The city of Spokane Valley will buy the former White Elephant retail store site located at 12614 E. Sprague for $2.2 million, with long-term plans to use the property for law enforcement needs, says Spokane Valley Mayor Ben Wick.

The purchase will include nearly 3 acres of land, the retail building, and a second building located on the property.

“Public Safety is a top priority for our city,” Wick says in a press release announcing the purchase plans. “This acquisition not only helps us fulfill our space needs of today but also provides additional possibilities for the future.”

A portion of the east boundary of the site abuts the city’s precinct building property at 12710 E. Sprague, which houses the Spokane Valley Police Department and space for the Spokane County District Court. The precinct building property includes 2.4 acres of land and was purchased from Spokane County in 2006 for $2.4 million, according to Spokane County Assessor’s records.

In 2019, the city purchased an additional acre of land directly behind the precinct building.

With the planned purchase, the city will have nearly 6.5 acres of centrally located property to accommodate future space requirements for public safety.

Meantime, the city plans to identify short-term uses for the rear portion of the former White Elephant property, the release says.

The city expects to take possession of the property sometime this month or next.

White Elephant, a longtime sporting goods and toy retailer, closed its Spokane Valley store and its Spokane store at 1730 N. Division in July 2020.