Please excuse the dust. We are under construction.

Those may be the most common heard words at NEWESD in 2018. Yes, the dawn of a new year brings exciting change in Spokane, as work will soon commence on a 7,000-square-foot conference center addition.

The addition, which will accommodate up to 250 people in theater-style seating, will be dividable into four meeting spaces, providing multiple options for different, concurrent meetings. The addition will be built alongside NEWESD 101’s existing 5,500-square-foot conference center, built in 2001.

Through the intervening years, NEWESD 101 has significantly expanded its professional development offerings; often pushing the building to capacity and even requiring workshops and meetings to move off-site.

The project will be conducted in three phases beginning in early spring. The first phase will see demolition of an existing storage building, affectionately dubbed the “Kennel.” Phase Two will see construction of the new building and Phase Three will update the existing conference center and its technology systems.

Design West Architects of Pullman is assisting NEWESD 101 with all aspects of planning and design. The entire project should be completed by January 2019. Until then … please pardon our dust.