The University of Washington says it plans to move this spring, following a remodel project, into its newly leased downtown building, which is to be renamed the UW Spokane Center.

The 2,250-square-foot building at 201 W. Main formerly was occupied by the Spokane Visitor Information Center.

 “With the UW Spokane Center, we will be strengthening our presence with a dedicated space in the heart of the city,” says Randy Hodgins, UW Vice President for External Affairs, in a press release announcing the remodel project.

Located near Spokane’s University District, the UW Spokane Center will serve as a hub for Spokane-area alumni, students, prospective students, parents, and supporters with space for meetings and special events, Hodgins says.

Spokane-based Blue Room Architecture & Design PS will lead the remodel project, which is expected to be completed in May.

John McLean, a principal at Blue Room Architecture, says the UW project is still in the early design stage, and a budget hasn’t been finalized for it yet.

The center will have flexible event space for gatherings of up to 30 people, Hodgins says. It also will have office space for up to six UW employees.

The Seattle-based university also is exploring options for offering limited sales of UW merchandise, he says.

The city of Spokane owns the building. The City Council in November approved a three-year lease agreement with an option for UW to extend the lease to five years. UW has agreed to pay monthly rent of $5,206 the first year, $5,313 the second year, and $5,419 the third year.

Visit Spokane, the Spokane-area’s convention and visitor’s bureau, operated a visitor center in that building for a number of years, but the organization closed the center in 2013 and opened a kiosk in the River Park Square mall downtown.