The City of Spokane is inviting citizens to an open house this evening (Monday, August 19) to learn about changes planned for Post Street near City Hall and related projects that are expected to transform that area in west downtown along the Spokane River.

The open house will be held in the Chase Gallery in the lower level of City Hall, 808 W. Spokane Falls Blvd [map] from 4:30 to 6pm. Staff also will brief the City Council on the projects during the council’s regular 6pm Monday night meeting in the adjacent Council Chambers.

The following projects and proposals will be discussed at the open house:

• Post Street improvements. In the coming weeks, Post Street between Spokane Falls Boulevard and the Post Street Bridge will be converted to a one-way, northbound street. Additionally, North Lincoln Street from the Post Street Bridge north to Broadway Avenue will be converted to a three-lane street with parallel parking on both sides. The area will be more pedestrian friendly and provide a good link to a Centennial Trail extension through Veterans Park and Kendall Yards on the north side of the River. Parking in the area will increase through the addition of angled parking on Post and the changes on Lincoln Street. Post Street will be closed from Sept. 10 to Oct. 15 for work related to the changes.
• Huntington Park and City Plaza improvements. Avista is working to upgrade its 3.8-acre Huntington Park area on the south side of the Spokane River between Post and Monroe streets and adjacent to the river’s lower falls. In addition, Avista is creating a new public plaza in what has been a small parking lot to the north of City Hall. The plaza will be gifted to the City of Spokane when complete as part of Avista’s 125th anniversary celebration in 2014. These projects are managed and paid for by Avista. The Post Street enhancement, which is a City project, will support this work, by increasing pedestrian access and calming traffic.
• Riverfront Park Master Plan. The changes on Post and at Huntington Park will tie into work to create a new Master Plan for Riverfront Park. The Master Plan process is designed to guide plans for a major reinvestment in Riverfront Park as the 40th anniversary of Expo ’74 nears. More information on the master plan process can be found here.
• Glover Field concept and Integrated Clean Water Plan. Additional investment also is being considered for this area. The City has developed conceptual plans for a tank in Glover Field in Peaceful Valley that would prevent flows from combined sewers from entering the Spokane River. The project would be part of a significant effort to improve the health of Spokane River and reduce stormwater and combined stormwater and wastewater from entering the River. The City’s goals for this work include gaining multiple public benefits when building infrastructure. For Glover Field, as a result, the City has developed a concept to improve the park and add a trail that would connect Huntington Park to Glover Field. Ultimately, this project could include a trail loop between Monroe Street and the Sandifur pedestrian bridge.

A fact sheet about the open house, the Post Street improvements, and the Avista work is available here.