Steam Plant stacks turn pink

You might have noticed a pink glow in Spokane’s skyline last night. As part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the twin smokestacks of the historic Steam Plant in downtown Spokane are being bathed in pink light throughout October to help bring attention to the importance of regular screenings and early detection. The monthlong display kicked off Wednesday night and serves as the inaugural rollout of a newly installed LED lighting system that the Steam Plant plans to use as way to celebrate or promote various philanthropic and cultural events in the community. A series of 24 lights are set up around each smokestack to provide the illumination. “We’re excited that our 225-foot twin smokestacks will have the opportunity to make an even bigger impression at night—drawing attention to things that really matter,” Spencer Sowl, operations and property manager for Steam Plant Square, said in prepared remarks. Avista Corp. is still the principal owner of the Steam Plant, which used to supply more than 300 buildings with heat. It was converted in the 1990s to a mixed-use commercial building in conjunction with developers Ron and Julie Wells. Wells, along with Avista executives and Spokane Mayor David Condon, dedicated the new lighting system in a Wednesday night ceremony also attended by breast cancer awareness advocates.