Decisions Expected Today On Downtown Bon Store

Downtown Spokane lovers hope to finish gathering 20,000 signatures today to encourage The Bon Marche and Nordstrom to remain in the city’s business core.

Launched on Sept. 16, the “I Love Downtown” campaign hopes to show the Bon and Nordstrom that consumers will patronize their downtown stores in the future.

Officials with Federated Department Stores, parent company of The Bon department store chain, are expected today to make key decisions about the future of the downtown Spokane store.

The Bon, which also has a store in the NorthTown Mall, plans to build another store at the proposed Spokane Valley Mall. But downtown real estate developers fear that may mean the closing of the downtown store.

The Bon and Nordstrom are the linchpins to an $80 million public/private renovation of downtown’s River Park Square shopping center. Developers fear that if the Bon closes downtown, Nordstrom also would leave, jeopardizing the project.

For more information, call the “I Love Downtown” committee at 326-7414.

In other events this week:

Today

National Association of State Departments of Agriculture holds three-day annual meeting in Portland. Call 503-986-4551.

The National Association of Realtors reports existing home sales for August.

Tuesday

U.S. Bank of Washington Vice President Brenda McKelvie leads a seminar beginning at 9 a.m. on Uniform Customs and Practice for Documentary Credits (UCO 500) at the Spokane Intercollegiate Research and Technology Institute, 665 N. Riverpoint Blvd. Cost: $125. Call 533-4700.

Three-day seminar on ISO 9000 documentation begins at 8 a.m. at the Applied Technology Center, 3939 N. Freya. Cost: $400. Call 533-4700.

Wednesday

Downtown Business to Business Tour of the Spokane Veteran’s Memorial Arena, Liberty Building and Spokane Transit Authority Plaza begins at 1 p.m. Cost: $20. Call 459-4111.

Spokane Area Economic Development Council board of directors meets at 7:30 a.m. in the Spokane Area Chamber of Commerce building, 1020 W. Riverside.

Craig Sandvik of Deluxe Corp. will speak at noon to the Inland Northwest Treasury Management Association in the Coeur d’Alene Room of the Shilo Inn, 923 E. Third. Cost: $10 for members, $12 for non-members if registered by Tuesday. Call Vickie Erickson, 353-7078.

Thursday

Cokie Roberts, political analyst for National Public Radio and ABC news, speaks to the National Network of Commercial Real Estate Women in Seattle. Call Elizabeth Eddington, 214-250-4187.

Rebecca True of the Boeing Co. will speak at 7 p.m. to the Inland Northwest Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners at the Glover Mansion, 321 W. 8th. Cost: $20 for members and guests, $25 for non-members. Call 534-9001. , DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Graphic: Measuring the Economy - Total employment

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