On June 6, STA hosted a leadership roundtable event, “Uniting Division Development: A Roundtable on Developing the Corridor’s Next Era,” bringing together a diverse group of local leaders to discuss the future of the Division Street corridor as STA prepares to implement Division Street Bus Rapid Transit (BRT).

Held at Ruby River Hotel next to Division Street, the event brought together more than 30 key stakeholders, including elected officials from the City of Spokane, Spokane County, and other jurisdictions served by Spokane Transit, developers, business leaders and employers, hospital administrators, and city and transportation planners. The discussion centered on the opportunities and challenges of transforming Division into a corridor that supports more walkable, Transit-Oriented Development (TOD).

“This was a great opportunity to bring community leaders and decision-makers into the same room to talk about what is possible,” commented Brian Jennings, STA Director of Community Development. “We wanted to have an honest conversation about what it would take to support TOD along Division. It won’t happen overnight, but these conversations help us understand the steps and conditions needed to support a different kind of future for Division Street.”

This roundtable was one of many community engagement efforts STA is leading as part of the Division Street BRT project. More events are planned in the future, each focused on specific aspects of the corridor transformation, such as transit infrastructure, land use, and economic development.

Thank you to the community leaders and partners for joining the conversation. Special thanks also to Alex Dupey from MIG for facilitation, and to the following roundtable panelists for sharing expert insight across a range of disciplines: James Gallina, Millennium Northwest, LLC; Chuck Murphy, Gonzaga University; Ryan Bradeen, Avista Corp; Kevin Edwards, Hawkins Edwards Inc; Susan Scott MPA, BSN, NEA-BC, Providence Holy Family Hospital; and Alex Jackson, MultiCare Health System.

“Bringing people together is the first step,” Jennings said. “Now we can begin the work of aligning visions and building a corridor that works better for everyone.”