tap, as well as a single cask wine on tap, Norris said.
“I really created (Kasa) to embrace the culture of the local Spokane community,” Norris said. “There are going to be a lot of tourists where he is and I want them to be able to understand how cool Spokane is.”
Kasa will have an outdoor patio 2-3 feet above ground level.
“You’ll have a great view,” Norris said. “You can see the main Hoopfest courtyard, the pavilion, the children’s park and the city skyline.”
Lorèn will be a contemporary social club, easy-talking, French-inspired restaurant with a live jazz band, Norris said.
“Our goal for Lorèn is really to create an optimal and curated experience for each guest,” she said. “I want Loren to feel like an elegant, intriguing restaurant with subtle Prohibition-era touches.”
Lorèn will feature the Sophia Room, a private, hidden dining and event space for up to 16 people. Social club members will be able to book the room for events. In true speak-easy style, attendees will need to provide a password to access the event.
Twenty-five social club memberships will be available. Members will receive a bottle of house wine and other benefits. A monthly membership cost has yet to be determined, Norris said.
Lorén’s menu will include homemade kale and white bean soup; burnt pate; charred sirloin and fries; French caramel gnocchi and pudding.
The restaurant will have its own white sparkling wine, Très Belle Lorèn, and craft cocktails, including The Lorèn, which consists of vodka, ginger liqueur, lemon, rosemary and crème de violette, Norris said.
Norris is looking forward to seeing his vision for both restaurants come to life.
“I’m excited to start serving people in our community and creating a positive place where people can come together and have a great meal,” she said.
