Project Will Force Skywalk Changes Redevelopment Plans Mean Two Skywalks Would Be Relocated; Who Would Pay Remains Unclear

The 3-year-old skywalk from downtown Spokane’s public library soon may dead-end into a construction site.

Phase 1 of the proposed $100 million redevelopment of River Park Square is to demolish the shopping center’s west block and remove skywalks to the library and former J.C. Penney building.

That leaves library officials concerned about access to the library and who will foot the $400,000-$500,000 bill to build a new skywalk if one is needed.

“I’m not sure the (library) board will want to do that since the library already has paid for one,” said Aubrey George, library director. “You’re also talking about modifications to this building.”

The skywalks won’t be reinstalled, at least in their current locations, said Betsy Cowles, president of both companies that own River Park Square.

City officials said the library, city and owners of River Park Square would have to discuss where a new library skywalk would be located and who would pay for it or whether a skywalk is needed at that location.

No decisions have been made, they said.

“We’re going to have to negotiate the cost and location of the skywalk,” said Stanley Schwartz, an assistant city attorney.

The city has helped the developer arrange financing for the project’s parking garage, asserting the need for public parking downtown.

Library officials took that to heart.

“It was always pushed that one reason for the garage was not just for parking for Nordstrom; it was for City Hall and the downtown library,” George said.

The shopping center’s west block would be demolished to make way for the new Nordstrom store.

“We understand Nordstrom is concerned about the number of entrances into their store,” Cowles said. River Park Square is owned by Citizens Realty Co., and Lincoln Investment Co., affiliates of Cowles Publishing Co., owner of The Spokesman-Review.

Another Cowles Publishing affiliate owns the former J.C. Penney building where Burlington Coat Factory is located.

That company would build a new skywalk from the shopping center to that building, probably east of the current one, Cowles said.

Library officials still are wondering how they’ll connect to River Park Square.

Because the skywalk can’t enter Nordstrom, it will be rerouted into the shopping center’s garage, north of where it currently attaches.

Pedestrians would walk through the garage into the shopping center.

George said one option is to extend the new skywalk diagonally from the library to the garage, using the library’s current entrance.

That would require approval from the city’s hearing examiner because an ordinance says all skywalks have to extend straight across the street.

The original library and skywalk were built with a $28.9 million library bond in 1990. Voters passed that bond with 65 percent approval, the largest in state history for a library bond issue. In addition to building six new libraries, that money has been used for automation and materials.

The original skywalk cost $250,000, said Russ Smith, the architect who designed the library. But the new one would cost as much as $500,000 because it would be longer, not extending directly across Lincoln Street, he said.

The library has a 25-year permit from the city to use the skywalk airspace. Citizens Realty Co., owner of the west block of River Park Square, has the right to modify the shopping center as long as the alterations do not block access to the skywalk, city documents say.

George is concerned about access to the library, which he said will become more difficult when the Lincoln Street Bridge is built, making Lincoln a busier arterial.

“If we don’t have a skywalk connection,” George said, “we’re going to be an island. It’ll be difficult to get to us.”

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Graphic: Skywalk changes