SPOKANE, Wash. – Downtown Spokane certainly has issues right now with homelessness, drugs and crime. But could the key to breathing new life into downtown lie within its historic past?
A group of local developers believe downtown is worth saving and a big step in its revitalization could come in renovating some very old buildings.
Chris B atten is the owner of RenCorp R ealty , which specializes in renovating old buildings. His latest project is the Wh arton B uilding on W. First Ave.
“This is a really unique block,” said Batten. “I think it’s the only one downtown, maybe not, but where you have the original storefronts all the way through.”
Built in 1901, it once housed Spokane Paper Company and an Elks L odge . In the 1990s, it was rebuilt to house the restaurant, “T hai on F irst .”
The new look Wharton Building will have a bookstore cafe and a K orean restaurant on the street level and 17 one (bedroom) and studio loft style apartments upstairs.
Batten believes one of the keys to bringing downtown back to life is to get more people living downtown. The belief is h aving more people downtown will make it more vibrant and, in turn, safer.