Verizon installing antenna atop Crescent Building in downtown Spokane

Verizon Wireless is installing a cell antenna on downtown Spokane’s seven-story Crescent Building, according to permits filed with the city.

The work, estimated at $110,000, is part of a push by the Manhattan-based telecommunications conglomerate to expand its wireless network.

In April, the company struck a deal with Corning, a manufacturer of industrial and scientific materials, to purchase up to 37.2 million miles of optical fiber, which will be used to boost capacity and lower latency in its wireless network. In a statement, the company said it planned to purchase up to 12.4 million miles of optical fiber each year from 2018 through 2020, with a minimum purchase commitment of $1.05 billion.

T-Mobile, a Verizon competitor, is a first-floor tenant in the historic Crescent Building, which was a department store until its closing in 1992. It now houses office and retail space.