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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
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Then and Now: Spokane Convention Center

One public notice on former railroad property on the south side of the Spokane River near the Division Street Bridge is an application for a liquor license for a new restaurant, seen here in a 1977 photo. Another is for a shoreline permit for a 70-unit condominium development east of Division, though it wouldn’t be built for another 15 years. The restaurant, C.I. Shenanigans, opened in 1980, but was torn down in 2013 to make way for an expansion of the Spokane Convention Center. (THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW PHOTO ARCHIVE / SR)
One public notice on former railroad property on the south side of the Spokane River near the Division Street Bridge is an application for a liquor license for a new restaurant, seen here in a 1977 photo. Another is for a shoreline permit for a 70-unit condominium development east of Division, though it wouldn’t be built for another 15 years. The restaurant, C.I. Shenanigans, opened in 1980, but was torn down in 2013 to make way for an expansion of the Spokane Convention Center. (THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW PHOTO ARCHIVE / SR)

Before Expo ’74, the south bank of the Spokane River west of Division Street was a Great Northern rail yard. The yard was eight tracks wide, including three tracks next to the GN Freight Office.

To make way for the World’s Fair, the two downtown rail depots were torn down and the associated trestles, bridges and tracks removed. The riverside near Division Street was used as a parking lot during the fair.

The former Washington State Pavilion theater, now the First Interstate Center for the Arts, and the original Spokane Convention Center building are a legacy of the fair, planting a seed of future economic development. The downtown Sheraton Hotel, now the DoubleTree, would also become important for convention business.

The FICA and a local hotel chain gave birth to the Best of Broadway series, which brings touring Broadway shows and other entertainment to the city, filling local restaurants and hotel rooms with visitors.

The chain restaurant C.I. Shenanigans opened near the river and Division Street in 1980. The river views, Irish theme and good food made it popular.

The original convention center from Expo was significantly expanded in 1989 with construction of the Washington State International Agricultural Trade Center facing the river. The annual Ag Trade Expo event became a fixture.

In 1989, with the approval of the Legislature, the Spokane Public Facilities District was formed to shepherd the replacement of the 1954 Spokane Coliseum. The new Spokane Arena opened in 1995. The PFD officially took over the operation of the First Interstate Center for the Arts and convention center from the city in 2003.

In 2002, voters approved a new expansion, including a new exhibit hall on the center’s east end, which opened in 2006 along with a new parking garage.

In 2012, the PFD terminated C.I. Shenanigans’ lease after 32 years, and it was torn down. A $41 million expansion, built from 2013 to 2015, added the 1,500-seat Centennial ballroom. The center has three large ballrooms, 14 meeting rooms, the 120,000-square-foot exhibit hall, a 270-seat theater and multiple outdoor terraces and lawn space.