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Rayanne Zackery/Jennifer West
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509-744-3350 
 

SPOKANE, Wash. – Its one-of-a-kind collection of retail, entertainment, and dining choices, and award-winning architectural features, have established River Park Square as the center for Spokane’s newly revitalized downtown and a top regional destination.

Nearly 40 specialty tenants fill River Park Square’s six levels.  The downtown retail center houses the only regional location for several national retailers including Nordstrom, Restoration Hardware, Banana Republic, Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn, and others.  One-of-kind dining choices include three full-service restaurants, a café, espresso bar, and the Atrium Cafes on 3 food collection.  AMC 20 Theatres offer moviegoers state-of-the-art cinema on 20 screens. 

To be added to the unique entertainment mix is the Children’s Museum of Spokane, slated to open in the center’s lower level in the coming months. 

Originally built in the early 1970’s, River Park Square underwent a $115 million expansion in the late 1990’s to stimulate a seriously declining downtown economy.  The redevelopment project was part of a public-private collaboration between the center’s developer, River Park Square, LLC, II, and the City of Spokane. 

“We redeveloped River Park Square into a destination retail center to serve as the catalyst for a revitalized downtown and redefine Spokane as the regional hub for shopping, dining and entertainment,” said Betsy Cowles, president of RPS, LLC, II. “The new River Park Square is succeeding at fulfilling this vision.”

Shoppers who make the trip from Montana three-four times a year agree.  “We look forward to shopping at River Park Square,” said Kirsten Svennungsen of Shelby, Montana.  “It has the stores we can’t find at home.” 

According to the Spokane Regional Convention and Visitor’s Bureau (CVB) River Park Square is a strong card to play in showcasing the region as a tourist destination. 
 
“The Spokane region has proven itself recently as an extremely desirable destination for visitors,” said John Brewer, president of the CVB. 

The CVB reported hotel taxes collected in 2003 increased by a percentage point over 2002.  It credits River Park Square and the overall changes in the marketplace as helping Spokane’s tourism success. 

River Park Square’s glass-enclosed Atrium provides a community gathering place and center for major community events.  It serves as the official headquarters for First Night Spokane, a family oriented New Years Eve celebration attended this year by more than 25,000 people.  It also hosts the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day community rally, and many other regional events. 

River Park Square has sparked an impressive amount of new downtown investment.  Since River Park Square re-opened in August 1999, downtown’s landscape has filled with nearly new construction projects worth in excess of $1.1 billion. New projects include a restored grand historic hotel, a major museum expansion, new and restored theaters, performance centers, an arts district, restaurants, and many new businesses. 

Don Schjeldahl, a location consultant with Cleveland, Ohio-based The Austin Company, was impressed with downtown Spokane’s vibrancy.  “I was there on several occasions,” he said, “and witnessed lots of nightlife with people about and enjoying the downtown in the evenings.  People really make the buildings come alive.” 

“The diversity and quantity of recent downtown investment has created an exciting and vibrant urban center that is full of activity,” said Mike Edwards, president of the Downtown Spokane Partnership. “The progress downtown has taken place in incremental steps which will help sustain long-term success.”