At the July 21 Liberty Lake City Council meeting, City Administrator Katy Allen brought up an unnamed company that would bring hundreds of jobs to the community and further propel plans for a possible traffic roundabout at the intersection of Mission and Molter. 

We now know that company is Comcast.

The multinational mass media company will occupy 80,000 square feet in a new building on the Meadowwood Technology Campus by next year. According to Comcast spokesman Walter Neary, the site is part of the company's "new initiative to improve customer service" and will eventually be home to 750 employees. 

Liberty Lake joined Tucson, Ariz., and Albuquerque, N.M., as one of three locations in the western U.S. selected by Comcast as part of the program. 

"This was a very competitive process," Neary said. "We considered a lot of areas. Liberty Lake just emerged as a great location. They won a nationwide competition." 

Jim Frank, CEO of Greenstone Homes which owns the Meadowwood property, said the plan is to have the building ready for Comcast by January. He estimated that tenant improvements would take another four to five months, putting the official opening of the site sometime in May or June.

"This is a testament to Liberty Lake's quality of services and infrastructure provided by the city," Frank said. "Along with sewer, water and roads, this was about our trail system, the amount of open space and the quality of the workforce in this area." 

Comcast hosted a meet and greet event on June 9 at its Spokane headquarters to promote the onset of employment opportunities. The company has a one-year lease at a site on Sullivan Road in Spokane Valley where 100 employees are now in training. Neary said that the interim building would close when the Liberty Lake location is ready. 

"We've recognized for some time that the Spokane area has a fantastic workforce and that this is a great place to live," Neary said. 

Comcast has also announced that veterans and family members of veterans would comprise 15 percent of the staff at the new office. 

Neary said the company is hiring now, and interested applicants can visit cmcsa.jobs/SpokaneWa.

Frank said the original Hewlett Packard building that represented the flagship structure of the Meadowwood Tech Campus and encompasses 200,000 square feet "is now essentially full." Earlier this year, a 60,000 square foot building known as "Meadowwood 3" was completed for Liberty Mutual Insurance. Frank said there are plans "to complete the balance of frontage improvements on Mission Road," including landscaping and sidewalks. The Comcast project will also add parking and a separate entrance.

"The city welcomes Comcast and its new employees," said Liberty Lake Mayor Steve Peterson. "Liberty Lake is a place for Comcast to truly call home as it builds its business and customer base. Comcast and its employees will be able to live, work and play in our friendly community with access to very affordable housing, multiple transportation alternatives, educational and recreational opportunities."