Spokane Community College is preparing to start construction on a $25 million partial renovation of the campus’s oldest building, known as Old Main, that will relocate the building's primary entrance from the North Spokane Corridor-facing west side to face the east and consolidate the school’s student services under one roof.

The planned renovations, scheduled to begin in July, will update the two-story, 246,000-square-foot building’s 1950’s-era east wing and include a new, modern 2,600-square-foot entryway that will serve as the facility's new front door. Crews will demolish 35,000 square feet of interior space in preparation for the project, which is intended to improve walkability, provide additional program spaces, and create a more welcoming experience for students, says SCC President Jenni Martin.

The building currently houses academic programs, administration offices, and some student support departments, Martin says. The building is also home to a student-run bakery and the cosmetology program’s salon, Inspiration Salon.

“The concept is to move all of our student services functions that are currently dispersed throughout campus in multiple buildings all into this building as the front door of our campus because of its (proximity to East Mission Avenue), and our desire to move the front door of our campus away from Greene Street and the current freeway project,” she says.

Spokane-based NAC Inc., which does business as NAC Architecture, is the architect of record. Bouten Construction Co., also of Spokane, is the general contractor.

The community college has been planning the renovation for over 10 years — in part due to the expected construction disruption. The project is slated for completion in early 2028.

SCC's campus is located at 1810 N. Greene. Old Main — also known as Building One — is situated on Mission Avenue just east of Greene Street, along the southwest edge of the campus property. The existing front door faces west, toward a completed portion of the North Spokane Corridor, Martin says. 

“We've been preparing for this with the knowledge of the (North Spokane Corridor) coming through the campus and the disruption that we predicted,” explains Martin. “We've been saving money, we've been intentionally moving programs and not filling spaces.”

The renovation of the east wing and entryway is expected to improve the flow of students entering building from an adjacent parking lot, explains Jeff Hyslop, a principal at NAC Architecture, who worked on a previous renovation of Building One. 

Design plans call for a new, modern entryway and lobby area, and first-floor classroom and hallway renovations. Students are expected to have an easier time navigating to the school’s career services center and accessing the rest of campus, which is a challenge currently, Hyslop adds.

“We're touching a bunch of space behind (the new entryway) that has been underutilized for quite a while in preparation for the project, but also is pretty hard to navigate,” Hyslop says. “You come in that door now and you're hit with a wall versus a clear path, and so we're basically making a straight line from the front door back to what is the main spine of campus that connects you to the other buildings.”

Construction is expected to be minimally disruptive for students. Any classes or services in the building’s east wing have already moved elsewhere on campus, she explains. 

“Anytime you have construction, there is some impact, but the planning has allowed for minimal impact,” she says.

NAC Architecture previously completed a $22 million renovation on the building’s south wing in 2020, Martin says. That project included 50,000 square feet of internal renovations, 12,000 square feet of new construction, and an updated façade on the south side of the building.

The project is being funded through the Washington State Legislature, which has issued a certificate of participation, or a bonded loan, to SCC for $15 million that Martin expects to be funded this fall. The school also sourced other funding from a settlement with the Washington State Department of Transportation, and has been saving money for a decade, Martin says.

Once crews finish the renovations, previously relocated departments will be moved back to Building One, Hyslop says. The relocated departments will include admissions and registration, disability access services, financial aid, K-12 outreach, career counseling and student success, and security, he says.

Martin notes that the North Spokane Corridor has prompted other changes on campus, such as the school’s running track on the east side of campus, which has been demolished and turned into student parking. Martin says a new trades-specific high school also is planned on campus, and will increase the amount of parking needed.

The campus is also expecting to reap some benefits from the North Spokane Corridor. The school’s proximity to the major roadway could benefit the school’s advertising opportunities.

“We have some opportunities for some visibility and to potentially do some creative things, or to say, ‘Spokane Community College is here’ from our clock tower,” she says.

Despite the loss of parking, Martin says construction of the freeway hasn’t yet impacted admissions or student attendance, which are on the rise.

“Many of our students are nontraditional, and coming back to school takes a great amount of courage,” Martin says. “We want to minimize that experience and make it a positive first impression, where you can be helped the moment you walk in the door.”