How to (temporarily) fix the empty lot at 3rd and Division
You heard it here first, folks: 3rd and Division is officially the worst intersection in Spokane. No, it doesn't have the ruts and crumbling asphalt of High Drive and Grand Boulevard, but it does have an empty lot with extremely unsightly rebar and concrete, remnants of an abandoned low-rise hotel project which will be the subject of a future If It Had Happened post.
City leaders have repeatedly tried to entice developers to this site, starting with the original owners, who are presumed to have finally sold the lot in the spring of 2013. Naturally, 3rd and Division serve as a gateway to Spokane and the south end of the Division Street Gateway project, so it's not surprising that the City is attempting to get more involved. But despite this interest, the site still sits, languishing further by the day. Literally nothing has been done to improve it in the interim, despite the fact that an extremely small investment could result in a much more pleasant intersection.
Here's our short term solution: erect a temporary construction fence and set local artists loose. What do we mean? Check out some examples and a call to action after the break. We want to make this actually happen.
While many New York City residents suspected that this art installation was some sort of guerrilla campaign, it was actually installed with permission from the site owner. Note that this project utilizes individual pieces rather than placing the art directly on the wall.
These types of large construction walls can offer unique marketing opportunities. While we'd prefer that such a construction barrier not become just another billboard, smartly-planned marketing could work if it's well-integrated into the larger art project.
Because few indoor sites offer such long wall space, construction walls offer a unique venue to experiment in the craft that cannot be had with any museum installation. This project in the trendy Mission District of San Francisco offered a space for the artist to spread out. Note that the graffiti on the left-hand side of the piece hardly squashes the beauty of the totality of the wall.
Remember the artistically decorated moose that once stood in Coeur d'Alene sidewalks? Or the similar bears that did so in Spokane? Those projects were so affectionately loved because they just fit so well with the inland Northwest. Perhaps the art installation could do the same.
Imagine the world of educational content possible with a construction wall! The Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture could offer content and information for such a project. Perhaps an exploration of the Great Spokane Fire is in order? Better yet, maybe the 3rd and Division site could host a Great Spokane Fire exhibit and the Convention Center Hotel site could host one focusing on Expo '74.
This might be our favorite option, although the educational content possibly wins for practicality. This construction wall featured a full chalkboard and asked passersby what they would like the storefront to become. Similar projects have asked pedestrians about their inspirations, their passions, their dreams. While there is the problem of maintaining chalk (or perhaps people would have to bring their own?), this option is unique in that in this case, it engaged the sidewalk unlike anything else--maybe even more than if the building had been open!
Anyway, we think that construction walls buoyed by public art at both the 3rd and Division site and the Walt Worthy Convention Center Hotel would positively impact the City of Spokane. Because the 3rd and Division site serves as more of a gateway to the city, it is our priority, although we do believe that both sites should be shrouded.
We believe that this type of temporary investment should be of such high priority that we're committing to help make it happen. By partnering with local advocacy group ForwardSpokane, we intend to engage with potential project initiators to look into the feasibility of this proposal. But we can use your help.
Comment on this post and engage with @spokanerising on Twitter and The #spokanerising Project on Facebook. We need your help thinking of people to contact in order to make this possible. If you have any tips for us, contact us via our tip form located above. You can also email us at spokanerising@gmail.com.
We want to make this happen. But it's not going to happen without your help. Start brainstorming. Start engaging. Start putting together ideas. It's going to happen. It's just a matter of time.
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READ MORE:Â
Construction Zone: Beware of Audacious Art (The New York Times)
Lot of Frustration (Spokesman-Review)
New York Construction Fence Shows World Walk Symbols (Broken Sidewalk)