In 2024, the Washington Trust was awarded an almost $2.5 million grant from the City of Spokane, utilizing American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, to support the ongoing revitalization of four of the city’s historic and vibrant neighborhood business districts: Garland, Hillyard, North Monroe, and South Perry.

The Washington Trust, in its mission to help preserve Washington’s historic and cultural places, brings a people-centered approach to its work, emphasizing inclusivity and community empowerment. This work includes partnering with nearly 80 historic neighborhoods and downtown districts around the state through managing the state’s Main Street program.

As part of this Spokane Neighborhood Business Districts project, Washington Trust staff worked with the City of Spokane’s Office of Neighborhood Services and the Spokane Independent Metro Business Alliance (SIMBA) to bring together community members, businesses, and city partners—many of whom have been organizing in their neighborhoods for years—to identify district priorities and develop action plans, conduct community outreach and engagement activities, coordinate workshops and training sessions, and leverage resources and expertise to support sustainable district success.

Grant Activities & Project Impact

Across the past two years, this grant project has supported two primary focus areas for the four participating neighborhood business districts. The first focus area, placemaking and design improvements, includes enhancements to public spaces, streetscapes, district branding, and business facades, as well as the creation of new murals, banners, and public art. The second focus area, organizational development, has concentrated on building and supporting strong and sustainable district organizations, including fostering board development, volunteer recruitment, and overall community engagement.

Altogether, to date the project has resulted in:

  • 125 unique, district-led projects
  • 300+ district businesses directly benefited
  • 100+ local businesses hired for projects
  • 30+ local artists paid for their placemaking work
  • $2,000,000+ in federal dollars kept local
Learn more about the projects

Business District Toolkit

Also as part of the project, the Washington Trust developed the Business District Toolkit, a clearinghouse document intended to not only help existing Spokane business districts but to encourage other interested, emerging districts to have the know-how to start their own. Using a combination of Main Street best practices, Spokane business district case studies, and nonprofit frameworks, the toolkit offers existing and future districts a robust framework to elevate their efforts.

View the toolkit