KXLY
February 3, 2021 8:03 PM Elenee Dao
SPOKANE, Wash. – The Spokane Arena just announced its first concert since the start of the pandemic. Although The Weeknd won’t be taking the stage until April of 2022, it’s a sign of hope.
That announcement means Spokane is on the path forward to having big events again. It’s one that’s desperately needed for Spokane’s economy as well as businesses that are struggling in the downtown core.
“Not having events downtown is devastating,” said Christy Belisle, managing partner of Landmark Restaurants, which is the parent company of The Onion and Franks Diner.
Losses mount; recovery expected to take years but hope for second-half rally persists in industry The tourism industry here expects to see some signs of recovery in 2021 from the stifling effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, but likely not until midyear. Meg Winchester, president and CEO of Visit Spokane, says that by all accounts, 2020 was shaping up to a be an excellent year for tourism in the Spokane area until the pandemic and related lockdowns hit here in the spring. Since then, Spokane has lost more than $57 million in convention group tourism revenue alone, Winchester claims. Visit Spokane, along with Greater Spokane Incorporated, Downtown Spokane Partnership, Inland Publications Inc., and the West Plains and Spokane Valley chambers of commerce, received nearly $2 million from the Spokane County Commissioners for Spokane County business promotions.
The Spokane Regional Health District has received about $8 million in CARES funding distributed by the county. A
s COVID-19 made its first wave across the country, and schools and businesses shut down, Congress passed the CARES Act this spring in an effort to dampen the economic fallout of the pandemic. Spokane County received about $91 million from the $2.2 trillion stimulus bill, signed by President Donald Trump on March 27. That meant that three Spokane County commissioners Republicans Al French, Josh Kerns and Mary Kuney got to decide how to dole out money to affected businesses, government agencies and nonprofits. The money has to be spent by the end of this year.