Plan Ok’D For Ben Burr Park

Thu., March 11, 1999

By Mike Prager mikeprager15@gmail.com (509) 459-5454

A master plan for developing Ben Burr Park on Havana Street near 45th Avenue has been approved by the Spokane Park Board.

Neighbors living near the park continue to raise money for partial development of the play area, lawn, sprinklers and landscaping.

With the largest donation so far, the Comstock Foundation has agreed to donate $58,500 to park construction. More than $130,000 in cash and pledges of labor and materials has been raised.

“We have worked extremely hard on this project and would not be developing the park without the support of many generous donors,” Kas Hoiness said in a recent letter.

Hoiness is on a 10-member Ben Burr Park Committee, which has spearheaded fund-raising and development.

The city bought 8.6 acres for the park in 1990 but failed to win state matching money for developing a full-scale neighborhood park at $640,000. Now, the Parks Department is helping the neighborhood begin a phased development with $10,000 in city money matched against whatever the neighborhood can raise.

A master plan, written with neighborhood comment, was approved at last month’s Park Board meeting.

It calls for installation of a children’s play area, toddler sandpit, basketball court, concrete path, sidewalk, plantings, lawn and sprinklers.

Subsequent construction will include picnic shelter, restroom, parking lot, tables, benches, more pathways and five acres of turf.

One section will be set aside for native vegetation.

In-kind donations are being offered by Acme Materials and Construction Co., Winkler Co. and the Washington Association of Landscape Architects.

Hoopfest is donating the basketball court as part of its program to expand court facilities throughout the city.

Other donors include Graphics Results, Downtown Rotary Club, Ramm Associates, Arrow Enterprises, Wells Built Homes, ALSC Architects, Kinko’s, Mail Boxes Etc., McQuick Lube Center and 125 residents of the area.

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