One big event last week was the news that the Friends of the Falls has met its funding goals for the whitewater park - a key priority of the Great Spokane River Gorge Plan (table of contents - pdf 3.3 mb). For all the obvious reasons (final design, permitting, construction of the park) we're thrilled about this huge milestone. Everyone knows that city planning often gets a bad rap when plans go unfulfilled. Implementation, friends, is what it's all about and this should be suh-weet sound to our city's residents. According to a quote from Steve Faust - Director of Friends of the Falls:
“Given the time needed to permit the project, we expect to begin construction of the whitewater features and support facilities no earlier than May 2008, with project completion in October 2008”
But there's another reason why this is a huge milestone: This is the second nail in the coffin for the less than attractive behaviour that is often present down in Highbridge park. See, the first nail was the completion of the Sandifur Bridge. It dramatically increased the number of people in and around the area which meant more eyes on the place and the splendid activities that were sometimes present. The whitewater park will do the same but on a larger scale. Where the bridge brought people the ability to cross the river, the park will bring activity to the river. Whitewater parks bring not only kayakers, but they excel at bringing spectators. In the future, when these people consistently show up, use the park, or spectate it will dramatically decrease the creepiness factor that currently exists.
Thanks to the vision of the Great Spokane River Gorge Plan, Highbridge and People's Parks are poised to become two of the newest crown-jewels of our park system.
I think you are correct--to an extent.
Don't underestimate the resilence High Bridge/Peoples denizens.
Consider this episode from the F.O.F. Whitewater Park press conference on Tuesday: Just as the mayor was beginning to pontificate on the park, a couple of Gypsy-Joker looking dudes were walking by with a case of Coors on the way to Peoples--no doubt wondering what the hub-bub was. A nicely dressed woman appoached them. I assumed she was going to school them on city park alcohol policy. Wrong. She was borrowing a bottle opener. F.O.F. had brought celebratory
of bottles of sparkling cider, but nobody remembered a bottle opener. The dudes hung out with their Coors while dignitaries and the mayor all got cups of cider.
A Spokane moment if there ever was one.
Posted by: Jon Snyder | June 25, 2007 at 09:32 AM
Whitewater park is a win win for all. Obviously water sport enthusiasts, spectators, tourism and our collective tax base. Let's face it, we have an image problem. I have friends on the other side of the cascades who constantly rib me about why Spokane exists, and from there it gets worse. This type of activity is something to brag about. Where else except maybe Boulder, Bozeman or Missoula could you get into whitewater, five minutes from downtown? Let's hope that the rest of the gorge gets landscaped and becomes the jewel that currently has only been talked about for 100 years.
Posted by: Jim | June 26, 2007 at 08:31 AM
The whitewater park is certainly a great project and will do wonderful things for the entire Gorge area. The development of Kendall Yards will, in my opinion be the third nail in the coffin (how many nails do you need exactly). I think 2,000 people living above the gorge will have the most profound effect on the gorge and High Bridge. The key will be to keep the City and Parks Department at the table to manage the facility.
Mike
Posted by: mike edwards | July 09, 2007 at 06:26 PM
Let's go all the way and offer Highbridge and Peoples' Parks as an idea location for the Summer Olympics. Spokane undertakes outstanding projects. Why not use this wonderful natural resource and have a worthwhile objective to help pay for it?
Posted by: Bob Moylan | July 15, 2007 at 05:52 PM