YWCA site plans proceeding
SRM Development LLC is moving forward with a condo tower proposed for the YWCA site near downtown Spokane, more than a year after announcing the project.
The Spokane-based development company has scheduled a public meeting to solicit informal comments on the proposal, which would require a shoreline conditional-use permit because of its proximity to the Spokane River.
The first phase would be a 14-story condo tower over a 2.5-floor parking structure with retail space adjacent to Lincoln Street, according to a public announcement. But an SRM manager said whether the company will build a second tower, and the project’s height and parking capacity, have not been finalized.
“We don’t know what it’s going to look like,” said Dave Tomson, development manager. “The goal right now is to get through the shoreline permitting process.”
The city is updating its shoreline regulations, which are expected to be more restrictive of development along the river.
A conditional-use permit is required for some types of development within 200 feet of the river’s high-water mark. Traditionally, the permits include a requirement for public access.
If SRM completes its conditional-use application before the changes are implemented, it could be “vested,” or treated under the current regulations, said Dave Compton, acting planning manager for the city.
Past shoreline uses have been controversial, such as a fight in the 1990s over a proposed Lincoln Street Bridge above the lower falls, which was later abandoned, and debates over public access, trails and building heights.
A rough draft of regulations is expected to be completed between mid-spring and summer, and it would require approval by the state Department of Ecology and the Spokane City Council, said Jo Anne Wright, a city planner. The new rules likely will address factors such as height, bulkiness and use of buildings proposed within 200 feet of the river, she said.
Regulations set a 35-foot height limit for certain shoreline buildings that would block views from a significant number of other residences.
Tomson stressed the company envisions a project that will “enhance the beauty of the river,” potentially including a trail connecting to nearby paths.
“We really are hoping to design something that provides good access for the public to the river,” Tomson said. “Today, there is no access.”
Average shoreline permits take about 90 to 120 days and must go before the city’s hearing examiner, Compton said.
SRM in late 2006 announced it had entered early planning for two condo towers on the 2.26-acre parcel that currently houses the YWCA, at 829 W. Broadway Ave. The property overlooks the river and sits just north of Anthony’s seafood restaurant.
The company has executed, but not closed, a purchase and sales agreement with the YWCA for the site for about $4 million.
It’s contingent on the YWCA moving into its multimillion-dollar joint facility with the YMCA on North Monroe Street, which is under construction, said Monica Walters, YWCA executive director.
“We certainly hope that they’re successful” in developing the site, Walters said.
The tower would be 150 feet tall, the maximum allowed, according to recent information on SRM’s Web site. Preliminary renderings of the project – which were removed from the site Wednesday – depicted two condo towers joined by a shorter, wider building at the corner of Lincoln and Broadway.
The project would include condos and retail space, offering “unparalleled views of the Spokane River and Riverfront Park,” according to a brochure on SRM’s Web site.
Market demand will drive the scope of the project, Tomson said. The nearby multistory Upper Falls condo project, where units started at about $500,000, nearly sold out.
“This project is out there a ways anyhow, and we’ll certainly look at the market before we do anything,” Tomson said. “We are developers and we are, generally speaking, pretty optimistic.”