STA Board Approves Plaza Renovation Budget
The Spokane Transit Authority board has approved an $8.3 million capital budget for renovations at STA Plaza, the downtown transit hub at 701 W. Riverside. The project will update the facility’s second floor for employees and community members.
Addressing outdated facilities
The planned improvements target the 18,300-square-foot second floor, which currently houses administrative offices, a large boardroom, break rooms, and other meeting spaces. Brandon Rapez-Betty, chief operations officer at STA, says the agency’s existing headquarters on West Boone Avenue has become inadequate.
“Our current meeting space at our headquarters on Boone Avenue has really outlived its useful life — it’s insufficient for accessibility, technology upgrades, has a lot fewer connections for people taking public transit, and parking is limited,” he says. “In the downtown center, we can improve all of those things.”
The renovation will replace aging HVAC and electrical systems, install hearing loop audio technology for those with hearing aids or cochlear implants, and add multiple monitors throughout meeting spaces. The boardroom will primarily serve STA’s board and employees, but community partners and nonprofit organizations will also be able to reserve it for their own events.
“For the groups who are looking for free meeting space for their organization, this adds value to what they’re able to achieve,” Rapez-Betty says.
The second-floor break room for coach operators will be relocated to the first floor to boost efficiency and give drivers more time for breaks.
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Project timeline and construction plans
The Seattle-based office of Coffman Engineers Inc. and Spokane-based ALSC Architects PS are providing engineering and architectural services. The design team expects to have 30% of the renovations planned by November, with construction wrapping up in 2027.
The board approved the project as part of STA’s 2027-2032 Transit Development Plan, which outlines transit improvements over the coming years.
Construction is expected to kick off in 2028. STA plans to relocate about 60 administrative employees to leased space in the nearby Bank of America Financial Center during construction, with some employees remaining there for the duration of STA’s seven-year lease.
Depending on available budget, the project could also include exterior improvements and placemaking elements, including additional signage and artwork. Preliminary plans also call for new backup technology systems to ensure operating systems and data aren’t lost if existing infrastructure fails.
The Plaza serves as the hub of STA’s transit network, with the vast majority of connections taking place there. Rapez-Betty says the agency has received strong support from the Downtown Spokane Partnership, the police department, and other downtown stakeholders for the project.
“Helping rebuild that critical mass in downtown after the pandemic is a move that they are strongly supportive of,” he says.
