Riverfront Park Permitting

The City of Spokane Parks Department will be applying for multiple permits as they redevelop Riverfront Park. All permitting materials will be available on this web page. The redevelopment of Riverfront Park will be completed in multiple phases. There will be general information used for all phases and additional specific information on each phase. Additional information on the entire Riverfront Park Redevelopment may be found on the http://riverfrontparknow.com website.

Applicant

City of Spokane Parks Department

Riverfront Park Redevelopment

Application/Permit Number:: Z16-667SCUP

Notice of Hearing Examiner Decision
Description of Project

This Riverfront Park proposal continues with the ongoing redevelopment of Riverfront Park in Spokane, Washington that began with the Howard Street South Channel Bridge Replacement Project and the new Recreational Rink and Skyride Facility in the southwest corner of the park. This proposal includes construction and operations throughout the entire park to replace or repair park bridges, construct new park facilities, conduct landscaping improvements, and related park improvement activities that may include the following depending upon available funding:

  • Looff Carousel Building – Replacing the existing carousel building for the Looff Carousel operations, naturalizing the shoreline area between the carousel building and the river, and updating landscaping around the building site.
  • Rotary Fountain – Upgrading and maintaining the Rotary Fountain for public water play and enjoyment.
  • Red Wagon (Radio Flyer) – Updating landscaping in the Radio Flyer wagon area, and improving pedestrian pathways into the park with amenities in the southeast portion of the park. The "SPOKANE" building blocks may be retained or relocated.
  • North Bank – Demolition and replacing or remodeling existing park maintenance facility or parts thereof, providing a new regional playground, a skate park and/or sports court, and other park amenities, and reconfiguring public parking. One or two of the picnic shelters will be removed or retained with remodeling, depending upon an evaluation of options.
  • U.S. Pavilion (Pavilion)/Central Plaza Event Center – Redeveloping the Pavilion area, which includes demolition of the ice rink and its cover currently located in the Pavilion, the Eastern Pavilion and possibly the Western Pavilion. Also, the IMAX Theater will be evaluated before an option is selected to keep/remodel, remove, or relocate. Work includes updating landscaping around the Pavilion to open up views to and from the Pavilion, and building a new Central Plaza event center. This redeveloped area will serve as an event gathering area and will be the primary location for mobile food vending that will serve park visitors including large park events.
  • Havermale Island – In addition to the Pavilion improvements, rehabilitating and updating the Theme Stream water feature to preserve the ionic Expo '74 resource; restoring the construction access road off of Post Street, staging/disturbed areas and the West Havermale Island playground; adding destination point(s) on Havermale Island (e.g., public shelters, sculptors, possibly a garden highlighting Expo '74 butterfly structures, etc.); and improving the Clock Tower (e.g., providing public access inside the tower, improving the plaza). The Forestry Building may be removed or retained with remodeling depending upon an evaluation of options.
  • The Sister Cities site received a SCUP (Z1400014SSDP) on June 9, 2014. An extension to the SCUP Z140014SSDP is requested because it expires if construction does not commence within two years of the effective date of this permit. Therefore, a request for an extension of Z1400014SSDP is requested as part of this proposal.
  • Bridges – Reconstructing or rehabilitating existing wooden and suspension pedestrian bridges and constructing new pedestrian bridges that serve as crossings across or over the river to different areas of the park or crossings over park features. Also, the North Channel Bridge will undergo new surfacing, landscaping and amenities as part of the north/south promenade. The North Channel Bridge and the south Theme Stream Bridge crossing will accommodate vehicles that serve the park (e.g., park maintenance, emergency, vendors).
    Vehicular public access to the park is provided off of Post Street where the access drive crosses the Theme Stream to access central Havermale Island. This public access will accommodate vehicles that serve the park (e.g., park maintenance, emergency, vendors). A vehicular access for Parks is provided from Mallon Avenue south to where it crosses the North and Middle Channel bridges.
  • Canada Island – Incorporating Canada Island as an integral part of the north/south promenade, highlighting Native American heritage with input from the local tribes, removing the British Columbia Pavilion, and maintaining the use of the Alberta Amphitheatre.
  • Park Amenities – Removing, rehabilitating, replacing, relocating or constructing park shelters, playgrounds, amusement rides, bridges, restrooms, sculptors/art, and maintenance buildings in the park; and reconstructing or constructing of new pedestrian/bicycle paths, stairways, fencing, boardwalks, promenades, water features (waterfalls, ponds, streams, fountains, swimming pools, pads or interactive water features), rock climbing facilities, zip lines, skate parks and/or sports courts, gondolas or skyrides, food establishments, theatres or gathering places and ancillary buildings.
  • Park Improvements – Providing restoration or naturalization of shorelands and temporary construction staging areas, onsite soils management including temporary soil stockpiling, trails including Centennial Trail improvements or relocations, irrigation, and utilities, stormwater management; and improving or adding other park facilities including lighting, art, signage, parking, viewing areas and overlooks including the North and South Sentinels. Also, updating landscaping and improvements throughout the park including boardwalks, benches, picnic tables and other landscaping amenities.
Related Documents

Application Number: Z16-149SCUP – Recreation Rink, Sky Ride Facility and Central Meadow Temporary Event Location

Description

This Riverfront Park proposal consists of two parts, 1) a Year Round Recreational Rink and Skyride Facility (Recreational Rink and Skyride Facility) and 2) the Central Meadow Temporary Event Location (Central Meadow), both projects are proposed in the Riverfront Park Master Plan.

Year Round Recreational Rink and Skyride Facility – The proposed project consists of an approximately 14,500 square foot ice skating ribbon, which includes a skating pond of approximately 3,500 square feet that will replace the existing ice rink in Riverfront Park’s Pavilion. The new ice rink will be utilized for ice skating use in the winter months and dry floor use during the warmer months. Dry floor uses consist of walking, public displays, craft and food shows, farmer's markets, and music/artistic performances. The existing Skyride ticket booth, control station, and queuing area will be removed with the ride and controls remaining. The existing public restrooms north of the gondola (existing Skyride) will also be removed. The power and control station will be relocated to the new (year around) recreational building (up to 7,500 square feet); consisting of rentals, sales, restrooms, concessions/food service (has a Type 1 Vent Hood and can accommodate a full-service kitchen), rental rooms, storage room, the ice ribbon controls, ice ribbon and ice grounds maintenance and ice rink operational/mechanical equipment. Site redevelopment for the project includes new site lighting, stormwater facilities, utilities, pavers, fencing, new signage and landscaping in the middle of the ice ribbon and also surrounding the recreational ice rink that will be integrated into the overall Riverfront Park Master Plan (Go to the end of the application to obtain more details on the Recreational Rink and Skyride Facility).

Central Meadow – Temporary site improvements will be made to the Central Meadow (area of approximately 60,000 square feet). The work consists removing existing grassy turf; re-grading the site to make it more level in the interior of the bermed area; removing trees to open up the space for park events; upgrading the irrigation; adding a water line, a new transformer and electrical distribution; and replacing the turf. This site modification provides a temporary green space that can temporarily accommodate vendors during park events.

Hearing Examiner Decision

The Hearing Examiner has issued his decision for the Riverfront Park Recreational Rink and Skyride Facility.

Related Documents - Z16-149SCUP

Application Materials:

Application Number: Z16-199SDET – Riverfront Park Subsurface Exploration Park-wide

Description

The proposed project is to conduct investigations throughout Riverfront Park. Activities will include but are not limited to geotechnical investigations, locating utilities, performing maintenance activities, and environmental investigations including cultural resources and hazardous materials surveys. This work is needed to support the park redevelopment designs and to understand parameters for park redevelopment activities including the park bridges (Mid-Channel Bridge, Howard Street North Channel Bridge (North Channel), Wooden and Suspension Bridges, and other bridges), the Looff Carousel Building, Havermale Island (including Theme Stream water feature, north/south promenade, east/west promenade, destination point, Central Plaza, and Imax/U.S. Pavilion), Canada Island, the North Bank, the Park's maintenance building, and any other park improvements and landscaping as part of the Riverfront Park Redevelopment Project.

Shoreline Exemption Issued

Related Documents - Z16-199SDET

Application Number: Z16-050SDET - Howard Street South Channel Bridge Replacement and Theme Stream Crossing

Description

The Spokane Parks and Recreation Department is replacing the Howard Street South Channel Bridge (South Channel Bridge). The existing bridge is being replaced with a smaller bridge, within the existing bridge 'footprint' to mitigate deteriorated capacity and safety of the existing structure. Also, as part of that project, the existing Theme Stream Bridge will be temporarily modified with a contained earth fill to provide construction access to the South Channel Bridge. This proposal includes other temporary construction related activities for the bridge replacement including the Sister Cities' laydown and staging area north of the bridge and another staging area south of the bridge.

Shoreline Exemption Issued

Related Documents - Z16-050SDET

Application Number: Z16-060SDET – Ice Rink/Skyride and Theme Stream Geotechnical Investigations

Description

The proposed project is to conduct geotechnical subsurface investigations for the ice ribbon and Ice Rink/Sky Ride building construction, the Howard Street South Channel Bridge access road from Post Street to the Sister Cities site in Riverfront Park, and at the temporary and permanent Theme stream crossings. This work is needed for design and to understand parameters for the Ice Rink./Sky Ride project and the temporary and permanent Theme Stream crossing.

Shoreline Exemption Issued

Related Documents - Z16-060SDET

Contact Information

Written comments should be sent via mail or email:

Planning and Development Services
Tami Palmquist, AICP, CFM
Associate Planner
808 W. Spokane Falls Blvd.
Spokane, WA 99201-3329
tpalmquist@spokanecity.org