Piece By Expensive Piece, Campus Growing

Efforts to purchase a block for the Lewis and Clark High School campus expansion are moving forward with the Spokane District 81 school board agreeing to buy the Outlaw Restaurant.

The board earlier this month approved purchasing the Mexican restaurant at 404 W. Fifth Ave. The district will pay $248,500 with an additional $20,000 paid as a relocation benefit for owner Tim Kruger.

The restaurant will remain open through March and the district will take over the property April 15.

Kruger declined to comment on the purchase.

The district is working to buy the entire block to the east of LC as part of the school’s $41 million renovation and expansion.

The block will house a new fieldhouse as well as tennis courts and other physical education space, according to current designs.

In July, the district paid $575,000 for Hendrickson Flats, an historic apartment building in the same block as the Outlaw.

The district is trying to sell that structure in agreement with the City/ County Historic Landmarks Commission, but will demolish it if it’s not purchased by Feb. 1.

The district had also planned to buy the block to the southwest of the school. But Assistant Superintendent Mark Anderson said acquiring the first block has proved to be more costly than expected.

“Hendrickson Flats was a surprise,” he said.

To finish buying the block, the district still needs to buy what is known as the Clack Trust, which includes all the property fronting Fourth Avenue.

“Right now, we are far apart in price,” said Anderson.