The DIrt: Martin Luther King Jr. Family Outreach Center to develop a microgrid with Avista; dog park plans for Riverfront Park submitted

The Martin Luther King Jr. Family Outreach Center and Avista Corp. are partnering to develop a microgrid, which is an operation that runs on electricity produced on-site.

The location for the project will be the Outreach Center, which provides education, social services and cultural enrichment programs for children and families, according to its website.

Called the MLK Center Resiliency Project, Avista will fund the installation of solar panels, batteries, and associated electrical equipment for the microgrid.

“The Martin Luther King Jr. Family Outreach Center has always been here supporting families in East Central Spokane,” Freda Gandy, Martin Luther King Jr. Family Outreach Center executive director, said in a statement.

Though construction permit application documents do not list an estimated cost of the effort, Avista has pledged $1 million. The Washington State Department of Commerce awarded $1.5 million to the project in August of last year.

“Thanks to Avista’s Named Communities Investment Fund and the Washington State Department of Commerce Solar Plus Storage Grant,” Gandy said, “we’re paving the way for a more equitable and empowering future as we join a network of resilient buildings in Spokane.”

According to Avista’s website, the effort will have numerous purposes.

During normal business hours, the solar panels will power the community center and also charge on-site batteries.

Then in the event of unplanned power outages, the location will run on the stored energy and provide support for the community during emergencies, especially for vulnerable groups who rely on electronically-powered medical equipment, Avista’s wrote on its website.

“Avista is honored to partner with the Martin Luther King Jr. Family Outreach Center and the City of Spokane to strengthen our community through grid resiliency with innovative solar and battery technology,” Heather Rosentrater, Avista president and chief operating officer, said in a statement. “This will enhance community connections and the ability to endure extreme weather and wildfire events.”

Work has already begun to improve the roof of the lower South Hill building at 500 S. Stone St., according to city records.

The installation of the battery energy storage system infrastructure is planned for fall of next year, according to Avista’s website.

Downtown Spokane dog park

Riverfront Paws Park is being planned by the city of Spokane Park & Recreation department which will encompass just less than an acre of Havermale Island.

According to plans submitted to city building officials last week, the project is slated for the east end of the island nearest the Upper Spokane Falls Dam.

Plans were originally unveiled to the public in June of 2022, according to city records.

The Spokane Humane Society donated $250,000 towards construction of the dog park, city records show.

“Spokane Humane Society built the very first facility in the city for animal care right here on the banks of the Spokane River,” Melissa Williams, then president of the board of directors of Spokane Humane Society, said in a news release at the time of the unveiling event. “It feels good to be coming back here to our roots.”

The park will include a paved plaza, picnic shelter, artificial turf and granite surfacing, fencing, landscaping and dog park toys, plans show.

The project was designed by Spokane-based NAC Architecture and Tacoma-based AHBL Landscape Architects.

The estimated cost of construction is $750,000, according to development application documents.

SCCU to replace Prohibition Gastropub

Spokane City Credit Union is planning to expand its footprint to the previous home of Prohibition Gastropub, which closed in August.

Next door to the vacated restaurant and bar, the credit union operates its sole location at 1930 N. Monroe St.

In September, SCCU purchased the Prohibition property for $725,000, according to Spokane County property records.

Plans submitted to the city of Spokane show that credit union officials aim to demolish the restaurant, at 1914 N. Monroe St., and replace it with an administrative building.

The new structure will be one-story tall and encompass about 2,400 square feet. Five offices, bathrooms, a board room, a conference room and a small lobby will be developed in that space.

The remodel is estimated to cost $950,000, according to development application documents.

MMEC Architecture & Interiors designed the project, according to the documents.