Jessica Fisher, Public Information Assistant, 509.625.6749
Wednesday, June 20, 2018 at 2:58 p.m.
Summer Solstice is this Thursday! Beginning on the first day of summer, we want to hear from you! While you vacation, tell us what you would like to see in your downtown by snapping a photo and posting it to your Instagram, Twitter or Facebook account with the hashtag, #DIBS4Downtown. Your engagement will help us plan for the future of Downtown Spokane.
This past spring, Spokane citizens had their first chance to contribute to Downtown Central, our City’s downtown plan. Spokane citizens had the opportunity for an initial look at the downtown plan update process at the Connect Downtown event held on Howard Street Bridge, Monday, May 21. At this event, our staff talked to citizens about the future of Downtown Spokane. We focused on two topics, why citizens come downtown and what they would like to see downtown.
Citizens who visited the Downtown Central booth stated that they came downtown for a variety of reasons, including living, employment, education, business/services, entertainment, dining, exercise, transportation, nature, shopping, recreation, and nightlife.
We asked these same citizens what they would like to see in Downtown Spokane. Many of these citizens were interested in living downtown but said housing and shopping options would need to be more affordable. In addition, citizens were interested in stronger infrastructure for safe and practical pedestrian-biking and bus transit. Parking was an important aspect of city life for many respondents. There were calls for cheaper parking in downtown, more parking structures instead of lots, specifically with stores/restaurants/commercial spaces on the street level, and a garage in the Davenport Arts District. The City of Spokane and Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates are currently conducting a downtown parking study which will address these concerns.
Overall, the feedback we received from the first Connect Downtown event was very useful. Moving forward, we will continue to engage the community in a series of events we are calling Connect Downtown. Information on these events will be posted on the Downtown Central webpage!
It’s your downtown, help us plan the future! Share what you would like to see downtown by posting to social media and using the hashtag #DIBS4Downtown.
