The city of Spokane is preparing to finalize the South Logan Transit-Oriented Development project plans that are designed to boost connectivity and livability in the South Logan neighborhood.

The South Logan Transit-Oriented Development plan will leverage recent investments in public transit service in the area to support more residential users, improve biking and walking routes, review riverbanks for public access, provide redevelopment opportunities, and ideally, spark development interest, according to project information on the city of Spokane's website.

The goals and policies established in the plan are intended to impact future development decisions in the South Logan subarea and the expected growth in the coming years.

The South Logan subarea is about 360 acres in size and is bound by North Lidgerwood Street to the west; East Indiana Avenue to the north; and Mission Park, North Perry Street, and the Spokane River to the east. The southern boundary is also the Spokane River.

The area includes the Hamilton Street Corridor and a portion of the University District, where five major universities, two medical school programs, and an accredited law school operate. 

Gonzaga University occupies about a quarter of the subarea, with commercial uses south of the Centennial Trail, where zoning allows building heights up to 150 feet. 

Promising potential development sites have been identified in the South Logan plan between Cataldo Avenue and Trent Avenue on the Hamilton Street Corridor, where large manufacturing sites and a variety of zoning designations provide suitable options for high-intensity, mixed-use buildings and pedestrian-oriented amenities.

John Bryant, owner of Spokane-based No-Li Brewhouse LLC, which is at the Riverwalk Building, at 1003 E. Trent, says he's been following along and participating in the neighborhood planning process.

As a longtime employer in the community, Bryant says he welcomes investment in the South Logan subarea, although he's working to have city officials acknowledge and address ongoing public safety issues before beginning any new improvements to the area.

His main concerns are about vandalism, violence, and other crime in the neighborhood that's impacting the reputation of the area as a safe and welcoming place for residents and businesses, he says.

 "Our No. 1 priority is to take care of public safety," Bryant says.

As an amendment to the city of Spokane's land-use plan and official zoning map, the South Logan transportation plan encourages the development of the neighborhood to a mixed-use, walkable district, enhanced by its proximity to multiple forms of transit options, such as the Spokane Transit Authority City Line Bus Rapid Transit system that began operation in July 2023 and flows along Mission Avenue.

Transit-oriented development is an urban planning strategy that promotes development near transit routes as a method to encourage the use of public infrastructure.

The plan encourages future residential development by expanding the allowed housing options in the neighborhood through code amendments. For instance, medium- and high-density housing will soon be allowed on land where currently only homes of a similar size and scope to detached single-family houses are permitted.

Multifamily developments in the neighborhood, "could be good for the area as it increases foot traffic and helps people feel safe," Bryant says.

By creating a neighborhood where people can easily walk from their home or workplace to a transit stop, residents will be more likely to ride transit, make better use of public infrastructure investments, and improve mobility options in the community, according to planning documents. 

The plan also supports the creation of retail near the area's transit stops, where higher ridership could add to a positive cycle of future service and investments. 

As envisioned, current commercial zoning will be simplified and consolidated from four separate zones to one extended commercial zone on the Hamilton Street Corridor. Additionally, zoning at Gonzaga's campus will become more consistent under the plan.

The approved amendments will focus on the built form of structures along Hamilton Street and how the buildings interact with the street.

Some amendments will modify permitted heights and height transitions, remove parking minimum requirements throughout the city, and update open space requirements for higher intensity residential zones, says KayCee Downey, a planner at the city of Spokane, in a recorded Plan Commission workshop in June.

Major arterials, such as Hamilton Street and Mission Avenue, have been found to inhibit walking. Some of the available walkable paths and trails, including the Centennial Trial and Iron Bridge, also aren't compliant to the Americans with Disabilities Act. 

The plan recommends improving pedestrian and bicycle access throughout the neighborhood, where a majority of residents are university students without vehicle access, project information shows.

Many restaurants, retailers, and services operate along Hamilton Street, and a mix of residential housing types are located around the neighborhood's main grocery store, Safeway, located northeast of the intersection at Mission Avenue and Hamilton Street.

Since many of the properties have been developed at a lower density than current land uses permit, the city's plan has identified three stations in the South Logan neighborhood that have a high potential for transit-oriented development, including Desmet station on North Cincinnati Street, Columbus station at Mission Avenue and North Columbus Street, and the McCarthey Athletic Center station at Gonzaga University.

The Logan neighborhood was first developed as a suburb of downtown Spokane with a mix of working-class and mansion-style residences in the northern section, and industrial, manufacturing, and commercial uses that are typically located in the southern section of the neighborhood.

There are about 131 businesses and over 2,700 jobs in the area, including 47 restaurants and retailers and 51 service companies, project information shows.

Bryant says he'll be following the implementation process and continue working to get some acknowledgement of the community's current public safety concerns that he says should be addressed before planning for future expansion.

"If you push public safety off of government and put the priority on individuals and businesses, then we'll start getting more fences around car lots and padlocks on bathrooms, and we'll all pull away from each other," Bryant says. "That's the danger."

In the last 20 years, the Logan neighborhood has evolved with the creation of the University District in 2004, various plans addressing design standards and neighborhood identity, and the opening of the STA Central City Line in 2023.

The transit-oriented plan is building off of recent neighborhood planning efforts including the University District's updated strategic master plan that recommended updating zoning laws and development standards to support increased residential and transportation in the area in 2019. 

A study to identify strategies that support transit-oriented development along transit lines began in 2021 through the City of Spokane and Center-Based Planning + Urban Design, of Portland, Oregon. The study identified neighborhood assets, mobility barriers, and displacement risks within a quarter of mile from each City Line station. 

The South Logan project began in 2022 and was adopted and approved by City Council in January. 

The next steps for the project will focus on the implementation of the plans by updating land uses, zone changes, and some citywide and area specific code amendments, according to the city's project website.

A public comment period ended Aug. 9 and Spokane City Council approved the proposed code amendments on Aug. 12. 

The Spokane Plan Commission will hold a public hearing on Sept. 25.

Representatives of the city of Spokane, Logan Neighborhood Council, and University District couldn't immediately be reached for comment.

The South Logan plan is funded by a Transit-Oriented-Development Implementation grant from the Washington state Department of Commerce.