A park bond was approved by voters in 2014 to upgrade and modernize Riverfront Park. The park had seen very little reconstruction since it was transformed after Expo '74 ended. Several of the main projects funded by the bond have been constructed. The rest of the work will be complete by 2020.
More than just blue skies and sun greeted Riverfront Park goers Friday; The twin pedestrian suspension bridges that connect Havermale and sn̓xʷméneʔ islands were both open after years of construction.
How to turn the grounds of the world’s fair, Expo ’74, into an urban park wasn’t always clear. Although the fair was an overall success, people disagreed on what it should look like in the future.
The wait will come to an end Saturday, as Spokane Arts and Riverfront Park open "Stepwell" to the public at a gathering beginning at 11 a.m. The public art piece, selected from four original sketches the artist submitted in late 2017, was designed and built using roughly a half million dollars of the original $64 million in taxpayer bonds approved for the park's redevelopment. City law requires publicly funded construction projects to set aside 1% of the total cost for public art.
Small silver charms dangle from fencing on the blue bridge in Riverfront Park as part of a fundraiser for construction projects and programs in the park.
