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Bill Main Jr. is the designated managing broker and owner of RE/MAX of Spokane. He and his father, Bill Main Sr., were instrumental in the early development of Liberty Lake that originated in the late 1970s.

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A Cup of Joe: Foundational foresight
4/29/2015 10:32:22 AM

Main Jr. and father created map for Liberty Lake development

By Craig Howard
Splash Contributor

Not many people realize that the road to modern-day Liberty Lake wound from the Inland Northwest through Northern California to Alaska and back again. 

Call it "Main Street."  

In the late 1970s, Bill Main Sr. and his son, Bill Jr., a pair of real estate entrepreneurs, saw the potential of an "urban village" tucked in Spokane County's easternmost corner. While Liberty Lake was seen by most as a collection of waterfront homes, a single gas station and sweeping fields hedged up against an interstate highway, the Mains imagined a walkable, mixed-use community featuring nourishing trails, parks and well-built homes. 

"Bill Sr. was a visionary," said Jim Frank, founder of Greenstone Homes and former business partner with the Mains. "He had some great ideas about land use. The original concept of Meadowwood, which we eventually built out, was the concept that Bill initially had."

Bill Sr. founded Main Realty in 1959, eventually broadening the company into residential development and construction. The business became a one-stop development shop, platting nondescript land, building the homes and marketing the properties. Over the course of decades, Main Realty would develop thousands of lots in Washington, Idaho and Montana, including well-known Spokane neighborhoods like Suncrest, Shiloh Hills and Camelot. 

Bill Jr. found his way back to the family real estate business after considering a number of college majors but ultimately earning his degree in real estate finance from Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado in 1978. When Bill returned to Spokane, he and his father would pursue their notion of Liberty Lake in the midst of an economic downturn, overcoming apathy from more than a few lenders before finally securing support from SeaFirst Bank and, later, major financing from Alaska Mutual Bank.

The blueprint gained clarity and momentum with the arrival of technology pioneer Hewlett Packard. A pillar of what would become Silicon Valley, HP had its headquarters in the Bay Area but was expanding into Western sites like Corvallis, Ore., and Vancouver, Wash. By the end of the 1970s, HP was looking at other markets like Boise and Spokane.

The Mains' mixed-use concept featured a retail center, business district and residential development blended into a pedestrian friendly community with plenty of greenspace. Their visit to the HP Stanford Park campus in Palo Alto brought the plan into further light. HP would be the first commercial tenant in the Liberty Lake area, paving the way for other high-tech businesses like Telect and Itron.

More components fell into place to bring the orchestration of Liberty Lake into harmony, starting with the formation of the Liberty Lake Sewer and Water District in 1973 that added key infrastructure pieces necessary for commercial and residential construction. The Mains would also collaborate with Elmer Schneidmiller, the largest land owner in the area, on plans for a unique community that people would be proud to call home.

High interest rates had a dampening effect on development until the early 1990s, when residential and commercial projects began emerging in Liberty Lake and throughout Spokane County. Still, growth in the area was slow. Greenstone has an aerial photo of Liberty Lake from 1994 that is the definition of rural.  

"There was virtually nothing here," said Frank. 

The Mains would stake their claim on the residential side through a project known as Homestead, later to be renamed Meadowwood, the cornerstone of contemporary Liberty Lake. Years after HP left its local headquarters, the name would surface again, this time as the repurposed Meadowwood Technology Campus. 

RE/MAX of Spokane was founded as the vehicle for marketing Homestead/Meadowood homes and other Main Real Estate developments. Bill Jr. and his dad bought the local franchise over two decades ago and, like Main Real Estate, it has diversified over the years. Bill Jr. currently serves as the designated managing broker and owner of RE/MAX of Spokane, a business that has earned the highest single office sales the past two years for a region that includes Washington, Idaho, Oregon and Montana.      

Bill Sr., long retired, still lives in the area but has slowed down several gears since his dynamic development days. Bill Jr. takes him on regular car excursions, some of which wind through the streets of a Liberty Lake community they both envisioned nearly 40 years ago. 

Q: Growing up, did you think you might pursue real estate and development as a career?

A: My brother, sister and I were raised on the north side of Spokane. We always have been surrounded by real estate influence and conversation. It was the norm in our family that dinner conversation topics included current sales price trends, lot line adjustments and zoning changes. After graduating from St. George's School in 1971, I needed to get as far away from real estate and Spokane as possible. I enrolled in college and switched majors a dozen times until I slowly realized that no field or career could be as exciting, challenging and fun as real estate. … My dad was a major influence in my returning to Spokane and getting into real estate. His enthusiasm and optimism was catchy, and he encouraged and mentored many people in the profession.

Q: What do you think your dad saw in the potential of the Liberty Lake area to become something great?

A: In the 1970s, Liberty Lake was a small community primarily populated around the lake. However, the area was a textbook example for a planned community with I-90 access, surrounded by scenic hills, located between Spokane and Coeur d'Alene and had the wonderful amenity of the lake and Liberty Lake Golf Course. Probably the most important ingredient was the  large undeveloped parcels of land between the lake and 1-90  which were  controlled by the Scheidmiller Land Company, used for their family grass seed business. The large unimproved vacant property in this wonderful setting provided a blank slate with many possibilities from a development point that provided a rare opportunity to plan for an entire community. Dad met Elmer Schneidmiller in the 1970s and they entered an agreement to develop the property. They were both extremely optimistic and persistent and would encourage each other to keep the focus on a vision of developing this community into something really special. This partnership was not primarily interested in "maximizing profit" - the main emphasis was to participate in creating an exceptional community.

Q: The national economy during this time was not exactly flourishing. What sort of challenges did this present for local real estate and, in particular, the goals for development in Liberty Lake?

A: The economy in the U.S. and particularly in Spokane was disastrous in the late 1970s and early 1980s, particularly for the development and real estate business. Interest rates were sky high (21 percent prime rate) and very little, if any, business was being conducted in development/construction business. At this point, Spokane County (Liberty Lake would not incorporate as a city until 2001) had approved zoning and preliminary lot configuration for the entire project. Sewer and water capacity was available (the Liberty Lake Sewer District had completed its facilities), but there were no clients. We had searched development money for the first phase of Homestead (later renamed Meadowwood) throughout Spokane and the state and, after many rejections, finally received a commitment through Seafirst Bank (now Bank of America) from their Seattle residential lending department. The first phase included approximately $1.5 million in infrastructure improvements (sewer, water lines and streets) that could not be recaptured through the sales of the improved lots, which became problematic. I remember in the early 1980s calling and begging builders that were still in business to buy fully serviced lots in Homestead for $7,500 - just so we could get two-by-fours in the air, creating an impression of activity. My brother, Doug, had relocated to Alaska in the early 1980s, where the market was booming. He was very successful in developing and building projects in Anchorage and introduced dad and me to his primary bank, Alaska Mutual Bank. Ultimately, we entered into a partnership with the bank which enabled us to develop the property to the market, which was moving at glacial speed for about six years. The bank's capital allowed the project to survive as envisioned during these very slow market days.

Q: How did the arrival of Hewlett Packard affect the early development of Liberty Lake?

A: Hewlett Packard's decision to locate at Liberty Lake was crucial in the development and existence of Meadowwood and the Liberty Lake community as it exists today. The Meadowwood Planned Unit Development, formerly known as Homestead, in 1979, was the largest PUD approved in the state of Washington. The Homestead preliminary plat and environmental impact statement were completed in 1979 at the same time Hewlett Packard indicated interest in locating in Spokane. However, the Spokane economy and real estate market were in shambles due to the extremely high interest rates, and no utility construction or development had occurred at Homestead at that time. The biggest challenge to  beginning construction was lack of sewer and water facilities, as the Homestead plat was conditioned on availability of sewer and water. Hewlett Packard was reviewing several sites in Spokane County. We worked with the HP site acquisition team, and the team ultimately chose the Liberty Lake site. We modified the plat to create HP-desired boundaries, and they committed to contribute a substantial sum to the Liberty Lake Sewer District (in exchange for sewer and water capacity for their site) for construction of the sewer and water facilities. HP's financial commitment to the LLSWD was extremely important, if not crucial, in contributing to the beginnings of development with helping fund the Liberty Lake Sewer District and providing a Triple-A anchor for the project.

Q: You and your dad visited Palo Alto and HP's Stanford Park campus right around that time. What impressions did you bring back to the Inland Northwest and the Liberty Lake project?

A: During negotiations with the Hewlett Packard site acquisition team, they shared their preferences for development. HP preferred, at the time, a residential, commercial and non-polluting industrial integrated community. The desire was to build a small community where one could bike or walk to the store or to work. This sounds like a no-brainier today, but at the time it was a unique concept. 

HP invited Elmer Schneidmiller, our engineer Dick Mason, Dad and I to visit the Stanford Park area campus. At the time, Hewlett Packard was cutting edge not only in their products but were leading the pack with unique management style, treatment of employees and flexible time schedules. The HP tours provided firsthand experience as to an existing community integrated with a variety of zoning uses and including bike and walking trails. It was exciting that a progressive and innovative company had decided to locate in the Spokane community, and Liberty Lake in particular. After the Stanford Park area visit, our group returned and modified the specific Hewlett Packard site to accommodate their needs but redesigned several aspects of the original plat to reflect what we had learned during that trip.

Q: How were the plans for Liberty Lake different from what was going on in Spokane County and the region at the time?

A: During the time when Homestead was originally platted, there was nothing to compare it with in Spokane County. The plat concept was an "urban village" long before that term was coined. Faster-growing parts of the country, such as southern and northern California communities, were being planned and built with similar plans and zoning. The original plat was substantially modified twice. The first major revamp was accomplished after our visit to the HP Stanford Park area, and we reflected the things we learned about integration in addition to revising the boundaries of the HP site. 

The second major revamp occurred when the Meadowwood Golf Course was incorporated into the overall project. We had hired well-known and experienced land planners and architects, Nagy and Richardson, located in Newport Beach, Calif. The firm had extensive experience in planning small communities in Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Phoenix. After determining absorption rates and projecting full development of Homestead, Nagy recommended that the project could have acceptable absorption rates by creating more open space with creating an amenity such as a golf course. The Meadowwood Golf Course was originally platted as residential lots. Spokane County Parks Director Sam Angove had always wanted to expand the existing Liberty Lake Golf Course. Over several months of negotiations, a generous land donation by one of the original landowners, Jeslyn Schultz, and Spokane County locating funding to construct the course, the Meadowwood Golf Course was born.

Q: Jim Frank and Greenstone Homes seem to have adeptly carried on the original vision that your dad had for this area. How would you describe the passing of that development baton and what are your thoughts about Greenstone's impact on Liberty Lake?

A: In the mid 1980s, dad and I entered into a partnership with Alaska Mutual Bank involving the Meadowwood project. The bank had made a substantial investment of $6.5 million (huge money in those days) in the project when the Alaskan economy was booming. The investment allowed us to develop the property near the end of the 1980s. By the 1990s, and the end of the Alaska boom, the bank became a cumbersome partner, due partially to distance and lack of interest. The bank had indicated they were willing to sell their interest. 

Dad and I had known Jim Frank for years. We both personally knew of Jim's integrity and admired his thoughtful, long-term approach to developing property. His projects were high-quality but also interesting, a little different. We discussed and negotiated a sale with the bank, and Jim ultimately bought out the interest of Alaska Mutual Bank. It was a beneficial transition for us and the Meadowwood community, going to a partner with energy, wonderful concepts and ideas and consistent follow-through. We were partners with Jim for two years and couldn't have dreamed of a better partner as a person and businessman. Jim offered to buy our interest as my dad began thinking about retirement. 

Jim Frank and Greenstone have left their quality impact on Meadowwood. Greenstone has brought great design and value for the family home in Meadowwood, and many of the fantastic amenities the community enjoys were Jim's initial efforts - the (Farmers Market), movies at Pavillion Park, symphony at the park, boulevard trees and on. I believe that everyone involved in Meadowwood can be extremely  proud of the end result. 

By the time Jim purchased our interest in Meadowwood (nearly 20 years after the first plat recording), Dad and I frankly were burnt out on the project. Dad decided to retire, and I became involved with several much smaller residential developments in the Spokane Valley and West Plains developments. Additionally, I partnered with Ron Wells, and we repurposed several buildings into residential condos, including 36-unit Morgan Building and the Churchills/Joel building. Developing existing buildings downtown was the polar opposite end of the development spectrum from the blank slate that became Meadowwood. 

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