MetroSpokane

STOREFRONT: Bordeaux on Broadway

WEST CENT - Just when you think the action over in West Central is all Kendall Yards along comes a pleasant surprise.  The former Salvation Army Building on West Broadway near the courthouse is well into it's transformation into a mixed-use office/retail building.  A fresh coat of brown paint has been slapped on and the once closed in porches have been opened up to their original state. 

Recent 'for rent' signs advertising space available for a deli/cafe appear to have worked as a new sign announcing "Bordeaux on Broadway" has been strung up albeit a little haphazardly.  Just what B on B will be serving up isn't clear just yet, but given the location to the courthouse and hungry County workers there's a good chance that lunch will be served.  Oh Broadway, you have so much promise.

West First's Music City Building gets served...

When white, multi-page documents end up taped to the front door of your building it's never a good sign.  When they include the words 'arrears' and 'default' and have a dollar figure such as $507,489.33 that pretty much means things are a bit troubled.  The 'auction watch' clock started May 16.

STOREFRONT: Roots on Perry

The slick sign out front is a good indicator that the quiet revitalization continues in the Perry District.  Opening this summer, and occupying the former location of an antiques store, ROOTS - Salon and Spa is a welcome addition to the Perry Street nabe.  Roots will offer a full service salon and day-spa and will bring an entire new crowd to the district while diversifying the existing collection of small neighborhood businesses already present.

Buh-Bye Brick...

As the shuffling of auto-dealership locations continues in the West End around 3rd Avenue, the makeovers are in full gear.  One building on 3rd and Adams Street in particular is getting the extreme dealer modernization seen above.

Fire up the grill - Spokane is a Cookout Capital

We delve once more into the vast collection of useless lists meant to quantify cities across this great nation.  The latest ranking comes from Blue Rhino the leading brand of propane tank exchange.  For the past two years they've ranked the Best Grillin' Cities over 50K in population.  This year Spokane broke the top ten and landed at lucky number 7, beating out Boise(10), Seattle(11), and Portland(12).

Spokane backs Transit, Bike production outstrips car production

[Image via North Division Bike Shop]

Spokane gets behind transit in a big way - STA has earned the respect of Spokane voters.  Needing 50%, voters are so far overwhelmingly backing (65%) the renewal of 3/10s of 1 percent sales tax for operations (3 cents on a $10 purchase).  With the first million-passenger month within our grasp, this vote is a clear sign that transit is seen as providing high value to Spokane-area residents.

Forget Forbes, Men's Journal loves Spokane

Yeah, yeah.  Another list, another pat on the back for good ol' Spokane.  Men's Journal has finally hopped on the bandwagon with their own version of the "Best Places to Live 2008".  The methodology on this one is muddled at best, but for the skeptics their basis for the rankings is simply that

"Physical community still matters, and so does being able to log off and get lost. Truly, you are where you live."

No, Spokane didn't make that list.  Instead we made something a little more telling about our neck-o-the-woods...The Comebacks. 

Pools, geysers, tipping buckets and lap lanes

On the next page are the renderings for the total replacement of all five outdoor city pools plus the addition of one Northwest pool in the Shadle Park neighborhood.  $28 million total.  An amazing upgrade to our neighborhoods.  Thanks to cyclingspokane for the tip.

• Prairie View Park-kids have it good these days [MetroSpokane]
• Spokane Parks and Recreation-Swimming Pools [Parks and Rec website]

Prairie View Park - kids have it good these days

Oh to be a kid again.  With summer just about three weeks away the finishing touches are being put on Spokane County's new Prairie View Park located at 62nd and Freya.  The video above shows just how sweet this park is going to be for kids this summer.  It consists of the large aquatics facility shown above, basketball courts, sand volleyball, a picnic shelter, and a wide open grassy area.  Overall, a nice addition to the neighborhood and a pretty good third place for that part of the city.  Kids are going to go nuts over this thing.  Dig out yer trunks, 'cause this on opens June 13th.

• Site Plan - Prairie View Park Aquatic Facility [pdf]
• Prairie View Park [GMAP]

Gordon Price is back...

Gordon Price, the director of the City Program at Simon Fraser University will be back in town next week.  If you missed him last time he was here to speak, set aside some time next Wednesday, 5/21 at 10:30 AM.  An excellent speaker, he brings some fantastic observations as to what makes a city work.  He also edits a great monthly emagazine named Price Tags. 

As a part of the ongoing Community Roundtables at City Hall, the third forum will deal with directing growth to our centers and corridors.  A panel consisting of Jim Frank (Greenstone Homes) and Pete Raynor.