Then and now: Riverfront Park after Expo

In 1958, the Spokane City Plan Commission began studying possible civic and cultural uses for the downtown islands in the Spokane River if they could remove the railroad operations from the riverfront, which seemed impossible.

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Mon., July 13, 2020

1977: Just three years after the world’s fair, Expo ’74, the exhibition pavilions have been removed and the grounds have been transformed into an urban oasis for walking, picnicking and recreation called Riverfront Park. Planning for the waterfront park’s use after Expo started well before the fair, with teams of architects and engineers designing an undulating landscape on Havermale Island.

Jesse Tinsley The Spokesman-Review
Present day: Since the conversion of the former railroad yard into the grounds of Expo ’74, the trees have grown, landscaping matured, trails improved and some features retired or moved. Today, improvements continue with the help of a $64.3 million park bond passed in 2014.

Jesse Tinsley The Spokesman-Review Buy this photo