Campus master plan rendering of the plaza to be constructed at the corner of Division
and the new Martin Luther King Jr. Way.
SPOKANE – Recent “Road Closed” barriers at the intersection of Riverside Avenue and Division at WSU Spokane will be replaced sometime this fall with a street sign for Martin Luther King Jr. Way.
The project will result in reduced automobile traffic through the middle of campus, enhanced pedestrian safety and a new street replacing bumpy concrete with bike lanes, trees and sidewalks.
The street will extend east from Division, curving to the north near the South Campus Facility to connect to Spokane Falls Boulevard.
Construction began last week with demolition of the old warehouses at the corner of Riverside and Division. The buildings were evaluated under federal guidelines and deemed not to be of historical significance.
The campus master plan includes conceptual renderings of a public plaza to be developed at the corner as part of the project.
Funding for the $3.76 million Phase I came from federal and local funds. U.S. Sen. Patty Murray worked to obtain federal funding for all three phases of the project as well as a future traffic-calming redesign of Spokane Falls Boulevard.
The City of Spokane estimates completion of Phase I by September. The second phase will extend a new leg of the roadway east along the southern edge of the Spokane River to connect with Trent Avenue near Perry Street. The final phase will connect that section with Sprague Avenue to the south.