SPOKANE, Wash. — Spokane city officials are weighing a new tax on downtown parking that could make it more expensive for drivers to park in the city center.
The proposed tax would impose a 12% levy on commercial parking lots downtown. Multi-story parking facilities like the Parkade or Riverpark Square would face a lower 6% tax rate.
The increases would likely be passed on to drivers, raising concerns among downtown business owners who say parking costs already deter customers.
“We get a lot of phone calls of people, you know. Hey, do you have parking available? And then we tell them no and I think that can deter them to go to a different spot,” said EV Warnock, who works at The Mango Tree.
Downtown businesses have struggled since the pandemic, and some worry additional parking costs will compound their challenges.
“Since the pandemic, business is down in Spokane. Just for downtown. I hear it from a lot of businesses. And I think the constant increase in parking costs, is not helping anybody,” Warnock said.
The tax would affect not only customers but also employees who work downtown daily. Long-term parking already costs workers several hundred dollars per month, according to Warnock.
However, supporters argue the tax could revitalize downtown by encouraging better land use. Currently, 30% of downtown Spokane consists of parking lots, and a city study found these lots are only 56% full during peak hours.
City officials say the tax may motivate parking lot owners to develop their properties for housing or commercial businesses instead.
“When you come across a big parking lot, there’s really not much going on. There’s not much culture, there’s not much in terms of economic vibrancy,” said Sarah Rose, a street safety advocate.
The tax would also generate revenue for transportation and street safety improvements. Rose believes this could encourage more people to use public transportation or bike instead of driving.
“I definitely think this would encourage more public transportation use. I can’t tell you how many friends and people I run into that say I would bike or I would take transit, but it’s just not safe or it’s just not working for me,” Rose said.
The city council deferred voting on the proposal until next week. If approved, the tax would take effect in April.
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