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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
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Then and Now: Parkade Plaza

1971: A brightly lit Christmas tree glows in the Parkade Plaza near the futuristic Parkade parking structure in downtown Spokane. The modern parking garage, designed by architect Warren Heylman, received a national award for “excellent in the use of concrete.” Heylman designed the plaza with a large fountain, though the bowl-like top fountain was demolished in 2014 and the lower pool filled in as a planter. Behind the tree is the Old National Bank building, which was Spokane’s tallest building from 1910 until 1929. (Spokesman-Review Photo Archives)
1971: A brightly lit Christmas tree glows in the Parkade Plaza near the futuristic Parkade parking structure in downtown Spokane. The modern parking garage, designed by architect Warren Heylman, received a national award for “excellent in the use of concrete.” Heylman designed the plaza with a large fountain, though the bowl-like top fountain was demolished in 2014 and the lower pool filled in as a planter. Behind the tree is the Old National Bank building, which was Spokane’s tallest building from 1910 until 1929. (Spokesman-Review Photo Archives)
By Jesse Tinsley jesset@spokesman.com(509) 459-5378

Fidelity Mutual Savings erected their new eight-story building at Howard Street and Riverside Avenue in 1953. A few years later, some smaller buildings north of the bank were torn down around 1957, and Fidelity added north-facing retail spaces, calling the area Fidelity Plaza.

A partnership representing several Spokane businesses built the $3.5 million Parkade, which opened in 1967, and was designed by noted architect Warren Cummings Heylman. The futuristic 10-level parking structure was designed to house almost 1,000 cars and have retail space on its ground floor. In addition, the city’s skywalk system wrapped around its second floor, connecting to the Bennett block, the Bon Marché department store, the Washington Mutual building and the Sherwood and Fidelity buildings.

When the Parkade was under construction, an alley between Fidelity and the Parkade was vacated, creating a courtyard that would be named the Parkade Plaza, sometimes Fidelity-Parkade Plaza.

Heylman shared his vision for the courtyard with the Spokesman-Review in 1967. “There will be a news stand, an outdoor restaurant with brightly colored umbrellas, a city ticket booth and other pleasant facilities. The environment is designed for people, not things,” he said.

The space would be home to small restaurants, specialty shops and live musical performances. The Spokane Symphony gave several free concerts in the plaza in the late 1960s and 1970s. The pop group Hues Corporation played their disco-era hit “Rock the Boat” there in 1973. Macklemore filmed a dance number for his video “Downtown” in the plaza in 2015.

Pay ’n Save, which also operated Ernst hardware stores and Rhodes department stores, opened a Pay ’n Save Drug Store in the ground floor of the Parkade in 1969. The store became part of PayLess Drugs, then Rite Aid before it closed for good in 2023.

In 1978, the north side of the Fidelity building was updated with an extension of the skywalk system and new commercial space for the bank and other businesses. Fidelity merged with First Interstate Bank in 1982.

Heylman designed a large rectangular fountain as a centerpiece for the plaza with a 15-foot bowl above that dripped water into the pool below. It served for many years, but the plumbing broke down in 2012 and it was removed in 2014 and replaced with a planter.

Warren Heylman died in 2022.