The transformation of Spokane’s U-District
For nearly a century, this rail yard and warehouse district on the Spokane River was plagued by waste and neglect. In the 1980s, city leaders imagined transforming 50 of its acres into a site for higher education.
Just blocks from downtown, it was an ideal urban location for Spokane college students. At the same time, the city leaders realized, developing the land would benefit the local economy and beautify the city.
The Riverpoint Campus has become a lively urban setting for WSU, Eastern Washington University, and University of Washington programs. A health sciences focus has drawn hundreds of pharmacy, nursing, and medical students to its classrooms, laboratories, and library.
Now, with the goal of meeting the growing demand for rural healthcare providers, WSU is exploring the creation of a second medical school for Washington on the site.
(Left) Courtesy Washington State Archives, Eastern Region Collections; (Right) Isaacson Aerial Photography