SPOKANE, Wash. — On Thursday, inside the arena where sneakers were supposed to squeak and crowds were supposed to chant and bands were supposed to play, there was silence. The few souls who stopped in briefly could hear a broom sweep and the ventilation system hum. The basketball court that would have featured eight NCAA tournament teams and more than 12,000 fans per session had never been laid down; instead, the floor had been stripped to its base layer of concrete.
“It’s very sad,” whispered Stephanie Curran, CEO of the Spokane Public Facilities District, the group in charge of hosting events at the Spokane Arena and other local venues—back when there were events to host.