In Spokane Valley, renovations to Avista Stadium are nearly complete, and the development of a new outdoor cross-country track venue is underway.

At Avista Stadium, located at 602 N. Havana, a $16.8 million renovation is in the home stretch to meet Major League Baseball’s hard deadline of Opening Day 2025, says Chris Duff, president of the Spokane Indians Baseball Club.

Opening Day is Friday, April 4.

Lydig Construction Inc., of Spokane, is the contractor on the project, Spokane-based ALSC Architects PS designed the master plan for improvements, and Spokane-based SPVV Landscape Architects redesigned the field. 

Several projects on MLB’s compliance list were completed during the offseason, says Duff, including a full field renovation with new irrigation, drainage, and leveling of the field. The stadium also received new regulation-size foul poles and safety netting down both foul lines.

Other project components still in progress as the deadline approaches include completing the expansion of the home and visitor dugouts, adding padding to the outfield walls, and installing a new digital video board in left field. 

In 2020, MLB allowed its contract with the Minor League Baseball Association to expire, paving the way for the MLB to negotiate directly with each team. The Spokane Indians club received a list of required facility improvements it had to complete or face losing its franchise.

About 10 miles east of Avista Stadium, the city of Spokane Valley has invested $7 million to build an outdoor cross-country and cyclocross course.

The site of the future venue is located at 2710 N. Flora Road, just south of the Union Pacific Railroad tracks and north of the Spokane River. The property is 62 acres; Washington state Parks owns 16 acres, and the city of Spokane Valley owns the remaining 46 acres on which the Cross Course is planned. 

Walker Construction Inc. of Spokane is the contractor on the project, and Spokane-based SPVV Landscape Architects is designing it, says Jill Smith, public information officer for the city of Spokane Valley. 

The first phase of construction began in October and is expected to be completed in the fall to accommodate a few events. Smith says it will then host a full cross-country schedule of invitational and championship events in 2026.  

The Cross Course will be a complementary facility that will work in conjunction with the Podium Powered by STCU, in Spokane’s North Bank neighborhood. The site is being designed as a collegiate and postcollegiate championship course that will host youth sports in the warmer summer and fall seasons before transitioning indoors to the Podium during the winter months.

—Karina Elias