Avista Labs to move to old Itron building

Avista Laboratories Inc., Avista Corp.'s Spokane-based technologydevelopment company that's commonly referred to as Avista Labs, plans to move its operations into a former Itron Inc. office-andmanufacturing building in the Spokane Business & Industrial Park.

The 23,000-square-foot building, which Crown West Realty LLC bought in September from Itron, is located at 15913 E. Euclid in the southern portion of the 600-acre Spokane Valley park.

Maria Ranniger, director of communications for Avista Labs, declines for now to confirm that the company is moving into that building, but says it expects to announce soon plans "to consolidate its operations under one roof."

Spokane County has Issued a building permit for an "interior remodelAvista Labs" at the former Itron building. County records list the value of that project at $770,000. Integrus Architecture PS, of Spokane, applied for the permit, and Pro Building Systems Inc., of Spokane, is listed as the general contractor.

Ranniger says Avista Labs' 50 employees operate out of the Spokane Intercollegiate Research & Technology Institute building at 665 N. Riverpoint Blvd., the WHC Building at 201 W. North River Drive, and at Logan Industries Inc., a contract manufacturer in the Spokane Business & Industrial Park with which Avista Labs works closely.

Avista Labs is developing fuel cells, which are said to provide an alternative source of energy that's more environmentally friendly than conventional forms of energy. The company's Web site says it plans to introduce a commercially viable fuel-cell product next year.