SPOKANE, Wash. — Residents of Spokane’s East Central neighborhood will have the opportunity to shape upcoming changes to their roads and sidewalks as the city seeks community input on its ReFive Community Plan through July.
The revitalization project targets the area surrounding Fifth Avenue, stretching from Liberty Park to Havana Street along Interstate 90. The neighborhood was divided when the freeway was constructed decades ago, creating ongoing quality of life challenges for residents.
The plan prioritizes making the neighborhood more walkable by improving roads and sidewalks throughout the area. Beyond infrastructure improvements, the ReFive plan includes adding more artwork throughout the area.
Mallory Thornton, a mother of three who lives near the project area, supports the walkability improvements but has additional concerns she’d like to see addressed.
“It’s a beautiful area, it really is, but I do notice that there’s quite a bit of crime here, a lot of stolen vehicles,” Thornton said.
The proximity to Interstate 90 creates noise pollution issues for residents.
“It is very loud here because the freeway is right there. But I would really like to see efforts being put towards that,” Thornton said.
City officials said they are securing funding sources that will not require additional taxpayer expenses. There will be different timelines for various components of the project, with implementation beginning next year.
“The overall end vision and goal is to really realize the community desire to refresh, revive Fifth Avenue, bring livability and connectivity improvements,” said Maren Murphy, principal planner for the City of Spokane.
The city conducted a virtual feedback meeting Thursday evening to gather resident input on the draft plan. Additional opportunities for community members to share their thoughts remain available through the city’s website.
Residents have until the end of July to provide feedback on the current draft. After collecting community input, city officials will revise the plan and present it to the City Council for approval by the end of the year.
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