Some of Spokane’s schools and parks will be construction zones this summer. The school district and Parks Department are starting to spend money authorized by voters last November.
This week, Superintendent Adam Swinyard and Parks Director Garrett Jones unveiled the first wave of projects.
For the school district, project number one is a new Adams Elementary School. Crews have been demolishing the old version, built in 1909, to prepare the site for a new school.
"We're also going to be continuing the process of modernizing North Central High School. The next phase of that project will be happening as part of phase one," Swinyard said.
"Another example of a project is the all-weather field system that will be going in across our community all-weather fields with lights. We've got historic demand for participation both in youth and adult rec. These fields are going to extend the day and extend the season so we can get more activation."
Also in phase one, construction of the district’s new Trades High School on the Spokane Community College campus.
For the Parks Department, the 2026 project list is long. Garrett Jones says the big project will be a new Meadowglen Park at the north end of Indian Trail. Beyond that, he says, crews will be doing smaller projects in several locations.
“Restrooms, playgrounds, sport courts. A number of different restroom renovations across the system. We're actually going to the public to right now in neighborhoods," Jones said.
"Westgate Park is a great example. We know that you're going to want a new playground a new restroom. But as far as a phase one, what is that top priority? So we're asking the neighborhood. Would you want to see the restroom improved first or that playground improved first?”
There are parking lot repairs planned in places like Riverfront Park and the Southeast Sports Complex. Crews will fix pathways in Franklin Park. They’ll fix pergolas and roofs at places like the Japanese Gardens and Liberty Park.
"And then other great investments whether it's the disc golf course at High Bridge Park, Beacon Hill and Camp Sekani, with the trailhead new parking trail access. Trail connections to the Centennial Trail," Jones said.
"We're investing in one of the largest regional hubs around outdoor recreation and downhill mountain biking and then also Irrigation work, believe it or not. We have many irrigation systems in this system that still are manually irrigated. We're dragging hoses. So Cannon Hill Park will be one of those first parks that will get that new irrigation system this year and then also a lot of planning."
Jones says the Parks Department is also looking ahead to 2027. It's consulting with Browne's Addition residents to plan a new playground and restroom at Coeur d'Alene Park. It's also working on full renovations at Harmon and Minnehaha Parks in northeast Spokane.
Jones says his department will also invest more in safety. It’s in the process of hiring several rangers to patrol and monitor parks. And it plans to add operational staff to provide more maintenance.
Over the next year or so, the Parks Department and school district will combine on several projects. Those include the all-weather fields with lights that Adam Swinyard mentioned earlier. They also plan to expand the Merkel Sports Complex near the site of the old Albi Stadium and begin building a new recreation center at the site of the new Madison Elementary School in Franklin Park.
Swinyard says the two entities work well together.
"That's probably the number one thing I hear is thank you for working together. Thank you for collaborating. Thank you for not doing things in silos," he said.
"Why don't we do this in all topics and those are good questions? I think that should be the new norm in our community is that we work together. We don't worry about who has the power who has the control. We don't worry about territorialism. We don't worry about what zip code you live in. It's about making Spokane the best place it can possibly be."
You can follow the progress of the various projects at their joint website.
