River Park Square Data To Be Released Judge Rules City Must Make Financial Documents Available To Public

Financial documents related to the River Park Square redevelopment project must be released, but not until the city of Spokane cashes the first federal loan check, a judge ruled Thursday.

State law exempts the release of leases and other financial documents while they are being used to apply for economic development dollars, said Spokane County Superior Court Judge Linda Tompkins.

But that exemption ends the day city officials get the first installment of a $22.65 million loan from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

That money will be loaned to the city, which then will loan the money to the developers of the downtown redevelopment project.

“This is part of the risk private entities face when they engage in these type of activities with public agencies,” Tompkins said.

The $110 million redevelopment of River Park Square will include a new Nordstrom department store, a multiplex theater, expanded parking and numerous shops and restaurants.

Attorney Steve Eugster sued the city for the release of several documents. They include the Nordstrom lease, which is being used as collateral for the HUD loan.

Duane Swinton, attorney for the developer, argued the documents contained proprietary information that would give the shopping center’s competitors an unfair advantage. Their release would cause “irreparable harm” to the project, he said.

The jobs, tax revenues and other benefits of the shopping center’s redevelopment would be lost “because business will not engage in submitting private information to government bodies,” Swinton said.

Tompkins was not swayed.

“I’m not convinced the whole project will come to a screeching halt if the documents are disclosed,” Tompkins said.

After the hearing, Swinton said the judge’s ruling wouldn’t keep the project from moving ahead. He added his clients likely would appeal.

While HUD attorneys still are reviewing final documents, the federal agency approved the loan March 31 - a day after City Council members accepted the loan’s conditions.

Stan Schwartz, assistant city attorney, said the final loan documents, as well as the first check, were expected within two to four weeks.

Eugster also planned to appeal, saying the documents should be released immediately. “She should have ordered all public documents be released as of today,” he said.

River Park Square is owned by Citizens Realty Co. and Lincoln Investment Co., affiliates of Cowles Publishing Co., which owns The Spokesman-Review.

DOCU-DRAMA Financial documents related to the River Park Square downtown redevelopment project become public as soon as the city receives its first payment from HUD, Judge Linda Tompkins ruled Thursday. That could be in two to four weeks, according to assistant city attorney Stan Schwartz.