SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. – Spokane Valley marked a significant milestone with the groundbreaking of a new cross-country course, the first championship-level sports venue within the city’s limits.
Nestled near the intersection of Flora and Euclid, alongside the Spokane River, this venue is already attracting major events, including the 2027 NCAA Division I cross-country regionals. The project is expected to be completed next fall.
The main portion of funding for the course came from Spokane Valley’s lodging taxes, funds specifically allocated for tourism promotion. Initially, the city approved $4.4 million of the estimated $7 million to finish phase one, with additional funds anticipated from the same source to finish the project.
Spokane Valley’s Economic Development Director, Mike Basinger, indicated that this course is a product of careful planning and funding allocation. “This event space is going to allow people to stay in our hotels, eat in our restaurants, and purchase things in our mall,” Basinger said.
The new course is expected to bring increased business to local establishments, like Vaqueros, a nearby Mexican restaurant.
“I just expect our business to keep getting busier and busier,” Vaqueros General Manager Fernando Rodriguez said. “Especially with that track opening up, we might have to get more staff in here to accommodate the more guests.”
Spokane Valley is contemplating federal funding to aid in constructing a fieldhouse for the course’s second phase. This addition would accommodate cyclocross events when the cross-country season concludes.
