Groundwork is underway at the project site for the 59,000-square-foot Idaho Central Spokane Valley Performing Arts Center, in the Mirabeau Park neighborhood. 

“We are anticipating having the shell of the building up by this fall so that we can work on the interior,” says Georgia Oxford, capital campaign director for the center.

Since the project was first proposed last year, the project’s valuation has increased by $12 million from the original estimate to a total of about $48 million, due to rising costs of labor and supplies, she says.

Spokane-based Garco Construction Inc. is the general contractor. Spokane-based NAC Architecture designed the project.

Although the center is more expensive than originally planned, the Spokane Valley Summer Theater’s capital campaign has raised $22.5 million of the needed funds so far.

“Everything’s moving fast,” Oxford says. “Now that there’s movement on the land, there’s a lot of people realizing it’s coming pretty soon, so fundraising is going good.”

She adds that the capital campaign will continue for some time after the performing arts center is completed, lasting through December 2025 to allow donations that have been spread out across multiple years to come in to support the project.

The capital campaign also has been supported through naming rights acquisitions, including Idaho Central Credit Union, which secured the naming rights for the center’s building. The Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel also has secured naming rights for the main lobby.

“There’s still naming rights left within the building, like the main stage, event space, and outdoor garden, and plaza area,” Oxford says. “Those naming rights are all for the life of the building … which is not very common in a capital campaign. We’re seeing a lot of businesses that are looking at those naming rights as well as individuals, and quite a few are doing it in memory of (someone).”

Oxford says the performing arts center is still on track to open early next summer, in time to start the theater’s summer program.

For the upcoming summer theater season, shows will be performed at University High School, in Spokane Valley.