From the mid 1990’s downtown revitalization was a vision. The concept was introduced to the public through dozens of hearings, presentations, briefings, and other informational outreach efforts for more than two years.

As with many public private collaborations that involve many interests, River Park Square has been the subject of controversy. From the start, voices of support and dissent were heard.

The public process included dozens of opportunities and forums for public input:

• More than 20 public hearings to publicly debate virtually every aspect of the development were held between 1995 and 1998. Hundreds of Spokane citizens gave public testimony during these hearings. 

River Park Square was a topic on City Council agendas 19 times from the project's conception leading up to the Council's unanimous vote to support it. City Council agenda items 1995-1997 

Dozens of citizens testified about the city's involvement in the public-private collaboration. Excerpts of Public Testimony

• At a public hearing on January 27, 1997, the City Council unanimously voted to participate in the public private collaboration. Its participation in the project would be to make a binding pledge of parking meter revenues to support operation and maintenance costs and ground lease payments relating to the River Park Square garage in the event garage revenue was not sufficient to pay the same after payment of debt service. In deciding to participate, Spokane's city leaders stated that the risk of doing nothing outweighed the risk of moving forward.

Between 1995-1998, the City Council passed three Ordinances and eight Resolutions supporting aspects of the revitalization project.
Ordinance C31403     RES 95-74           RES 95-75       RES 96-94         RES 96-144   Memo 6-14-95         RES 97-2      RES 97-3

• A group of more than 1200 supporters of the downtown revitalization project formed an organization called “I Love Downtown”. The group gathered more than 8,000 signatures from Spokane citizens who were in support of the redevelopment project. Testimonials

• Representatives of the development team delivered hundreds of presentations to neighborhoods and citizens and civic and business organizations between 1995 and 1998 to explain the project and public-private collaboration concept, as well as its potential benefits to all citizens.

Because the City of Spokane and the developers of River Park Square listened, the project evolved in dramatic ways between 1995-1997. Unfortunately, some decisions are being second-guessed today. Nevertheless, River Park Square is a net gain for Spokane and all of its citizens.