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Spokane council approves 50-year lease of Highbridge Park land to American Indian Community Center
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Summary
The Spokane City Council on Feb. 9 approved Ordinance C36836 to lease a portion of Highbridge Park to the American Indian Community Center for 50 years after widespread public support from tribal citizens and center leaders; council vote was 7-0.
The Spokane City Council voted unanimously on Feb. 9 to approve Ordinance C36836, granting a 50-year lease of a portion of Highbridge Park to the American Indian Community Center (AICC).
Speakers representing the AICC and tribal communities urged the council to approve the lease as a way to secure a permanent home for long-running services. "We have been forced to relocate and move 17 different times," said Margo Hill Ferguson, a Spokane tribal citizen and chair of the AICC board, recounting decades of disruptions to the center's operations. Linda Lauck, the AICC executive director, told the council the organization hopes the lease will allow them to stop moving and expand services for thousands of residents each year. "We just ask that the city of Spokane continue the partnership that we've built over the years and provide approval of this lease," Lauck said.
Former council member Karen Stratton and other supporters described the center's history since 1967 and said a secured lease would help attract donor funding. Stratton thanked city staff and Park Board members for helping locate the center "near the ancestral fishing grounds of the Spokane tribe," framing the project as culturally grounded and beneficial to the region. Board chair Margo Hill Ferguson said capital work tied to the project includes building restrooms and referenced approximately an $800,000 component for that work.
Council members from across the chamber voiced support. Council member Cathcart called the center "a public benefit," and Council president Betsy Wilkerson said the lease represents putting "actions behind our land acknowledgment." After discussion, the council prepared to vote and the ordinance was adopted by voice vote, recorded as 7-0 in favor.
The ordinance authorizes the city to lease a portion of Highbridge Park to the AICC for 50 years; the council and advocates said the long lease is intended to provide stability to encourage fundraising and long-term programming. The council also noted a concurrent state legislative capital funding request being pursued to support the project.
Next steps include finalizing lease documents and moving toward site preparation; city staff and the AICC indicated they will remain partners during design and fundraising phases.
