What will it take for the city of Spokane's elected leaders to stand up and address the drug, violence, and vagrancy problems plaguing downtown Spokane? 

The chasm is growing between what the Spokane City Council is focusing on and what its citizens want their elected officials to take action on. The problems are getting worse, and frustrations are reaching a fever pitch. It's past time to act to make the city's core safe and clean. 

The pending closure of Zona Blanca Ceviche Bar, the foodie destination created by celebrity Chef Chad White, has the potential to become a flashbulb moment in the conversation about the state of downtown Spokane. About 100 people packed into the restaurant on the Holley Mason Building's ground floor for a white-collar protest of sorts against inaction from the city's leaders.

Days earlier, in a post announcing the closure, White pleaded with elected officials to recognize the urgency of what's happening downtown. The James Beard Award semifinalist said in the post, "If someone like me, who has been fortunate enough to gain national acclaim and enjoy immense support from this community, is struggling this hard to keep my doors open, I can't begin to imagine what it's like for those who don't have the same privileges." 

Zona Blanca might be the latest and most visible example of a business closure in downtown Spokane, but it's far from the only one. As the Journal reported, the Class A office vacancy rate in the city's core approached 20% earlier this year and was expected to climb with looming lease expirations.

Alisha Benson, CEO of Greater Spokane Incorporated, adds, "Zona Blanca joins many other businesses who have either had to close their doors, move out of our downtown core, or who have never opened in the Spokane region due to the impacts of public safety concerns."

Much of the business community's ire is directed at Mayor Lisa Brown, who has been in office just over eight months, but in reality, the frustration should be directed at the Council, where some of the names have changed but the tone-deaf approach to solving problems remains consistent. 

Currently, the City Council is digging its heels in on its homelessness bill of rights legislation that's intent on making the unhoused a protected class. While perhaps well-meaning, the bill is unnecessary and carries damaging consequences. It comes less than a year after Spokane voters passed Proposition 1, which banned camping on public lands within 1,000 feet of schools, day cares, and other properties, with a 75% yes vote. 

The unhoused ordinance and Proposition 1 aren't directly related, but the combination of the Zona Blanca-inspired outcry over the state of downtown and the overwhelming support for the camping ban show that a significant portion of the Spokane citizenry is making clear which direction they want the city to go. 

When we talk about the unhoused and addicted population in this space, we always front-load the message with compassion for those vulnerable populations. But there's no compassion in enabling an environment in which people are suffering on the streets, open drug use appears acceptable, and accountability is absent for those who commit crimes. It's time for leaders to lead at the will of the people, who want a safe, vibrant downtown functioning at its full potential.