Spokane Valley approves lease for proposed two-sheet ice facility
The Spokane Valley City Council voted 6-1 on April 28, 2026, to approve a ground lease for a proposed two-sheet ice sports facility on city-owned property.
The lease is with Ignite Youth Ice LLC and Spokane Youth Ice LLC, which plan to construct and operate the facility in Spokane Valley. The proposed complex would include two ice sheets built to NHL size.
The vote is the city’s confirmed action on the project. It gives the proposed facility a path to development on public land, but it does not establish that construction has begun or that the facility is open.
What the council approved
The council approved the ground lease rather than a completed facility. Under the agreement, Ignite Youth Ice and Spokane Youth Ice would use city-owned property for the proposed construction and operation of the ice sports complex.
The two-sheet design is the central physical feature identified by the city. Both sheets are planned to meet NHL size standards, making the proposal a larger venue than a single-rink facility and providing space for ice sports activities under one roof.
The 6-1 vote occurred April 28. The city has identified the property as city-owned land within Spokane Valley, connecting the council action directly to a local development decision rather than a project outside the city’s jurisdiction.
How it fits city priorities
Spokane Valley’s 2026 budget identifies economic development and sports tourism as city priorities. The proposed ice facility would add a sports and recreation venue that aligns with those stated goals if it advances from the lease stage to construction and operation.
The city’s total 2026 budget is $148.4 million. That figure covers the city’s broader spending plan, including capital and public-safety investments. It is not identified as the cost of the ice facility, and the lease approval does not by itself establish the project’s financing.
The connection to sports tourism and economic development is therefore a policy context for the council’s decision, not a guarantee of the facility’s eventual economic results. The project would need to proceed through its development and operating stages before those effects could be assessed.
What happens next
Ignite Youth Ice LLC and Spokane Youth Ice LLC are the entities named in the lease approval and are expected to pursue the work required to construct and operate the proposed facility under the agreement.
The city’s announcement did not set a construction start date, identify a project cost, provide a completion date or establish a final operating schedule. Those details will determine when residents, athletes and visitors could use the facility, but they were not part of the confirmed April 28 result.
For now, Spokane Valley has approved the land-use arrangement for a proposed two-sheet ice complex. The project remains a planned facility on city-owned property, with construction and opening still ahead.
Sources
- City Begins 2027 Budget Discussions Prioritizing Low Taxes & Efficient Government, City of Spokane Valley
- City Council Approves 2026 Budget, City of Spokane Valley
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