Spokane

PFD can be trusted to get the job done
Guest column
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John Brewer
Special to The Spokesman-Review

It soon will be two years since Spokane County voters gave their overwhelming support to the Public Facilities District to expand the Spokane Convention Center and the Spokane County Fair and Expo Center and to build a new facility at Mirabeau Point.

Voters trusted the PFD to take on these mammoth projects because of its great success with the Spokane Arena. As The Spokesman-Review has reported, the three PFD-managed facilities have shown nearly a $1 million operating profit and welcomed more than 1 million visitors last year.

So why today are we reading about the heated debate over expansion of the convention center when at the center of the project is the respected and trusted PFD, which has a proven record for efficiently building projects of this magnitude, and proves year after year it can successfully operate a public facility?

Passion! Voices on both sides of the issue are passionate for our region and simply want to be sure we are heading in the right direction. No one argues the need for the expansion and the $25 million annual direct spending impact it will bring from visitors. No one disputes the value of the 1,000 permanent jobs and 1,000 temporary jobs that are being created.

We all have opinions as to what will work best for Spokane's future. Should the facility be located east or south? How much parking should be associated with this growth? How can we be certain that the project comes in on budget and on time?

The PFD has a goal of mid-July 2006 for the opening of the expanded exhibit hall in order to accommodate the U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

In addition, between 2006 and 2008, the Spokane Regional Convention & Visitors Bureau has booked no less than $25 million of business into the expanded facility. As far as the budget for the expansion, the PFD, the design team and other contractors, who have built more than 50 convention centers around the world, tell us that we are on track.

Although the project is slightly over budget now, that is to be expected. The process is evolutionary and through cost-saving measures such as value engineering, the PFD plans appropriately as the design process unfolds.

Keep in mind the PFD is only at the 75 percent design stage and within 30 days the contractor will sign a guarantee to bring the project in on budget.

Parking is at the heart of the debate. Since 1999, Spokane has benefited from a well-thought-out plan that has led to a miraculous renaissance injecting over $1.6 billion in new development downtown. This amazing transformation has made our regional core what it is today -- a draw for people from a three-state and two-province region.

The renaissance also has created a need to evaluate our downtown parking needs. To keep the positive momentum toward regional growth, we must address the parking concerns. Estimates are there will be adequate parking for convention center business with 900 parking stalls directly south of the Opera House and on the first two levels of the expanded convention center.

The challenge is proper management of parking for local activities (events, ongoing retail trade and fostering a positive environment for future downtown development). The PFD has not created the problem, but I encourage its board to be part of the solution by working with other organizations focused on this important issue.

The expansion will be, and should be, built to the east of the existing facility for many reasons. The PFD board had to make a decision to go one direction or the other, and it made this decision publicly at an open meeting, and it made it unanimously.

No other area would allow a connection to the existing facility for which the PFD could build a 100,000-square-foot exhibit hall and accommodate the ancillary 70,000 square feet of space needed to operate it (loading areas, freight elevators, kitchen space, pre-function space, concessions, restrooms, hallways and storage).

This is a massive project and requires massive space, which can be found only to the east. The east site also offers wonderful selling points to prospective decision makers in the meetings industry across the country. It will provide breathtaking views of the Spokane River. It allows for a creative and highly functional design (the boat!), and it will make the behind-the-scenes issues manageable, such as loading access off Division Street.

In May 2002, the community overwhelmingly entrusted -- even mandated -- the PFD board to manage this project because of their success and past history. The PFD has been a good public steward and has given us no reason to doubt its decisions. The board has listened to and responded to public concerns such as the relocation of Azteca. Its meetings are frequent and open to the public allowing for full community access.

This project is good for our community. The voters have spoken. Let's encourage the passionate voices to pour their hearts into building a successful community, but let's not micromanage and second-guess every decision.

The PFD has capably managed this process to date, and we are confident it will see it through to a successful ending.

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