River Park Contracts Ok’D Talbott Objects To Absence Of Details, But Council Approves 4-2

Tue., July 28, 1998

By Kathy Mulady kathymu@spokesman.com

An assistant city attorney said it was just a matter of “tweaking.”

But Mayor John Talbott said missing details on documents he was being asked to approve at Monday night’s council meeting were a “disservice to citizens.”

Approving the contracts is the final step before the city receives a $22.6 million loan for the River Park Square project.

After intense questioning by Councilwoman Cherie Rodgers on details of the loan documents, the City Council voted 4-2 to approve the contracts.

Talbott and Rodgers voted no. Both have long expressed concerns about the city’s role in borrowing the money to help fund the private downtown redevelopment project.

The federal Housing and Urban Development money will be loaned to the city in phases. In turn, the city will loan the money to the developers.

The loan application was filed in 1995. The process has been long and bumpy.

“We are fortunate we have a developer in Spokane who wants to go through all these hoops,” said City Councilman Rob Higgins. “I’m thrilled to see some construction going on in downtown Spokane. It’s been a long time.”

River Park Square is being developed by Citizens Realty and Lincoln Investment. Both are subsidiaries of Cowles Publishing, which also owns The Spokesman-Review.

Rodgers raised questions about delayed environmental reports, reimbursement to downtown businesses displaced by the project, and the unfinished appraisal on the new Nordstrom that will be used as part of the loan collateral.

Assistant City Attorney Stan Schwartz said the contract for the appraisal was signed Monday.

Talbott said he was under the impression the appraisal was completed months ago.

“I think we are being asked to vote on things when we don’t have all the information,” Talbott said.

The relocation issue came up only a few months ago. About a dozen former River Park Square businesses will be contacted and their eligibility for cash reimbursement decided.

The $110 million redevelopment project will include a new Nordstrom, a variety of shops and restaurants, a 24-screen movie complex, and a parking garage.

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