Walls come tumbling down
No plans yet for former site of senior center
Demolition of the abandoned senior center in Valley Mission Park began Tuesday and was nearing completion later in the week.
By Wednesday, Larson’s Demolition already was removing the foundation and basement walls. The basement was to be filled with dirt.
Spokane Valley Parks Director Mike Stone said officials hadn’t determined how to redevelop the nearly one-acre site.
“The site’s probably going to be graded over and remain as it is, at least through the winter,” Stone said. “There really hasn’t been much discussion on our end as to what we want to do there.”
Planting grass is a possibility, but Stone said he wants to consider other options before extending the park’s irrigation system to the site.
A skateboard park is one option.
“We’ve been batting it around,” Stone said. “We’d like to build a skate park somewhere in our system.”
Some residents have called for one, “so we’re going to begin to think about that a little bit,” Stone said. “I think this winter will give us some time to discuss that.”
The senior center building at the southeast corner of the park, at the corner of Mission Avenue and Bowdish Road, has been vacant for three years. The center moved to the CenterPlace community center at Mirabeau Point Park in September 2005.
City officials considered re-using the 12,000-square-foot building, which opened in January 1976, but too much repair was needed. Renovation was estimated at $1.7 million, compared with $1.3 million for new construction.
Demolition is costing the city $101,179.
An engineering study found the building was cracked and slumping because it had been built on debris that was still settling. The basement floor had sunk 6 to 10 inches, while the exterior steps and walls listed in different directions.