Save the old brick building on West Main from demolition!

Spokane - the city of surface parking lots! ( photo pulled from Facebook note )

Spokane Preservation Advocates has learned that the owner of the historic brick building at 7 W. Main housing Main Street Antiques has applied for a demolition permit and design for a parking lot to be approved before the new parking lot ban goes into effect in about a month.

Today, please send a short note to Mayor Verner and the City Council encouraging the City to get involved to save the building. *Choose from sample talking points below.

Send your email to:
Mayor Mary Verner — mverner@spokanecity.org
Susan Ashe — sashe@spokanecity.org
Joe Shogan — jshogan@spokanecity.org
Steve Corker — scorker@spokanecity.org
Nancy McLaughlin — nmclaughlin@spokanecity.org
Bob Apple — bapple@spokanecity.org
Richard Rush — rrush@spokanecity.org
Jon Snyder — jsnyder@spokanecity.org
Amber Waldref — awaldref@spokanecity.org
Please Cc Spokane Preservation Advocates — matt_2941@yahoo.com

Sample Talking Points:
— I urge you to take creative and swift steps to ensure the continued existence of this building in a manner that will encourage redevelopment.
— This 2-story, brick building helps create a pedestrian-friendly environment that attract tourists and local shoppers, an urban character that distinguishes Spokane’s unique downtown from the suburbs, and an expanded tax base.
— The building at 7 W. Main resides along Division Street, the “gateway” to our fair city. It is part of a collection of “incubator buildings” that can provide lower-rent opportunities in which new businesses can take root.
— Maintaining this 100-year-old building for redevelopment is in Spokane’s best economic interest. It plays a crucial role in the historical character of the newly-vibrant East Main Street district.
— Allowing this building to be torn down would sacrifice an integral part of the East Downtown Historic District and is counterproductive to the economic revitalization that is occurring there.
— That district includes such local landmarks as the Community Building, Zola, and the soon-to-open Main Market.
— There are already five parking lots on this block. Parking lots do not incubate new businesses, they create economic dead zones. The razing of 7 W. Main for a parking lot would hurt this fledgling new downtown hot spot immeasurably for decades to come.

Please share this note with friends. Thank you!