The Spokane City Council will consider a $330,000 settlement offer to terminate a use agreement for Albi Stadium with Red Card LLC, which operated the Spokane Shadow Soccer Club. A vote on the offer is scheduled for Tuesday, May 30.

Working with Mayor Dennis Hession, Council Member Rob Crow negotiated the proposed offer. Council Member Crow represents Council District 3 in northwest Spokane, which includes Albi and the surrounding property.

“This is a fair and reasonable settlement for both parties,” Council Member Crow says. “I want to thank the Mayor for his leadership on Albi and the Brett organization for working with us to get this proposal completed.”

“My thanks to Council Member Crow for his initiative to reach this solution,” says Mayor Dennis Hession. “This is about meeting community needs without straining the City budget. This settlement is one more step in that direction.”

Earlier this year, the City entered into an agreement with Spokane Public Schools and the Mead School District to allow for the continuation of high school football at Albi. The schools are paying to replace the turf at Albi and have agreed to share in the cost of other improvements there.

Already the stadium is showing new signs of life. The City and the new Spokane Shock arena football team also recently entered into an agreement that allows the Shock to practice at Albi.

“I came into this with no preconceived notions, no biases,” says Council Member Crow. “I just want to see something good happen here.”

The City of Spokane and Red Card LLC entered into the Albi use agreement in 1996; that agreement was to last until 2011. The Agreement provided the Shadow with certain exclusive rights related to the use of Albi and to retain revenue generated from specific activities at the stadium. Last year, the City Council tabled a $450,000 settlement offer to terminate the agreement. That offer also included salvage rights, which are not part of the current proposal.