SPOKANE, Wash. — The proposal to build an outdoor multi-use stadium near the Spokane Arena cleared another hurdle on Friday.
The board of the Spokane Public Facilities District voted 4-0 to approve a motion agreeing in principle to the parameters outlined last week by the Spokane Public Schools board.
Those parameters are essentially a set of requirements the stadium proposal would have to meet for the SPS board to consider approving it, and thereby scrapping the in-progress project to replace Joe Albi Stadium at its current site in Northwest Spokane.
The requirements range from SPS getting a cut of revenues made at the stadium, to various parking and scheduling priorities, to a variety of equity measures. The board the PFD could meet all its obligations to those requirements.
PFD would be an important partner in the downtown proposal, taking over maintenance and operations once the stadium is built. The board's approval of the motion Friday is a key step towards final approval of the project, but it was only an agreement in principle. The motion indicated final details would be ironed out later.
The decision will ultimately be up to the SPS board, as the money for the stadium comes from $31 million out of a half-billion dollar school bond passed in 2018. That decision is expected to be made at a board meeting on May 5.
