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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

City asked to condemn site


This parking lot, across the street from the INB Performing Arts Center in downtown Spokane, is part of the land the city is considering condemning. 
 (Jesse Tinsley / The Spokesman-Review)

A downtown block could soon be condemned to build what’s already there: parking.

The Spokane Public Facilities District has asked the Spokane City Council to condemn land across from the Convention Center and INB Performing Arts Center so it can be used for parking and a future expansion.

“What we’re looking at is what we promised the people of Spokane County and that was additional parking,” said facilities district chairwoman Sandra Wade.

Almost all of the land is private parking lots. Wade said the first step after acquiring the parcels would be to resurface it and remove existing barriers. Eventually, the district hopes to build a parking garage. In the long term, a portion of the land would be used for Convention Center expansion.

“We have to look forward to what’s next,” Wade said.

In 2002, Spokane County voters extended hotel and sales taxes set to expire in 2017 to 2034 to pay for improvements, including an expanded Convention Center and more parking.

But officials considered condemning the property long before the 2002 vote. The City Council declared its intention to acquire the block for Opera House parking as early as 1982.

Glen Cloninger, an architect who is the owner or part-owner of most of the land being considered for condemnation, said he believes the process violates his private property rights.

“I wish that I could have unencumbered use of my property without the PFD and City Council threatening to condemn it for the past 25 years.”

Mayor Dennis Hession said the use of the property to promote tourism and convention business justifies the use of eminent domain.

“They (the facilities district) have satisfied us that they have proceeded in good faith to try to acquire the property at fair market value,” Hession said.

Exactly how much the district offered hasn’t been disclosed. Cloninger, however, said earlier this year that it wasn’t a fair price. At the time, he said the land was worth $9.5 million.

“The property is for sale,” Cloninger said in an interview this week. “They can buy it or anyone else can.”

Attorney Stanley Schwartz, who is representing the district, said the district also has had the land appraised. He said he could not disclose numbers, but added that the district disagrees with Cloninger’s stance on valuation.

Besides several parcels owned by Cloninger, the district is pursuing condemnation of two properties owned by Diamond Parking.

The district already owns 37,000 square feet of property on the block. Diamond Parking owns about 20,000 square feet, and Cloninger or partnerships that include him own 63,000 square feet.

The district asked the council to condemn the land in February, but the council asked the district to give negotiations another try.

Schwartz said the district decided to ask the council a second time after further talks failed to create any deals.

Wade said the district worked hard to prevent condemnation.

“I’d much rather have struck a deal than go where we’re going,” Wade said.

The council is expected to take action on the request on Nov. 26. If the City Council agrees to condemn, the matter would move to Spokane Superior Court.