Centennial Properties Inc., the Spokane-based property developer that is part owner of the River Park Square downtown retail center, wants to tear down the skywalk downtown that crosses Howard Street just north of Main Avenue and to replace it with one nearby.

The skywalk connects the former Macy’s building, which Centennial Properties is remodeling, to the recently renovated historic Bennett Block at the northeast corner of that intersection. 

Centennial Properties has filed application with the city of Spokane to demolish the skywalk, which is scheduled to be torn down early next year.

The new skywalk would be built just north of the existing one, which currently is closed, says Doug Yost, director of real estate investments for Centennial Real Estate Investments, a subsidiary of Cowles Co., which owns the Journal of Business. 

Yost says the proposed new skywalk would serve residents and shoppers better. 

“We still like having the skywalk for shopping, especially in the winter months,” he says.

In June, Centennial Properties announced it had agreed to buy the Macy’s building, located on the north side of Main between Wall and Howard streets.

Yost says the cost of demolishing the old skywalk and building a new one still hasn’t been determined.

“With the current construction downtown and the holidays approaching, it was determined it would be best to wait until after the start of the new year to begin the demolition,” he says.

Yost estimates it would take two to three weeks to demolish the existing skywalk and the winding concrete stairway at the northwest corner of the intersection that provides outside street-level access to the skywalk. 

Walker Construction Inc., of Spokane, is the general contractor on the Macy’s building renovation, including the skywalk demolition and replacement. Spokane-based NAC Architecture PS is the project architect, and the Spokane office of Seattle-based DCI Engineers Inc. is the project engineer.