Big changes are happening on the third floor at Spokane's City Hall.

Friday morning just after 11:00, Mayor David Condon and several other city officials unveiled the brand new remodeled Development Services Center.

Five different departments consolidated to streamline the building permit application process. The mayor says the new center is a one stop process with improved customer service.

Condon said that over the past year, permit applications have risen 50%, and permit application responses have shortened.

Jan Quintrall works on the third floor at Business and Development Services.

She said that when she asked what customers wanted out of the department, she was expecting their answers to be speed. What they said surprised her. "Predictability, consistency and reliability," those are traits developers in Spokane are looking for in the Development Services Center she said.

Quintrall said that it took a customer 4 to 6 weeks to get a permit in Liberty Lake. That same permit took only an hour to get at Spokane's City Hall.

The high-stakes drama of "Shark Tank" will play out this weekend, right here in Spokane.

Startup Weekend is a global movement for entrepreneurs that's headquartered in Seattle.  This weekend, Startup Weekend will host its signature event at Spokane's WSU Riverpoint Campus. 

Budding entrepreneurs have the opportunity to pitch their startup ideas and receive feedback from other like-minded business people.  The top ideas are determined by popular vote, and then teams work to develop those ideas into bona fide business models.  That's when local entrepreneurial leaders get a chance to weigh in.  It's a great chance to network and learn new skills.

More details, including registration information, can be found at the Startup website.

The sun sounds pretty appealing right now, and an airline flying out of the Spokane International Airport is making that more accessible than you might have thought.

Allegiant Air is kicking off its Spokane to Honolulu direct flight offerings with a $140 one-way ticket.

“We are pleased to bring a new affordable and convenient travel option to Spokane,” Andrew C. Levy, president of Allegiant Travel Company, said. “We are confident area residents will appreciate the convenience of flying nonstop to Hawaii and the value of bundling their air, hotel and car rental reservation together.”

The new route will be traveled on a once-weekly basis from GEG to Honolulu International Airport and available to 223 passengers on each flight, according to a news release.