City Council to decide fate of YMCA building

Spokane's City Council will review proposals today for the redevelopment of the former YMCA building in Riverfront Park. Alternatively, the City Council may choose to accept funding from the Conservation Futures program which would allow the city to pay off debts and restore the site to its natural conditions.

The YMCA in Riverfront Park moved to a new location a few blocks away last year, on Monroe Street. The Park Board placed a $1 million deposit on the site. Three years later, Spokane's City Council completed the purchase of the building by borrowing $4.3 million from the Water Departments Enterprise account, according to City Councilman Robert Apple.

"We'll either have to use general funds or use one of the debt services to repay that," Apple said. "Either way we have to put that money back one way or another."

Conservation Futures is one possible service that has offered to pay off the debt if the site is restored to its natural conditions.

The City Council, however, earlier rejected the funds, because the Conservation Futures plan would prevent future construction at the location.

"Financially the city is better off with some sort of economic activity happening at the site," City Councilman Jon Snyder said.

Apple, however does not believe redeveloping the building is in the best interest of the city.
"It's a leasable, rentable space but that's all it is. It's space," Apple said. "It's an old 1960's building that will take a lot of money to restore."

The ouncil approved the issuance of a request to seek developer interest at their Dec. 21 meeting, according to the city Web site. The council will review the proposals today, though Apple does not believe any proposals will meet what the city needs to cover costs.

"Unless there's someone willing to provide $350,000 for debt service payments made on a regular basis to cover the expenses, there's just no way," Apple said.

Snyder hopes for a proposal that would bring an interesting mix of uses, possibly some non-profit uses.

The Park Board wants to become part of the park, particularly because of the Spokane Falls. The YMCA building sits along its south shore.

"It's a beautiful waterfall," Park Board member Randy Cameron said. "Spokane is unique in that we have a river slicing through one end of the city to the other. It's spectacular in the spring. That whole area has also been important to the tribes for centuries; it's been their place for fishing."

The Park Board believes the entire park should be for the public, Cameron said.
"It's tough to have a doughnut hole in the middle of the park, that being the development," he said.

Apple agrees.

"The park gives a beautiful vista of Spokane Falls, but right now the public really can't see it with the YMCA," Apple said. "This would restore a major viewing angle."
If the building is redeveloped it will help keep the park vibrant by attracting more people, Snyder said.

"Right now Riverfront Park, which is a magnificent asset to the city, suffers from a lack of funding and foot traffic. Redevelopment of the building could help with those two problems," he said.

The site has been developed as a building or a parking lot, Snyder said.

"My understanding is that the site was originally a channel of the river that was filled in. It is surrounded by pavement or buildings on three sides which I think makes it a very poor choice for open space since it would require almost constant resources and care as native greenery," he said. 

If the debt to the Water Department is not repaid then it may result in layoffs, according to Apple.

"There's no way around it," he said. "Council members were put in their positions by the voters to do the best for Spokane. Laying off employees is definitely not for the best."
Economically, it would be in the city's best interest to accept the Conservation Futures funds, Cameron said.

"I think at the end of the day, the smart and logical decision would be to take the Conservation Future funds," he said. "I can't see somebody with a business mind or rational thought to turn this down. Especially in this economy."

Spokane needs to focus development in and around the downtown core, Snyder said.
"That always saves taxpayer money," he said. "I think the best financial option for the city is not to use Conservation Futures as a bailout mechanism."

"Disabling the Conservation Futures fund to pay for the lion's share of the $6 million or more dollars it would take to demolish the YMCA building for me is not an option. I can't ask the taxpayers to pay over $200 a square foot for that land when I know it would imperil other properties that have been waiting to be added to Conservation Futures," Snyder said. "I think the City Council will weigh all the options and work to make the best choice that weighs taxpayer intent with the most benefit for the park,"

If the City Council accepts Conservation Future's offer, the city's debt to the Water Department would be paid and the former YMCA building would be torn down, and become part of the park.

"This would seem easy to accept, except three members of the City Council felt that the building should stay and voted ‘No,'" Cameron said. "Now the fight starts."

Proposals to redevelop the former YMCA building in Riverfront Park will be accepted until 5 p.m. today and reviewed by the City Council. The council has until March 31 to accept or reject the Conservation Futures funds.