Valley park plan rekindled

The civic and business leaders who sought to develop Mirabeau Point in Spokane Valley a decade ago wanted to make sure it was a place where disabled children wouldn’t have to watch from the side as other kids used the playground.

Since then, a new community center, the Valley YMCA and expansive natural areas have all grown from their plans, although the Children’s Universal Park still exists only in architects’ drawings.

“The desire for it has not waned,” said Mike Flanigan, a former city councilman who was involved in the development of Mirabeau Point. “I think there’s a really good chance of it coming through.” Renewed interest and optimism about the children’s park has emerged as Spokane Valley, with support from area Chambers of Commerce, has committed to lobby in Olympia next year for $800,000 to build the park.

“I’m just going to see what I can do about it and do whatever I can,” said 4th District Republican Sen. Bob McCaslin, although he and other elected officials are cautious about making predictions about the state budget.

“It’s a great concept, but getting there and getting it to fruition is another story,” he said.

Like the rest of the Legislature, the committee that recommends funding for state projects is controlled by Democrats, and McCaslin said 4th District legislators and the committee’s ranking minority member will have to work across the aisle to make their case for the park.

At less than $1 million, the request has a better shot at funding than some larger proposals, but legislators will also weigh community projects from the Spokane area such as a children’s museum, armed forces museum, ballpark improvements and others.

“I’m sure it’s just as viable a project; it’s just a matter of how much money there is to go around,” said Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown, D-Spokane.

“The region has a pretty long list of capital budget requests.”

Last year Spokane Valley’s proposal didn’t even make it before the committee, but this session the City Council plans to hire a lobbyist to take a more aggressive approach to state issues affecting the city.

“We’ve decided that this is something we want to do, so we are actively going to advocate for it,” said Spokane Valley Mayor Diana Wilhite.

It’s common for projects to come before the Legislature for years before they are funded, but in Spokane at least, the level of commitment to the park seems higher than it’s been for years.

There is about $372,000 left over from the construction budget for the CenterPlace community center that could be used for the park.

Local service groups also have looked into contributing to the park.

If the state request were fully funded, Flanigan said donations could probably cover the rest.

Increased construction prices have doubled the cost since some of the first estimates were compiled in 2001, to about $1.2 million.

“We say that we value our children; well, let’s prove it. Let’s spend the money on our kids,” said Dick Boysen, executive director of the Spokane Guilds’ School, which helps young children with disabilities in Spokane.

Several years ago, teachers there joined volunteers from other schools, hospitals and charities to help figure out the physical and educational attributes of the park.

The result was 46 pages of drawings and concepts spread over a half-acre near CenterPlace unlike anything existing in the Inland Northwest.

In the plans, younger children frolic on the hills of a miniature Palouse just past a gated entry.

An area shaded by various fruit trees that once covered the Valley provides space for kids to sit and socialize.

Nearby, giant chimes ring out near a volcano with a slide and various surfaces for climbing.

Interactive displays simulate flowing river water, fossils for rubbings and a mural depicting the life cycle of salmon. Almost every available surface in the plan houses a game or activity, from hopscotch to a human sundial.

Wheelchairs can access every section of the playground, and even landscape mazes would be wide enough to accommodate them.

The features are designed for children from 1 ½ through 10 years old, which makes it available to children who aren’t big enough to use most other playground equipment.

“One of the big problems is we don’t accommodate for the pre-K aged child very well,” Boysen said.