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[BMX-News]

*** Albi Complex Still In Question - BMX ***

Spokane, Washington -- 04/10/2007
Spokane voters spoke – more than eight years ago.

But a sports complex at Joe Albi Stadium
– approved with 80 percent voter support – remains unbuilt.

Neighborhood concerns about traffic, competing sports programs,
opposition to the sale of alcohol and city budget shortfalls have
consistently derailed the plan.

Spokane leaders say a new effort led by Councilman Rob Crow,
partly to use some land for a softball complex, could break through
the quagmire. Still, a meeting on the proposal held last week illustrated
that some battles remain – principally between baseball and softball interests.

The Spokane North Little League, noting that alcohol might be
sold during adult softball games, is rallying parents against the
proposal. Its Web site says the plan would mean the land would
be "lost to adult sports forever."

Crow argues that there's more to the first phase of the Albi
plan than softball, including improved youth soccer fields,
walking trails, a BMX track and possibly a skateboard park.

He adds that youth participation makes up about 35 percent
of the players in the Spokane Amateur Softball Association,
and their participation is growing.

In 1999, voters approved the sale of parkland that was a
converted sewer lagoon on Holland Avenue. The city was
to use money from the sale of the property, which was bought
by Wal-Mart, to build a sports complex next to Joe Albi.

Ballot language didn't specify what sports would be part of
the complex, but parks officials said all along that softball
would be a main portion of the park, in part because they
felt softball tournaments could generate enough revenue to
maintain operations.

Money from the land sale sits collecting interest.

There's almost $4 million from the land sale that could be
used for the project, Crow said. An extra $1 million to $2
million needed for the first phase could come from city reserves,
or the city could bond for the extra money, he said.

Jim Albi, a cousin of Joe Albi and founder of
Friends of Albi, said he supports Crow's efforts.

"We can accommodate a cross section of our city, young and
old – all people – to have a place to recreate," Albi said. "That's
what Joe was all about."

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