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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
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Legislature passes $6.3 billion capital budget with funding for Eastern Washington universities, community projects

Spokane Falls Community College has secured state funding for a new fine arts building on campus, shown in this rendering, through the new capital budget. (Courtesy of Community Colleges of Spokane)
By Laurel Demkovich (509) 416-6260

OLYMPIA – A $6.3 billion capital budget unanimously passed the Legislature with money for projects at colleges in Eastern Washington, Spokane’s fish hatchery, a statewide expansion of broadband access and new housing projects.

The capital budget – which funds construction projects across the state – includes projects throughout Spokane and Eastern Washington.

Spokane Falls Community College, Washington State University and Eastern Washington University can all expect some funds.

The budget is expected to be signed by Gov. Jay Inslee.

Spokane Falls Community College will get $19.3 million for a new fine and applied arts building that would combine the fine arts and photography buildings.

Washington State University gets funding for three big projects, including a new life science building in Vancouver, renovation for a biomedical and health sciences project in Spokane and demolition of an old building on the Pullman campus.

Eastern Washington University will get $45 million for a new science building renovation.

Spokane’s fish hatchery is one of 11 hatcheries across the state getting money for renovations. Spokane’s will get $2.8 million to improve operations and conditions.

Spokane Democrat Rep. Marcus Riccelli, who sits on the capital budget committee, called the capital budget “robust” with community projects throughout Spokane.

Sen. Mike Padden, R-Spokane Valley, said in a statement the capital budget puts a lot of taxpayers’ money back into community projects and creates jobs.

Area projects include:

Nearly $15 million for a new water well in Airway Heights

  • $11 million for a project in Cheney to help the community reduce the amount of water it pulls from the ground
  • $1.3 million for a new roof at the Martin Luther King Jr. Center in Spokane
  • $2 million for Proclaim Liberty Affordable Housing in Spokane
  • $1 million for a new tower for Spokane Public Radio
  • $1 million for the Spokane Valley Boys and Girls Club

Laurel Demkovich's reporting for The Spokesman-Review is funded in part by Report for America and by members of the Spokane community. This story can be republished by other organizations for free under a Creative Commons license. For more information on this, please contact our newspaper’s managing editor.