Several public amenity projects collectively valued over $4 million are planned at or near Riverfront Park in downtown Spokane. 

The projects, which are in various planning and fundraising stages, include an outdoor classroom, a dog park, a cultural redevelopment of Snxw Meneɂ (sin-HOO-men-huh) Island, and a long-awaited zip line attraction.

“We try to build a lot of the things in the park with the capability and the inspiration to be creative,” says Jon Moog, Riverfront Park director. “When we look at these capital projects and allow for flexibility and creativity to come into the space, that’s the magic out here.”

Lions Learning Center

The Spokane Central Lions Club is raising funds to turn an existing Expo ’74-era covered shelter into an outdoor learning center for schools and community groups, says Gary Guenther, past Lions Club president.

The Lions Learning Center, as it will be called, is under development northeast of Mobius Discovery Center and adjacent to the Post Street Bridge, on the west side of the park. The existing covered shelter will be updated with a new roof, concrete seating, tables, and electrical outlets, preliminary plans show. Other planned amenities include lockable weather-proof cabinets and a presentation board. Depending on available funding, the project also will include a mounted and secured projector, retractable screen, extended park Wi-Fi, outdoor heaters, and solar panels.

An outdoor space with a pollinator garden and break-out seating areas also are including in design plans. A wooden fence and gate surrounding the learning center will help keep students secure during lessons, Guenther adds.

The Spokane office of Denver-based Dig Studio Inc. is designing the project. A contractor and engineering firm haven't been chosen yet, Moog says.

The Lions Club has contributed $70,000 and has raised $200,000 of the $300,000 needed for the project, he says. Construction of the center will be fully funded by donations and in-kind labor and material donations provided by Spokane-area companies. Fundraising is progressing as expected, Guenther says.

Construction is anticipated to begin in spring 2027 and conclude by August, before the start of the school year.

“It’s going to be no cost to all nonprofits, schools, charities, or churches that would like to use the center for meetings,” Guenther says. “We want this to be a generational gift to Spokane and its people.”

The Lions Learning Center is a collaboration between the Lions Club, city of Spokane Parks and Recreation, and the Spokane Parks Foundation, he says. Stakeholders, including educators, program leaders from Mobius Discovery Center, and teachers from Lumen High School participated in the design process.

Humane Society Paw Park

Separately, a planned $800,00 dog park is expected to enter the construction phase in spring 2027, Moog says. The Humane Society Paw Park is planned for development on about 1 acre of land on the east end of Havermale Island. 

The Spokane office of AHBL Inc. and Spokane-based NAC Inc., which does business as NAC Architecture, partnered to create the design, according to the Spokane Parks Foundation website.

Design plans for the dog park are complete, and Moog says he expects the city to solicit contractor bids in the next few months.

The project will feature ornamental fencing and separate areas for large and small dogs.

Construction will be funded primarily by the Spokane Parks Foundation, Moog says. Spokane Humane Society also has donated $250,000 toward the project.

Plans originally called for construction to begin in 2025, Moog says, but fundraising and permitting has slowed the timeline of the project.

Snxw Meneɂ Island cultural renovation

A third, cultural redevelopment project is planned at Riverfront Park's Snxw Meneɂ Island, where the Spokane Tribe of Indians is partnering with the city of Spokane for the renovation of event areas, art and sculptures, and other features designed to highlight the sacred connection between the island and the tribe.

The project, estimated to cost $2 million, is currently on hold until funding from the Spokane Tribe is secured, Moog says. Planning is effectively completed, and the city of Spokane is working with project architect Womer & Associates Inc., of Spokane, to review design plans with the tribe while fundraising efforts are ongoing.

Upgrades to the 2-acre island include new signage, lighting, and electrical features; an updated covered amphitheater with a sound system, seating, and walkway; and a mix of new tribal art elements and sculptural artwork, the Journal previously reported.

Berms, boulders, basalt pillars, and claw marks along a renovated main pathway will symbolize the destruction of land and the creation of the Spokane River by a monster in the Spokane Tribe’s origin story about the river. Informational signs will provide a history of the land and the tribe throughout the area.

Spokane Skylines

Construction is underway on a fourth project, dubbed Spokane Skylines, a $1.5 million, 1,400-foot dual-cable zip line starting at A Place of Truths Plaza, at 901 W. Spokane Falls Blvd., and ending at Redband Park, at 216 N. Cedar in Spokane's Peaceful Valley neighborhood.

Concrete footings for the landing platform at Redband Park were installed in September, and contractor Silvey Construction Inc., of Spokane, is working to obtain permits for crane use to construct the zip line’s launch point on the upper landing, Moog says.

The attraction is expected to open spring 2027.

Liberty Lake-based Epiphany Applied Concepts Inc., which does business as Mica Moon Zip Tours, is the zip line developer, Moog says.