SPOKANE, Wash. — Advocates fear a 109-year-old historical building that housed the Catholic Diocese in Downtown Spokane could be demolished.
Spokane Preservation Advocates are working to make sure the Chancery Building, a three-story building at 1023 West Riverside Avenue, doesn't get demolished. They said the building was designed by famed architect Kirtland Cutter for the Western Union Life Insurance Company. It housed the Spokane Catholic Diocese since 1966.
Betsy Cowles, whose company owns the building, told Spokane Preservation Advocates leaders in a meeting on Oct. 31 that the building is unlikely to survive the Cowles Real Estate Company’s redesign of an entire block bordered by Monroe, Riverside, Madison and Sprague. Cowles told advocates that it would be “extremely challenging” to include the building in the master plan for the block because of its small footprint and aging infrastructure, including its elevator and heating.
No demolition permits have been filed yet with the city for the building. According to city records, there was a site visit listing and a letter attached to the visit said it’s no longer “economically viable” to keep it open due to the major repairs needed.
The organization calls the news “tragic” and they are urging the owners to spare the building.
Joanne Moyer and Paul Mann, who are active in SPA and the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation, urged Cowles to save the building. They said it’s an important part of Spokane’s historic legacy.
SPA leaders said Megan Duvall, director of Spokane’s Office of Historic Preservation office, the City of Spokane has little power to prevent the building’s demolition.
