Deals to make Post Falls waterfront park reality
Rendering courtesy of city of Post Falls Post Falls, Avista and Liberty Bankers Life Insurance Company are collaborating on a new park planned along the Spokane River next to the Post Falls Dam. The City Council on Tuesday night approved agreements that will make the site a reality.
The city of Post Falls, Avista and Liberty Bankers Life Insurance Company, which owns the Post Falls Landing site on the Spokane River, are working on the project that would feature an overlook above the river, an outdoor amphitheater and trail to Falls Park. (LOREN BENOIT/Press)
By BRIAN WALKER
Staff Writer
POST FALLS — A new city park on the Spokane River next to the Post Falls Dam will become reality.
The Post Falls City Council on Tuesday night approved the purchase of a 0.88-acre parcel from Post Falls Landing property owner Liberty Bankers Life Insurance Company for $305,000 and an agreement with Avista to develop the site.
The parcel is along the slough across from Falls Park.
The city already owns a quarter of an acre on the river for the new park project. Liberty is also donating to the city a piece that is just under an acre.
Dave Fair, the city's parks and recreation director, said the hope is that the future park will spark interest and activity in the Landing development.
"It's a beautiful space that's functional," he said.
The agreements give the city additional parkland on the river next to the dam to complement nearby Falls Park and Q'emiln Park across the river.
"Liberty is pleased with this new development, which will open up this area to the public for recreational use on the river," said Allan Scharton, Liberty's real estate assets manager.
The project will feature an overlook above the river and dam, a sloping outdoor amphitheater, plaza with benches, trail to Falls Park and a crane pad for Avista's future work on the dam.
Avista will design and develop the park site in exchange for it being able to use the property as a crane staging area as needed.
The land purchase will be paid for out of the city's parks impact fee account.
"Our portion is obtaining the land and Avista will do the construction design work and the construction," Fair said.
Fair said the park is expected to be completed in either 2020 or 2021.
Liberty Bankers assumed the Landing site several years ago after original developer Harry Green went bankrupt.
The Landing, the former Louisiana-Pacific mill site, has been in the works to be developed for nearly 20 years. It was envisioned as an anchor for the city center and has been slow to develop due to legal battles, the market and other factors.
However, a revived marina and additional waterfront condominiums have provided some activity in the past two years.
- In other recent action involving the Landing, the city approved Liberty's request for a six-lot commercial subdivision in the center of the project. The lots range from one-half acre to 1 acre in size.