New skywalks coming to downtown Spokane
Two skywalks torn down for the redevelopment of the old Macy’s building in downtown Spokane will be replaced for $800,000.
Walker Construction has been issued permits to replace the skywalks above Wall and Howard streets north of Main Avenue, for $350,000 and $450,000, respectively. Work on the skywalks will begin in mid-October, said Tom Hansen, owner and president of Walker Construction.
The skywalks were taken down for renovation work on the building, renamed The M, which is being converted into apartments, retail and office spaces. Work on the project has been fast-paced, and the building’s exterior will look nearly complete in 45 days.
The Wall Street skywalk will be in the same location as the one that was removed. The skywalk on Howard, however, will be farther north and connect to the Bennett Block above part of Mizuna restaurant.
Doug Yost, real estate director of real estate investments at Centennial Properties, said the skywalks will be streamlined glass and metal and will coordinate with the final look of the redesigned building. Yost said he hoped they would look more transparent than the originals.
The renovation of the building, and the skywalk construction, is being done by Centennial Properties, a subsidiary of Cowles Co., which publishes The Spokesman-Review.
When complete, skywalk users will be able to walk through the building. A final plan for the interior section of the walk is not yet finalized. Retail tenants for the building are still not known, but Yost said he anticipated both retail and residential units to be open in May or June 2018.
Dru Hieber, who owns the Bennett Block and the Parkade, said she is working with Yost on rerouting skywalk traffic in her building.
Macy’s closed the historic downtown store in 2016 as part of a series of store closures nationwide. Before it was Macy’s, the store was home to the Bon Marche for more than 50 years.
The building renovation will create 105 apartment units with underground parking.
Walker Construction, of Spokane, is the contractor on the project. NAC Architecture, also of Spokane, designed the building renovation, and DCI Engineers is doing the engineering work.