Corbin Park
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Historic Corbin Park on the near North Side of Spokane, the site of the historic Idaho Washington fairgrounds. C. Today, not much has changed.
This page is hosted by the residents of the Corbin Park Historic District. Located two miles north of downtown, Corbin Park is one of only two local historic districts in Spokane. The site was the city’s first fairgrounds with a central racetrack. In 1889 a plat of the Corbin Park Addition included the former racetrack as a park in the center of the residential district. In 1916 a formal park design was prepared by the Olmsted Brothers, Landscape Architects of Brookline, Massachusetts. Today, most of the park has been adapted for current use as a baseball diamond and playground areas. "Lemonade and garden hats" are the legacy of Corbin Park according to an article in the Spokane Daily Chronicle in 1973. This tranquil, oval shaped park nestled among some of the busiest roads in Spokane once belonged to the Washington-Idaho Fair Association. The fairgrounds included a oval race track where Corbin Park sits today. Horses, bicycles, and people raced around the oval track while spectators cooled themselves with lemonade. The fair and the races lasted from 1887 to 1890 and the races continued until 1899 when the owner of the land, D. Corbin razed the grandstand and platted sixteen city blocks. Corbin gave the land in the center of the lots to the Mayor of Spokane for one dollar. The Olmsted Brothers left the city a design for the park that included trees, a rose garden, a mirror pond, and several suggestions for flowers. They also left recommendations for sandboxes and play equipment for children. Over the years, the beautiful gardens have been replaced by lawns which, are easier and cheaper to maintain. Families would come to the park, dressed in their Sunday best and enjoy a picnic or concert. Families still come to the park and the neighbors whose homes face the park often sit on their porches and enjoy a glass of lemonade on a summer evening.
09/10/2026
The planning commission discussed the issues we raised in yesterday's meeting and Megan Duvall (Historic Preservation Officer ) did weigh in and asked for clarity sake, that all properties within the district be removed from the upzoning. The commission did seem to support excluding the CPHD lots from the FLUM.
Reminder that all lots that abut those lots within the mustard colored area on the East end of the Park would still be subject to density up to and including 5 story apt bldgs. There are concerns that will tower over and negatively impact the historic district / Corbin Park neighborhood in general. Once these homes, trees and community is lost, there is no going back.
Public comment is open until Oct 2, please engage planning and our city council representatives regarding the planned destruction of our neighborhoods.
The video link is of the meeting and the relevant part on Corbin Park is at about 1:03
https://vimeo.com/1225443380?fl=pl&fe=sh
We just verified with the city what the situation is with all the no parking signs along Park Pl, on the North side of the park. Streets is doing crack seal on the streets around the park that begins on Tuesday, to prepare for a chip seal next season.
If you have any questions, reach out to 311, I am just sharing what we were told. :)
09/02/2026
It's time you speak if you haven't as Planning is working on a new Land Use plan for the city and huge changes are in play for the Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood. Here is a link to the Future Land Use Maps https://storymaps.arcgis.com/collections/35f3c11c88084960bfa02e8f6af606a8?item=4
Comments on the draft Future Land Use Map and Comprehensive Plan are due by 5 p.m., Friday, Oct. 2, 2026. Any comments received during this timeframe will be processed and considered prior to the Plan Commission public hearing, which is anticipated in early November.
Submittal of comments by email to [email protected] is preferred, with the subject line “PlanSpokane 2046 Public Comments”. I also suggest you copy our council representatives [email protected] and [email protected]
08/28/2026
In a tribute to Dolly Parton, GESA Pavilion turns pink in her honor. RIP Dolly.
08/24/2026
Important community meeting regarding new "zoning" in the Corbin Park neighborhood. Tuesday, Aug 25 at St Andrews Church on Howard.
Special planning meeting (Aug. 25) & e-newsletter correction First off, an important correction to the e-mail announcement that went out earlier this morning. Starting in September, Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood Council meetings will be held on the third TUE…
Opps an error in the EGNC newsletter. Be aware new meeting date of 9-15.
08/07/2026
Domestic bunnies can not live in the wild. Sadly someone dumped several domestic bunnies in Corbin Park last night. Thanks to a neighbor one has been saved, but two others have been seen but not yet rescued. We just hope we find them before the resident hawks do. :(
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Spokane, WA
99205
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