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Call it part shopping trip, part history lesson.
A two-block corridor along Argonne Road in Millwood, beginning at Euclid and running north to Liberty, features buildings that go back to the early 1920s, complete with stylish awnings and brick exteriors absent from much of today’s utilitarian architecture.
For Bobbie Beese, a member of Millwood’s Historical Society and a property owner in the neighborhood, the structures represent one of the last sections of greater Spokane Valley that remain intact from a golden age.
“It’s really important to Valley history,” Beese said. “These buildings were built as an investment in the community.”
Now the Millwood City Council is discussing the possibility of establishing an historical business district that would collaborate to preserve and enrich the area. At the June 2 council meeting, city leaders mulled over the formation of a commission – similar to the neighborhood councils utilized by the city of Spokane – that would make recommendations to the Millwood planning commission regarding a range of potential policies, from lighting to signage.
Council Member Richard Schoen, a resident of Millwood for the past 35 years, said there has been talk in the past of expanding the business district to the west to allow for more parking. While Schoen said he “is in favor of historic preservation,” he added that “there are implications and consequences of making such a designation.”
Council Member Glenn Bailey also expressed support for the idea, but said it would be important to include provisions that would allow for the renovation of buildings.
Back in 1991, the Millwood Council formed a subcommittee to look into the possibility of establishing a similar district. A group of urban design specialists had recommended that the town set aside room for additional parking near the storefronts that edged up against Argonne. The idea never materialized.
“It disappointed a lot of people,” said Millwood Mayor Dan Mork, who was a member of the Town Council at the time.
Mork said the latest format would be similar to towns like Dayton where old-fashioned lighting and other amenities were added to a commercial district to amplify a connection to the past. Mork added that cities like Sandpoint and Newport have also utilized uniform codes to augment a civic theme.
“We want to do what will be good for business,” Mork said.
There is also the question of who would pay for different types of improvements. Beese said she would be in favor of distributing a survey to business owners in the neighborhood to get their opinion. Jay Prior, who runs Custom Strings, a business that restores and sells violins and other string instruments, said he moved into the space on Argonne four years ago because of the visibility and distinctive design of the buildings.
“I think a district like that would only benefit the businesses here,” Prior said.
A $1.3 million grant from the Washington Department of Transportation will go toward an extensive repaving project along Argonne scheduled to begin next summer. The city is also in the process of applying for additional grants that would fund improvements to pedestrian walkways along the main thoroughfare, including areas within the proposed business district.
There was also discussion on June 2 of creating a central business district that would include companies located south toward Trent.
The two-block area along Argonne was featured in a walking tour of Millwood last October that also included the Inland Empire Paper Mill and a number of historical homes. The proposed business district is part of a section that is listed on the National Historic Registry.
“It’s important that we value our historical stock,” Beese said.
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By
Craig Howard
