A vast sports complex at the Interstate Fairgrounds may beincluded in a financial package used to expand the SpokaneConvention Center.
The Spokane Regional Court Complex, which could include 16basketball courts in a 100,000-square-foot building, is beingconsidered as part of the 'county component' of the conventioncenter funding proposal.
The Facilities 2000 Working Group, which assembles members of theorganizations that would be affected by the convention centerproject, has been looking for county facilities to include in theproject.
Because the convention center funding proposal requires a county-wide vote, expansion supporters believe one or more Spokane Valleyprojects must be included in the funding package to ensure Valleyvotes.
The Working Group had been looking for a specific project at thefairgrounds. At Wednesday's meeting, the Court Complex wasintroduced as a possibility that could be located at the fairgroundsand used as exhibition space during the fair.
While it's unclear how many dollars will be available for theValley projects, a figure of $20 million has been used in the past.The current convention center expansion proposal carries anestimated $85 million price tag.
The Court Complex would cost from $10 million to $12 million,said Eric Sawyer of the Greater Spokane Sports Association, whichdevised the concept.
The Mirabeau Point community center would also be a likelyrecipient of Valley dollars. That project needs about $7 million.
'With $20 million, and Mirabeau needing $7 million, this couldwork,' said Ron Anderson, who represents the Spokane Hotel-MotelAssociation.
The Court Complex would help fill a huge need for basketball andvolleyball courts in the region, Sawyer said.
'If you build a centralized facility, it takes the pressure offof neighborhood gyms,' he said. The Court Complex could also hostregional amateur tournaments, which would bring new dollars into thecommunity, Sawyer said.
Also on Wednesday, the Working Group explored ways of trimmingcost from the convention center expansion plan devised by LMNArchitects of Seattle.
One idea gaining support would be reducing the 800 spaces ofparking that would sit atop the expansion, particularly given thefinancial struggles of the nearby River Park Square parking garage,which is supported by the city.
'To me, funding a vacant River Park Square and adding 800 spacesdoesn't make sense,' said Mike Edwards, president of the DowntownSpokane Partnership.
The group also discussed other areas to cut costs.
LMN partner Judsen Marquardt recommended making the whole projectsmaller rather than trying to save on its parts.
'It's far more prudent to look at reducing the program ratherthan sticking with everything in the picture and saying, instead of100 cents on the dollar to pay for it, here's 70 cents,' Marquardtsaid.
