SPR's New Studios & Stations Project

9 and 13 West Pacific Street in downtown Spokane's University District.

360 Degree Virtual Reality Interior Tours of SPR's Offices
Courtesy of Hamilton Studio.
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Q.  HOW DOES SPOKANE PUBLIC RADIO SERVE THE INLAND NORTHWEST?
A.  Called “an essential thread in the fabric of the Inland Northwest’s arts scene,” SPR is one of the most respected and primary sources of music and arts information, humanities programming and a source for world, national, state, regional and local news.  SPR is the only NPR station that provides arts and news programming across our 20,000 square mile area including north central and eastern Washington, northern Idaho, eastern Montana, southeast British Columbia, and parts of northeastern Oregon.  A recent estimate concluded that SPR is a needed service used by 75,000 listeners, weekly - tuning in on regional analog and HD radio broadcasts, and nationally and internationally via streaming on the web.
 
Q.  WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO MOVE FORWARD NOW FROM OUR CURRENT LOCATION? 
A.  During our 32-year history of broadcasting from a rented second floor “walk-up” on North Monroe, our service has significantly expanded.  We have added a fully-staffed news department, and two additional radio program services.  By providing additional services for the region, we have outgrown the space. In addition, the condition of the building has deteriorated dangerously over these three decades.  It is not handicap accessible and it cannot meet national standards for soundproofing and sound isolation required for a professional broadcast studio.  To sustain our commitment to the arts and education of our regional community, we must move to a larger, safer and more sustainable building to ensure we can stay on the air.  As a result, SPR is now in the lead gift phase of a capital campaign for a new home.
 
Practically speaking, building costs are down, for both renovation and new construction.  Interest rates are the lowest they have been for decades.  In addition, we have the opportunity to acquire a building and land on an undeveloped, urban block of downtown Spokane, in the southwest area of the University District.  SPR has carefully and deliberately planned both the budget and the structural concept to ensure future operational stability in this new location.
 
Q.  WHY BUY INSTEAD OF LEASE?
A.  The Management and the Board of Directors of Spokane Public Radio performed a careful cost analysis to determine the viability of leasing a new space or buying a building or building site.  After evaluating 34 sites, the least expensive lease price was approximately $10,000 a month for the first few years and then an escalating lease payment thereafter.  The site that was chosen at 19 and 25 West Pacific Avenue in the University District is affordable and the developers are helping to carry the purchase costs.  When the purchase price was compared to the least expensive lease payment, it was determined that it was more cost effective to purchase in this case.

Q. WHY IS A CAPITAL CAMPAIGN NECESSARY?
A.  After close examination by architects and engineers, it has been determined impractical to renovate our current space due to high cost and interruption to service.  Retrofitting our rented space would not add much needed space, nor would it allow handicap access.  After much discussion, our board of directors decided SPR must either construct a new facility or renovate an existing site. We conducted the due diligence on over 34 sites in and around Spokane.  Our considerations included location, cost, and our responsibility to construct a facility that takes advantage of the latest environmentally friendly advancements and building to, at the very least, silver-level LEEDS standards.

Finally in 2010, the SPR board signed a purchase agreement to position our new home on a city block within the City of Spokane’s University District.  As you’re already aware, the City has embraced a development strategy to identify and then partner with educational institutions and other government agencies to develop infrastructure projects and incentive programs that grow industries and bring career opportunities to our community.  We have been praised by city officials for agreeing to locate within one of these districts.

On this particular city block at 19 and 25 West Pacific Avenue, the board has entered into an agreement to buy a building that has already been partially renovated and an adjoining empty lot on which we will build new studios that will tie into the existing building.  Our total acquisition and renovation costs have been estimated to be about $8.8 million with an additional $1 million for an endowment that will support ongoing operations and future programming. 
The goals in this campaign are unique, critical, one-time expenses that cannot be funded from our annual revenue – those funds are required to keep the station on the air.  SPR is at a crossroad and needs a successful capital campaign to move forward.

Q. WHEN WAS THE LAST SPR CAPITAL CAMPAIGN?
A.  This is the first capital campaign in SPR’s history. Throughout our 32 years of service, we have rented our North Monroe location.  During this period, our news and public affairs programming has expanded, become more professional, and won national awards. Our music programs have become an essential part of our listeners’ daily lives.  Our financial support from listeners and local businesses has increased. A key objective in this campaign — to own a debt-free building — will allow us to turn more of our listeners’ support toward expanded and improved programming.

Q. WHAT ADVANTAGES ARE THERE TO MOVING TO THIS SPECIFIC LOCATION IN THE UNIVERSITY DISTRICT?
A. One advantage to Spokane Public Radio locating in Spokane’s downtown University District is our partnership with the City.  SPR will serve as a private investment partner to accelerate economic development and fuel continued regional economic growth in this depressed urban area of Spokane.  The University District is one of Spokane’s Business and Development Services Department’s prime focuses.  The goalof these developments is to promote private investment, which helps to create and retain jobs, as well as to use incentives to align with long-term community priorities.  As a result, SPR will benefit from some of the business and development incentives offered by the City, which include tax incentives and deductions, wavers of fees, green incentives, and ADA tax credit.

Another advantage is SPR’s opportunity to involve ourselves in the life of the downtown community. As a part of the planning process, we have talked with city planners and local leaders like Rob McCann, the director of Catholic Charities.  SPR’s new site is located across the street from Catholic Charities’ House of Charity.  In our new facility, we will have the opportunity to partner with Catholic Charities to create an Ambassadors program for their homeless clients.  This will empower the clients to take responsibility for the safety of their surrounding community including the area around the new SPR station.
 
We also share the block with the new Spokane Public Market. We were able to obtain the property at an attractive price because we are contributing to the collective efforts to reclaim the area.
 
Q.  HOW WILL SPR INTEGRATE GREEN BUILDING PRACTICES INTO THE RENOVATION?
A.  Rather than razing the existing building, SPR will be remodeling and re-engineering the historic brick structure at 19 West Pacific.  The remodeled facility, 9,000 sq. feet on two floors plus a basement, will house support staff including administration, business, development, and volunteer offices. The new construction, adjoining the existing building, will house our production staff and broadcast studios and will be designed to meet, at a minimum, LEED Silver certification.  All construction waste from our new building project (housing our broadcast facilities) will be recycled to the greatest extent possible.  We are investigating the use of recycled building materials in the construction of our new building.   In essence, the project will have as small an environmental footprint as possible.  Furthermore, the project is situated on bus and bicycle routes, enabling staff, volunteers, and the public to reach SPR using alternative transportation.

Q. A SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN WILL GIVE SPR THE CAPACITY TO GROW.  HOW WILL THE STATION SUPPORT THIS GROWTH ON AN ANNUAL BASIS?
A. This campaign will yield new sources of reliable and unrestricted annual income for SPR.  Owning our own building will release significant funds that can be redirected into programming and operational support.  New listener and business supporters will emerge from the new communities we will serve. An endowment will give an annual stream of income while protecting the corpus of the principle to support future operating and programming expenses.  Future staff growth will be closely monitored and positions will not be added unless the station has confirmed that new funds are available year after year to support new positions.

Q. WHAT ARE THE EXPECTED SOURCES OF SUPPORT FOR THIS CAMPAIGN?
A. Our current Board of Directors is fully committed and all members have made financial pledges to this campaign.  SPR will solicit funds from individuals, corporations and businesses, and foundations in our listening communities as well as those foundations that support public broadcasting.  We will also seek additional capital funding from the state and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Q. WILL THE STATION'S ON-AIR FUND DRIVES BE A PART OF THE CAMPAIGN?
A. No. The station's on-air drives support the SPR annual operating fund. It is critical that the station continues to reach its annual operational fundraising goals to maintain the quality and success of its established broadcast service. In order to preserve this success, funds pledged to the capital campaign must be over and above the support you may provide through the station's on-air drives, renewal mailings and business underwriting.

Q. HOW MANY LISTENERS AND SUPPORTERS DOES SPR HAVE?
A. SPR has over 75,000 weekly listeners (according to the Arbitron Research Company).  Currently, over 8,000 listeners support the station. We project that at least 30% of these current supporters will contribute at some level to this campaign.

Q. WHAT IS THE STATION'S ANNUAL BUDGET?
A. SPR has an annual operating budget of approximately $1.8M. SPR has no debt.