City Council will discuss River Park Square expansion plan

A plan that would effectively expand River Park Square needs more than brick and mortar. It needs city property.

Centennial Real Estate Investments, a sister company of River Park Square, announced earlier this year that it hopes to tear down a building it owns adjacent to River Park Square to build a new structure that would house Urban Outfitters. The plan calls for the city to vacate 17 feet of city right-of-way along Wall Street to allow for a larger store.

The plan will be considered by the Spokane City Council Monday evening.

City Council President Ben Stuckart said he is “very supportive” of the plan.

“It will be a significant draw,” he said.

But Councilman Jon Snyder said he has serious concerns about shrinking the city’s right-of-way along Wall.

“I’m concerned about how much pedestrian space there’s going to be on that street,” he said. “Giving up right-of-way is permanent, where retailers aren’t, necessarily.”

Snyder said he’s also concerned about the amount of space left to accommodate Spokane Transit Authority buses – though other City Council members say engineers have assured them there still would be enough of Wall for pedestrians and buses.

Centennial is owned by the Cowles Co., which also owns the adjacent River Park Square mall and The Spokesman-Review.

Under the proposal, Centennial would pay $157,445 to buy the land from the city.

City Councilwoman Candace Mumm said that block of Wall Street is meant to be a “gateway to Riverfront Park for pedestrians,” and that is possible even if the street is narrowed.

“If this project can facilitate that, I’m interested in it,” she said.

She said she believes the street could become more friendly to walkers when it’s redesigned to accommodate the shrunken street and a planned city sewer project.

Mumm said she’s met with River Park Square officials about the proposal.

“I really engaged them to develop it in a pedestrian-friendly way, and they seemed open to it,” Mumm said.

Doug Yost, Centennial’s director of real estate investments, said the street vacation is needed because of the space demands of Urban Outfitters, a retailer based in Philadelphia that has more than 200 stores, including three in Seattle.

While Urban Outfitters would use the extra space south of a skywalk that connects Macy’s to River Park Square, north of the skywalk the extra space along Wall in the proposed new building is not determined, Yost said.

Mumm said an eatery with outdoor seating would make the area more attractive to pedestrians.

But Snyder cautioned against making space for a restaurant. He noted that there are two or three vacant restaurants nearby, including the Olive Garden on the same block, which announced abruptly last Saturday that it was closing permanently.

Snyder’s also expressed concern about Leland’s on Wall, a barbershop that since 1966 has been in the building slated for demolition.

“I have a little heartburn with disadvantaging a local business that’s been there for 40 years in favor of a large multinational company,” Snyder said.

But Yost said Leland’s will relocate in River Park Square.

Stuckart said city officials are planning to move up a plan to replace a sewer line in the street to coincide with construction of the building.

“We were going to have to do the sewer work anyway,” Stuckart said. “It will give us the opportunity to upgrade the street and the streetscape.”

If approved, construction could start in mid-July and Urban Outfitters could open next summer.

“We are working with the city in redesigning a new, vibrant streetscape,” Yost said.