The Dirt: Spokane Community College plans major renovation

Spokane Community College is planning a $16.3 million renovation to its main building, or Building 1, as it is commonly called.

Located on the southern end of 1810 N. Greene St., the building is a central hub for student services and houses the counseling center, career services, a computing lab, the transfer center, and departments for culinary arts, cosmetology, computer aided design, architectural technology and criminal justice, according to its website.

Work to the building will include an addition to the eastern wall and a “significant interior renovation,” according to plans submitted to the city of Spokane.

The addition will add roughly 3,100 square feet to the footprint of the building and be used as a lobby. Other exterior work will include the implementation of ramps for patrons who use wheelchairs in addition to landscaping upgrades.

Planned to start in July of this year, the renovation will touch the entire footprint of the roughly 137,000-square-foot building.

Details of the changes are limited as the project remains in early stage of design and permitting.

Plans were submitted as part of the pre-development process, which gives developers the opportunity to garner feedback from city building officials before construction permits are sought.

Plans do, however, show that the scope of work will include stripping the building to its shell before renovations begin.

Plans were submitted by Colin Anderson of NAC Architecture, a Spokane-based firm. Efforts to reach Anderson last week were not immediately successful.

Canada Island revamp

In 2017, the Spokane Park Board voted to rename Canada Island, which sits just north of the Pavilion. The 2.2-acre island is connected to Riverfront Park by Howard Street and is also the midpoint of the two pedestrian suspension bridges.

The Park Board worked with the Spokane Tribe of Indians to officially rename the island to Snxw Mene, (sin-HOO men-huh) which is Salish for “Salmon People.” Additionally, the vote promised the board would work with tribe officials to determine an appropriate use of the land.

Plans were submitted as part of the pre-development process, giving the public its first look at the estimated $2 million project.

Currently, the island features paved walkways that meander around a mix of native and established trees, and a rudimentary amphitheater near the center of the island. On the north end, small buildings are used as storage by the city’s Parks Department.

The buildings will be demolished but their foundation will remain as a platform for vendors and a lookout when not in use, according to plans.

Work to the site will include some new paved and unpaved walkways in addition to updating all paved walkways to include colored materials to depict the Spokane River and the silhouettes of swimming salmon.

New signage will be incorporated throughout the site providing historical context. Additionally, information will be written on pathways to tell stories of the Tribe, plans show.

New fences will surround the island and new turf material will fill in open spaces.

The amphitheater will be completely overhauled with expanded and updated seating, an expanded stage that will also be covered and a new sound system will be implemented.

Lastly, native plants will be incorporated throughout the site in addition to many indigenous art pieces including paintings and sculptures.

Plans were submitted by Wayne Rodgers of Womer & Associates, an Indigenous-owned architectural firm based in Spokane. Womer could not immediately be reached for comment last week.

Multifamily project planned for Hillyard

A homeowner is looking to turn his single-family property into a home for multiple tenants, according to plans submitted to the city of Spokane.

The project, dubbed the Altamont Development, involves dividing a 1-acre lot into six individual properties. This type of project is referred to as a unit lot subdivision.

The development was made possible when the city signed a law in 2024 that allowed for owners to build more subdivision projects.

Located at 6408 Altamont St., the site sits directly behind Arlington Elementary School and is owned by Dennis Danner, according to Spokane County property records.

A single-family home that resides on property will remain but multiple sheds and driveway covers will be demolished.

Behind the home, five properties will each span roughly 5,040 square feet, plans show.

It’s estimated to cost about $800,000 to demolish structures, zone the lots and connect each to utility lines, according to plans.

The designs were submitted as part of the pre-development process by Todd Whipple, president of Whipple Consulting Engineers, a Spokane-based firm.