Park real estate once proposed for climbing gym may be leased rather than sold

A prime parcel of park real estate on the north shore of the Spokane River may be leased to a private developer.

The development comes after the city initially proposed selling the land, known as the Bosch lot, to a Utah-based company to build a climbing gym. The proposal appeared to violate the city’s charter.

However, city spokesman Brian Coddington said leasing the property, and opening it up to a competitive bidding process, was always being considered.

“It’s certainly an option that has been contemplated all the way along,” Coddington said.

“It’s going to require a competitive process,” he added. “It’s public property.”

In a previous interview, Mayor David Condon argued the sale wouldn’t have violated the city’s charter because the land was never used as a park.

A sale of the land went against recommendations made by Spokane’s assistant city attorney in 2008 and 2009.

Now, city officials plan to ask for requests for proposals for the property or to list the property for lease. Still, Coddington said, the city may consider selling the property.

The call for proposals or listing the property for lease could go to the public within two weeks, Coddington said.

“I would say nothing is off the table at this point in time,” Coddington said. “We’re looking at different options to create the flexibility and maximize the use of the Bosch lot.”

The Riverfront Park Master Plan calls specifically for a public-private development for “park-owned property as ‘climbing gym.’ ”

Leroy Eadie, the parks director, said leasing the land seems to be the best option.

“Everybody appears to be leaning in the direction of the lease,” he said. “That’s what we’re working on.”

The question then is how long the lease should last. Any lease lasting longer than three years must be approved by a vote of the City Council, according to the city charter.

But, Park Board President Chris Wright said, any lease longer than 40 years makes him “nervous.”

“I feel like that’s a long time,” he said. “We’re all going to be dead.”

However, Wright said, “the lawyers will tell you that a lease is a lease is a lease.”

The 1.13-acre property, on which the city is installing a stormwater catch basin, has a complicated history.

It was first acquired by the city in 1975 using eminent domain. Since then, it has been used for parking.

At the time, the property owners, Donald J. and Carol A. Bosch, fought the city’s acquisition.

In a lawsuit brought against the Bosch family and others in the spring of 1975, the city argued the land needed to be condemned and acquired by the city “for park purposes, specifically for the development program known as Central Riverfront Park.”

That could make a lease of the land difficult, Wright said. According to the city’s charter, Riverfront Park land may not be sold, exchanged or leased without a vote of the people.

That stipulation is in addition to another charter provision that prohibits the sale or transfer of park land without a vote.

Additionally, how the land can be used is restricted by the state Recreation and Conservation Office. That’s because the land was purchased using some state and federal funds. The RCO provided more than $900,000 toward the purchase.

The city has started a process with the state by which those RCO restrictions could be transferred to other city properties. The city is considering three sites, Coddington said. The RCO is scheduled to rule on the swap in October.

Coddington said a 30-day public comment period on the RCO swap will open Friday.

“It’s a complex conversation,” he said. “There are a lot of moving parts and pieces that require some careful attention.”

The final piece is whether to vacate Bridge Avenue.

Under the original parks proposal, the city would have vacated the street. That land would have become the trailhead to a 3.5-mile trail system planned to run along the south shore of the river through Peaceful Valley, cross the Sandifur Bridge and connect with the Centennial Trail on the north shore.

However, city administrators are now considering not vacating the street. Coddington said new development in the area, traffic flow concerns and existing businesses are all being taken into consideration.

Although Wright said he believes the street should be vacated, he said the Park Board will wait for the city’s decision. That will play into the overall park plan for that area, he said.

“We’re kind of interested in making sure we have a decent trailhead there and that we have a decent gateway,” Wright said.

A Spokane couple, Allison and Jess Roskelley, have partnered with Dustin Buckthal, the Utah climbing gym owner and gym developer who wants to build on the property.

Allison Roskelley emphasized in an email that they are working with the city “like any project developer” to understand how the Bosch lot can be leased or sold “by way of public process.”

She also said, “any recreation project on the Bosch property will be affected by keeping Bridge Avenue open because it divides the property into two pieces.”

Jess Roskelley’s father, John Roskelley, a former county commissioner and renowned mountaineer, is also involved in the project. In an email, he urged city administrators and council members to vacate Bridge Avenue.

“Our pursuit in vacating Bridge Avenue is not only tied to our business, but to the overall aesthetics of the area in question,” he said in the email.

Later in the email he wrote, “This area should be a trailhead/park/plaza for Centennial Trail users, Kendall Yards and West Central residents, and visitors to downtown as a popular spot to relax and enjoy the falls, not a speedway to Anthony’s or townhouse complexes.”