SPOKANE, Wash. —
Tuesday, the city of Spokane announced its plans for the East Central neighborhood library. Mayor Nadine Woodward held a press conference with city council members and community leaders to share that the library could soon be a police precinct.
After the announcement, other community perspectives bubbled up to the surface, including, the perspective of the Hispanic community where leaders said they submitted a proposal to bring a cultural center to the library, but never heard back from the city.
According to East Central neighborhood chair, Randy McGlenn, a police precinct was one of the original options the neighborhood proposed to the city before the library was vacated.
The other option was to expand the Martin Luther King Jr. community center.
Spokane's Hispanic Business Professionals Association also requested city council consider a cultural center.
HBPA's executive director Fernanda Mazcot said the service has outgrown its downtown space. After submitting the proposal, Mazcot said her team never heard a definite yes or no from the city on whether they would move forward with their idea.
“HBPA has been serving the Hispanic/LatinX community in Spokane for 27 years," Mazcot said. "We’ve been operating from our homes, our cars, we have a tiny, little space. We’re getting more and more people, more and more students."
Mazcot said her team heard from the city that organizations with ideas on how to use the space should attend East Central neighborhood meetings to share their ideas.
Mazcot said that's when HBPA found out the city planned to continue with the police precinct idea. But Mazcot said their need for space shouldn't be overlooked.
"At this point, I do think it’s a city responsibility to look at what we’re serving," Mazcot said. "Look at the Hispanic/LatinX community, the LGBTQ LatinX community and hear us out."
Tuesday, during the press conference, council member Betsy Wilkerson shared concerns on the lack of engagement with the east central community.
“As a council member, I will be in support of the community voice whatever that be, but we need to truly have the community voice that has not all been heard here today,” council member Wilkerson said.
The East Central neighborhood chair said while the city did end up choosing one of the community's original proposals, the community could have been more involved in the decision-making process.
“There has been a lot of need for police involvement in our community because of the camp in our neighborhood," McGlenn said. "I know that our elected officials have been frustrated with the lack of progress that’s been happening and I believe that’s what motivated them to take action. The downside is they skipped or forewent the process of engaging us so therefore, council woman Wilkerson and our Hispanic group felt like they were left out of the decision making process.”
City Communications Director Brian Coddington said community input was considered before moving forward with the precinct, but there could be perceived gaps in communication from council and HBPA.
Tuesday, Mayor Woodward said the final use of the space would be determined by city council, but Mazcot said until that space is occupied, this conversation isn’t over.