When a building is demolished in Spokane County, the permit fees collected from the demolition are directed to a fund that helps preserve the facades of surviving historic buildings.
The historic preservation façade improvement grant program, administered by the Spokane City-County Historic Preservation Office, was created in 2018 through an amendment to the city's historic preservation code, says Logan Camporeale, historic preservation specialist. The initiative collects demolition fees for all buildings that are demolished, historic or not, and converts them into grants. It provides up to $5,000 in matching funds to restore the street facades of historic buildings.
Since 2019, the grant program has awarded $82,000 in grants to fund upgrades to landmark and smaller commercial buildings.
The grant program is an incentive for property owners that helps preserve the city's remaining historic architectural character while providing community benefits by restoring publicly accessible outdoor spaces that give Spokane neighborhoods their identity, Camporeale says.
“It’s a creative funding mechanism,” says Camporeale. “If we lose buildings, we can try to use these funds to help people who care for their historic buildings.”
Structures receiving funding must be listed on the Spokane Register of Historic Places or be a contributing resource in a local historic district, he adds. Spokane's historic registry list includes about 1,100 properties, most of them downtown. Of those properties, 400 are individual homes listed on the historic register, while the remainder are properties that contribute to a local historic district, including structures built in a significant period and containing significant architectural elements, Camporeale says.
Most property owners who received matching funds completed restoration projects valued at $10,000 to $13,000, with no refund of the grant, he says. Most importantly, the grant acts as a catalyst for owners to take action to restore their properties, he says.
“People want to maximize the value of the grant,” he says. “You’re trying to land right in that sweet spot.”
The Garland Theater at 924 W. Garland was the first historic property to receive matching funds through the program, Camporeale says.
Built in 1945, the single-screen cinema was designed in tThe Streamline Moderne style, an Art Deco vein, is characterized by flat roofs and rounded corners and uses materials such as stucco, concrete and glass. Funk, Molander & Johnson, a Spokane-based mid-century architectural firm, designed the project with the help of architect Frank Toribara, Camporeale explains. The restoration project focused on repairing the intricate terra cotta tiles that were attached to a metal frame on the theater's roof to prevent water from seeping down and causing water damage. Spokane-based A+ Masonry Cleaning & Sealing Inc. completed the restoration work, he said.
Toribara was also the designer of a separate registered historic property involved in the grant program, Highland Park United Methodist Church, located at 611 S. Garfield, on the lower South Hill. The grant program supported a new coat of paint applied by CertaPro Painters of Spokane and North Idaho, a trading name of NW Cornerstone Services Inc., Camporeale says. In the future, church administrators may seek matching grants for further improvements, he said.
In the Hillyard neighborhood, three buildings received matching funds from the program: the United Hillyard Bank building, the Kehoe Block Building and tThe Hillyard Laundry Building.
Built in 1920, the United Hillyard Bank Building at 5016 N. Market was designed by architect Henry Bertelsen in the Beaux-Arts style, which combines ornate grandeur with classical elements, Camporeale says. According to the Spokane Register of Historic Places nomination application, most of Hillyard's buildings are vernacular commercial buildings, while the United Hillyard Bank Building stands alone as an example of Beaux-Arts classicism.
The building is designed to house two banks, Camporeale said. Today, the two-story building is a one-stop shop for several businesses, including Crazy Train Eatery, Bellwether Brewing Co. and Derailer Coffee LLC. This year, the building received funding to add a sconce to the front of the building and remove a rusty flagpole that could damage the facade, he says. Energized Electric Inc., based in Spokane, was the electrician on the project, according to permit information on file with the city of Spokane.
“They're very simple and tiny and don't draw attention to themselves,” Camporeale says of the sconce. “But at night they ensure the building has this incredible shadow effect and also light the walkway to ensure safety and create a welcoming feeling in the evening.”
A few doors souof the bank building At 5002 N. Market is the Kehoe Block Building, a two-story masonry structure built in 1907. The architect is unknown, but it was developed by Hillyard Townsite Co. around the same time Hillyard was incorporated as a separate town, Camporeale says. The Spokane City-County Historic Preservation Office awarded grants to fund a painting project, a new awning on the front of the building and a general renovation of the building's window display system, he says. Spokane-based Mauer Construction Inc. was the contractor for the work.
Located on the ground floor of the Kehoe Block is Hillyard Bicycle, which occupies 3,300 square feet and has entrances on Market Street and Olympic Avenue. The second floor is residential property, he adds.
The Hillyard Laundry Building, 3108 E. Olympic, south of the Kehoe Building, is another early structure by an unknown architect, Camporeale says. Built in 1906 by local blacksmith Charles Carr, the building received appropriate funding to repair its classic neon sign on the north facade above the main entrance. New lighting installation and repair was performed by Spokane-based Empire Signs LLC.
“You’ll be able to see it from the new highway when it’s installed,” Camporeale said of the sign. “It definitely lights up the street.”
Camporeale said the building is also notable for its flat brick facade, which is seen on many Hillyard buildings. The concrete bricks have a fake texture that is supposed to look like stone, but it was simply a machine on site pressing concrete into bricks. About seven buildings in Hillyard feature this particular design, he says.
In Spokane's Browne's Addition neighborhood, the Powell House, 1728 W. First, was built in 1899 for Edward Louis Powell, who was mayor of Spokane from 1893 to 1894, Camporeale says. Noted Spokane architect Loren Rand, who also designed Lewis & Clark High School, was the project's designer and builder, he added. According to the nomination application for the Spokane Register of Historic Places, the house was designed with a “subdued interpretation.” Queen Anne style of architecture known for its asymmetrical design and ornate, eclectic details. ToToday the historic property offers accommodation to visitors under the name 1899 House Bed & Breakfast.
The Powell House has completed two restoration projects reimbursed with Restoration Fund C grantssays amporeale.