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December 18, 2009 in City
Mobius, city of Spokane part ways
Organizers have pulled the plug on negotiations to develop a science center in Riverfront Park, and will look to identify a new location for the project by early next year.
Officials with Mobius, the nonprofit organization raising money for the center, said the decision will allow them to move forward more quickly with a scaled-back proposal that could open as soon as 2011. Mobius now plans to remodel an existing building in phases, instead of building a new center all at once.
The move puts an end to six years of sometimes contentious negotiations with the city of Spokane, and comes after months of divided votes over the latest lease proposal from the city Park Board.
“This is an amicable parting of ways,” said Dr. Neil Worrall, president of the Mobius board of directors.
Still, he noted that the recent Park Board negotiations had played a role in the decision. “It became clear to us and to the Park Board that the shared vision we had a few years ago … was losing some of its support,” he said.
Positive reaction
Park Board members on both sides of the recent debates said they thought it was a good move.
“I think the whole process was going in circles,” said Kimberly Morse, a board member who had opposed Mobius’ efforts to negotiate changes in the most recent lease proposal with the city. “This is like a marriage. If you’re not getting along even before you sign the agreement, should you be signing the agreement? It didn’t seem like a good marriage.”
Board member Ross Kelley, who voted in favor of continued negotiations, said the plan for Mobius to build a center in “bite-sized” stages probably makes sense. He said that he thought the city and Mobius were near a deal, but that it’s more important for the science center to move ahead than it is to put it in Riverfront Park.
“I think we were close,” he said. “I think we could have put together an agreement that both parties could (accept).”
Worrall said several elements played a role in the decision, including the economy and the ability to raise money for a roughly $27 million project. The new plan, to remodel an existing building in stages, would allow Mobius to open a first phase with about $11.5 million it has raised so far, he said.
Mobius is exploring several buildings that it could remodel, and it hopes to announce a site early in 2010 with an opening the following year. The projected opening for a Riverfront Park project was 2013.
In works for years
The idea of building a science center in the park, on the north bank of the Spokane River, goes back at least a decade. In 2003, the city selected Mobius to develop a center on the 5.7-acre parcel, but progress has consistently been stalled over fundraising, lease arrangements and other issues.
Critics have raised concerns about whether the project would pay for itself, and some opposed plans for private development on the city land to help support the center.
Most recently, the Park Board and Mobius wrangled over a proposed lease and whether the organization could make changes to a deal made in August that some Park Board members had considered final.
The 17-member Mobius board includes Anne Cowles, wife of Spokesman-Review Publisher Stacey Cowles.
Mobius and supporters on the Park Board argued that the changes would be relatively minor, including provisions involving the use of leftover environmental cleanup funds and the implications for tax credits on the project given the city’s ownership of the land. A divided Park Board voted 6-5 last week to allow Mobius and city staffers to negotiate the final points.
Some on the Park Board were unhappy, saying the proposed changes amounted to an extensive revision to an agreement they believed was final.
“We spent well over a year negotiating what we thought was a final and last offer,” said City Councilman Bob Apple, who also sits on the Park Board. “It went wrong again.”
Worrall said Mobius has seen a strong demand for a science center. The organization, which operates a children’s museum in River Park Square, ran a two-month mini-center at NorthTown Mall last summer and attracted 10,000 people. He said that the best way to meet that demand is for Mobius to move ahead without the city.
“We really look at this as a very positive development,” he said.
The draw of the unknowable 
Roger_Young on December 18 at 3:19 p.m.
Thank you Park Board for keeping the City of Spokane out of a “white shotgun” wedding with River Park Square 2.0. We already got burnt once for “sleeping with the enemy” and that was one pyrrhic divorce, the tax payers will be showing that payment scar for the next 20 years, and we still didnt get a thing out of it.
Now was this agreement a public vote or another secret one?
Finally the ill fated Morpheus aka Cowles Memorial Pseudo Sciend Center. (CMPSC) can now stand on their own two feet instead (but not their own pocket book) of sinking their infectious fangs to draw the blood from the Tax payers neck.
The Morpheus needs to re-think their failed logic. No one is going to pay $45 - $50 to go watch a bunch of clowns blow bubbles in Spokane. Even the Pacific Science Center which is hugely propped up by the Gates/Paul Allen and they still cant make a dime in the biggest city in Washington.
Perhaps they could BUY River Park Square parking garage with the Cowles money, pay the City off for the money we got ripped off for, knock it down ( therefore removing a dangerous biulding that has already killed one person) and make paper airplanes.
Or better yet buy the YMCA building from the City relieving us of that Albatross and then go jump off a bridge or into the river to test if gravity is still working.
I’m still waiting for the SR to publish everyone whose on the Morpheus Board. Nice to see who the future Philipp Pauls are.
shanusmaximus on December 18 at 3:23 p.m.
Oh you mean people started figuring out what was going on….
“Critics also have raised questions about plans to have private development on the property – which would remain city land – to help fund the museum”
DUH?
“Dr. Neil Worrall, board president, said there is a strong “pent-up demand” for a center in Spokane.”
Really? Yes sir….that is what everyone I know is bitching about in this stupid town. Gorsh…..I wish we had a science center. Dr…..I would say that there is a pent up demand for WORK and EDUCATION!!!! Dammit, the way they try to run this town is bassackwards. Attract tech and science business….get some AFFORDABLE housing DOWNTOWN. Then people would be more willing to start a business downtown if they actually lived and worked there.
Megan_B on December 18 at 3:40 p.m.
I for one am glad that there will still be a science center. It’s something my family and I have been looking forward to. If it inspires just one child to invent something useful, or cure a disease, wouldn’t it be worth it? It’s hard to track that kind of “profit” - so the short-sighted thinkers are always going to be against it.
Roger_Young on December 18 at 3:49 p.m.
Mr. Vestal is there a little disclure needed?
From the Morpheus web page.. check next to last at the bottom.
Thank you to the following organizations, whose generous contributions helped make MOBIUSLAB happen!
Anderson Mraz Design
Avista
Dr. John Cadwell
John Cadwell Jr.
Desautel Hege Communications
Garland Theater
KHQ-TV
Ward Merkeley, MD
Mortimore Productions
NorthTown Mall
Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture
Photo Ramsey
Charlie Simon
The Spokesman-Review
Ross Welburn
Roger_Young on December 18 at 3:58 p.m.
You can find Their press release here: http://mobiusspokane.org/documents/Mobius%20release%2012-18-09%20Final.pdf
Note the Email address in the upper right corner. I am glad that OUR public Utility is spending foolish money and effort on this.
Threedeemee on December 18 at 4:05 p.m.
I grew up here in Spokane. After coming back to Spokane after many years of living abroad, I am so amazed how little things have changed here. The myopic style of government is disconcerting to say the least. A Science Center? That’s the last thing this town needs right now. Do any of you realize what the unemployment rate is in this “town”? Not to mention the high school drop-out rate. You had better start thinking hard and outside the box quickly, or I feel this town has serious heartache heading it’s way.
jordanpallen on December 18 at 4:24 p.m.
Damn it, I was thinking about moving back to Spokane, but after hearing what some are saying, I realize again what a hillbilly, culture free city it is. Such a shame.
zelda on December 18 at 4:25 p.m.
Besides the ill-reasoned public/private partnership, there are deep systemic problems that argue against building a science center here or most anywhere in the U.S. now. Thinking that science exhibits will grow business opportunities for residents and their children is a cargo-cult mentality.
Combine a cultural attitude that labels anybody with more than a superficial interest or understanding of a subject as a nerd with the massive export of science/engineering jobs to mainland Asia when China joined the WTO and you begin see the scope of the problem.
Science has had an image problem for many years, but that indifference has become an empirical reality.
Thirty years ago a parent used to be able to make a case for the value of knowing science but today I can’t blame a kid for saying, “What for?” Other than mental enrichment, the vocational value of math and science in America is almost nil. It’s going to take a lot more than a “building with bubbles” to resurrect U.S. industry and innovation.
Ron_the_Cop on December 18 at 7:29 p.m.
Zelda I agree.
As I’ve said many times in the past I have no issues with a science center if done for the right reasons and dealings are done with transparency where the public understands and buys into the potential risks. The cross subsidy of the proposed MOBIUS Project by subleasing park property for commercial office development to generate operating income was flawed at best. This lease conveyed prime riverfront property for fifty years at $1 per year. Did the general public know that they were conveying this subsidy by use of prime riverfront property? Further such commercial development would be off the public tax roles.
If this property was allowed to developed in a normal process there would be a substantial property tax stream. The proposed revenue from this project would have been $12K in parking revenue and or 15% of the potential lease revenue whichever was more. A good argument could be made this funding arrangement was a gifting of public funds that would only benefit a select group of developers that were in line to develop commercial portion of this project. Further Section 48 of the City Charter probably would preclude this deal without putting it to a public vote. The science center is better served by seeking accommodations elsewhere while it expands it’s customer base from its current RPS facilities.
Ron_the_Cop on December 19 at 7:45 a.m.
Folks there is a new thread on a later version of this story at:
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/dec/19/science-center-wont-be-in-riverfront-park/