WSU and JB LLC end negotiations on Jensen-Byrd property

SPOKANE, Wash. – The office of Finance and Administration announced yesterday that Washington State University has ended negotiations with JB LLC on the Jensen-Byrd property at 131 E. Main on the WSU Spokane campus.

Stacy Pearson, vice president of Finance and Administration, said JB LLC’s vision for the Jensen Byrd property on the Spokane campus is compelling, but that WSU needs to re-evaluate its campus plan due to changes that have occurred since the process began.

Pearson said in light of the accreditation of the new Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine which will open its doors to the charter class of medical school students in August, the University plans to update the Spokane campus master plan to assure that assets are maximized in support of the campus and medical school.

Chancellor Lisa Brown of the WSU Spokane campus complimented the JB LLC team for their “outstanding job of envisioning an exciting development for Spokane and our campus. We are very grateful for their effort in exploring potential projects for this site,” she said.

Pearson noted that leadership changes for WSU since this project started complicated completing negotiations in a timely manner, adding that when the request for developer qualifications was issued in 2015, medical school accreditation had not yet been attained.

“Growth necessitates we reconsider the best ways to use our limited resources to support our mission,” Pearson said.

Media contact:

Terren Roloff, Communications Director WSU Health Sciences Spokane, 509-358-7527, terren.roloff@wsu.edu.