Park Designer Backs Bridge Says Lincoln Street Span Would Beautify Riverfront And Aid Area

The man who designed Riverfront Park said Tuesday the Lincoln Street bridge would be good for the park.

Through the bridge project, the park would grow by 1.83 acres and add 10 overlooks of the Spokane River, Bob Perron said during a public hearing at City Hall.

The hearing was the public’s chance to speak out on a shoreline permit the city is seeking in order to build the $36 million bridge.

Hearing Examiner Greg Smith, who listened to the testimony, is expected to decide later this month if the city gets the permit.

If the bridge is built, the benefits to the park will be “immense,” said Perron, a city Parks Department consultant.

The public would get about 700 feet in new riverfront access, and the size of Veterans Park would double, he said.

The east side of City Hall, along Post, would also get more trees, more grass and less traffic, since it would no longer be a through street.

But not everyone thought the bridge would beautify the city. Artist Melville Holmes told Smith the bridge would create a “visual tension.”

The structure would grab the attention of spectators, drawing it away from the falls, Holmes said.

Fifteen people testified during the first three hours of the hearing, which started in the afternoon and continued into the evening.

Once Smith reaches his decision, critics have 21 days to file an appeal.

, DataTimes