The Dirt: Catholic Charities gift to become new Salish School

Construction is inching closer for the new campus of Salish School of Spokane, an institution that teaches a typical K-12 curriculum but in indigenous languages.

The project could serve as a model for similar developments across the county, according to Christopher Parkin, principal of the school.

“Once again, beautiful Spokane will be leading the nation,” Parkin said. “I think when we’re done we’re going to have a model project for the rest of the nation and show how a community grassroots organization can work with bigger developers to accomplish the unthinkable.”

At 2720 W. Elliot Ct., just across the Spokane River from Doomsday Hill, the project is called the River Family Haven. It will include multiple residential buildings, a gym, commercial kitchen and a school building.

The effort has been made possible by the partnership between Catholic Charities of Eastern Washington, a Spokane nonprofit linked to the religious organization that admittedly committed widespread atrocities to Indigenous people across North America.

“Some Catholics tell me to stop talking about the Native American boarding schools that Catholic church organizations ran, because they’re in the past. But wounds are clearly not in the past,” Rob McCann, president and CEO of Catholic Charities of Eastern Washington, said in June when plans were first submitted. “There’s 160 Catholic Charities in the U.S.

“In my mind, everyone should be doing something like this to offer one little drop in the bucket in terms of making it right.”

Catholic Charities offered the roughly 6-acre property as an outright gift to the Salish School of Spokane, an asset worth about $500,000, according to Spokane County property records.

And when low-income tax incentive loans mature in around 15 years, the Salish School will own the entirety of the site including all residential and cultural buildings, according to Parkin.

Despite the structure, the deal had pushback from some Salish School board members.

“We had some board members opposed and now are supporters because it’s a question of building trust and having the grace to allow people to do the right thing despite a troubling history to overcome,” Parkin said. “We took a risk in our community and Catholic Charities certainly took a risk in their community. So far so good.”

Plans were first submitted to the city of Spokane in April of last year that included three-residential structures totaling 72 units of housing and a cultural center. The Salish School was planned for the first floor of one of the buildings.

The project was estimated to cost $21 million but plans have changed. A new set of plans were submitted solely for the Salish School building, which will be entirely separate from the residential structures.

A 9,600-square-foot school building will house eight classrooms, four for early education and four for K-12. It will also have offices for staff and a 3,600-square-foot outdoor play area, according to plans.

The Salish Cultural and Recreation Center will feature a 5,200-square-foot gymnasium, locker rooms, additional instructional space, a cafeteria and a commercial kitchen, plans show.

“Compared to our location now that has no kitchen, no gym or even room big enough to fit all out students in one space, the new development will be a phenomenal improvement,” Parkin said. “The site itself is way better than ours that is on an arterial, especially considering the outdoor education opportunities we will have.”

The two buildings are estimated to cost $10.7 million to build. Including the residential developments, the entire project is estimated to cost around $33 million, Parkin said.

With some help from Catholic Charities, the Salish School of Spokane has been working privately to raise the nearly $11 million to fund the new campus.

So far, they have raised nearly $8 million, including a recent $2.5 million gift from the Washington state Department of Commerce, Parkin said.

Within the next 30 days, fundraising efforts will be publicly announced, he said.

“We’re confident we can finish this thing off and bring in the last $3 million,” Parkin said. “It’s crazy, this is the urban Salish town that we jokingly dreamed of for so long but as this project has developed, it’s unbelievable to be coming true.”

Though planning is moving along, it’s difficult for the students to imagine their new school, Parkin said. He hopes to invite students, staff, administration and members of the public to a ceremony on May 21 to bless the site, before contractors begin earthwork, to show gratitude to Catholic Charities for the gift.

“It will be the first time we gather everyone at the site and we’re excited about that moment,” he said. “They will all be amazed to see the land and the view of the river. I think that will begin the period of real excitement.”

While plans have been submitted as merely a part of the pre-development process to elicit feedback from city building officials, Parkin hopes to submit official construction permit applications by September, he said.

The school’s current location at 4125 N. Maple St. has been listed for sale with an asking price of $1.25 million, Parkin said.

Architecture All Forms of Spokane designed the new campus, plans show.

Apartments planned near Francis and Division

Two residential structures are planned behind the World Market location at the southwest corner of Francis Avenue and Division Street, according to plans submitted to the city of Spokane.

At 6201 N. Atlantic St., the project is planned to encompass three adjoining properties totaling about half an acre. The site was purchased by Leonid Litoshyk and Tod Byers in January for $200,000, Spokane County property records show.

Byers said he is new to real estate development.

“Well, I can’t add too much because this is my first project,” he said. “We submitted plans to see how it goes and we’re hoping for the best.”

The project is planned to consist of two fourplex homes. Each home will offer two floors, two bedrooms, three bathrooms, and a deck. On-site parking is planned to be included, plans show.

The estimated cost of construction is $1.5 million.

Spokane-based Wolfe Architectural Group designed the project, according to plans.

This story has been updated.