Coeur d'Alene/Sandpoint/Moscow/Idaho Pacific Time Zone Development Thread

[InlandEmpire]

Any news/updates on the office building that was supposed to replace Senor Froggy??

[jimthemanincda]

Originally Posted by Big Bear

The February meeting of the Coeur d'Alene P&Z includes a zone change for property located at 802 Young, near City Hall and McEuen Field. The zone change is to Downtown Core (DC), the highest density zoning. From what I could gather (and guesstimating the lot size), it would allow for construction of a building of 30,000 sf, and up to 45,000 sf (the DC zoning has many options which allow increased square footage).

I am basing those estimates on a lot size of 7500 sf. It could be bigger. There is an abandoned home on the property which was used for apartments at one time.

Based on 4500 sf per floor (3 large condos, or 2 huge ones) this would allow for a building up to 10 floors.

At this point, I do not know any more other than the zoning change being announced. The applicant is the owner of a school resource company, so it could be an office setting as well. Downtown Core is the highest density zoning--I think it used to be R-70 (residential at 70 units per acre).

Thanks Big Bear. And welcome to the forum!

[mattlovescda]

I just came across this mention of the potential future parking structure in down town Coeur d'Alene. I've run across a couple of articles talking about this in the past and every time it gets me thinking of a building I saw while I was spending some time in Anchorage. I'm including a link to the buildings site here, mostly for fun, but it has stayed in my memory due to it being one of the most attractive parking solutions I've ever seen. It's not very easy to see in the pictures on the site but in person, the glass "blade-like" coverings hanging on the parking levels were frosted-looking with some sort of design and adjustable to control the amount of airflow into the parking structure. Pretty neat I think.

[jimthemanincda]

Another potential 7-story parking structure (one was built at Kootenai Medical Center a few years ago). This one would be for the county offices. Excerpts from the article are below...

COEUR d'ALENE - The Kootenai County commissioners hope to construct a nearly $8 million, 7-story parking garage on Northwest Boulevard, and the officials are asking the city of Coeur d'Alene and the Lake City Development Corp. to jump on the project to share cost and use.

"This is going to happen fairly soon," said Commissioner Jai Nelson on Monday afternoon, at a meeting between the commissioners and city and LCDC officials. "If we can work out a relationship benefiting several parties, it could maybe happen sooner."

Part of the commissioners' draft facilities master plan, the parking structure is projected to cost $7.8 million.

It would sit on a county-owned dirt lot by the administration building, and provide 518 spaces.

Currently, there are 397 spaces around the administration campus on Government Way.

"We're busting at the seams now," Green said.

But there is also obvious potential for public use, the commissioners noted, hence the opportunity for Coeur d'Alene and LCDC to help fund it and open some spaces to citizens.

City officials and LCDC board members were open to the idea of hopping on board.

Troy Tymesen, city finance director, said the project would be enticing if the garage was revenue generating, a detail the commissioners had yet to determine.

Other details were also batted around, like if a sky bridge would be necessary to help folks cross Northwest Boulevard.

The still-preliminary plan could include the construction of new county buildings, the commissioners said, so additional parking would have to come first.

The new facilities being considered include a $20 million justice center behind the administration building. The structure would give the county additional courtrooms, and also take on the juvenile court operations now conducted at the old federal courthouse on Fourth Street.

The commissioners might also add on to both sides of the administrative building, projected to cost more than $2 million, and construct a new $1 million Building and Grounds structure.

The timing of the parking garage and any following buildings, Nelson said, depends on the options the city and LCDC provide.

Source: Cd'A Press http://www.cdapress.com/news/politic...9ace94271.html

[Cottonwood]

Good to see activity is picking up again in beautiful Coeur d'Alene

[jimthemanincda]

Coeur d'Alene always pops up in "Top 10" lists but this is the first time I have seen Post Falls (as a separate city)...PF was in MSN's recent list of 10 Cheap Mountain Towns for Retirees [it is slide #9 of 12 on the link]

Link: http://money.msn.com/retirement-plan...s-for-retirees

[jimthemanincda]

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the opening of Silverwood Theme Park, the Northwest's largest amusement park.

With 65 rides, shows, and attractions, there will be over 1,400 employees working at park this season.

Silverwood promotes itself to customers as far away as Seattle, Portland, and Canada.

More than 600,000 guests visited the park last year and almost 1,000,000 are expected by the 2013 season.

It's good to have such a cool place so close to home...

Source: http://www.cdapress.com/news/local_n...a434ce407.html

[Cottonwood]

I have always heard excellent remarks about Silverwood. With the number of rides, Silverwood appears to be the 2nd largest amusement park in our region behind Elitch in Denver. Of course the location of Silverwood is world class ...smack dab between two of the most beautiful lakes anywhere

[mattlovescda]

Originally Posted by Cottonwood

I have always heard excellent remarks about Silverwood. With the number of rides, Silverwood appears to be the 2nd largest amusement park in our region behind Elitch in Denver. Of course the location of Silverwood is world class ...smack dab between two of the most beautiful lakes anywhere

You're absolutely right, Cottonwood. I love riding the drop tower style ride at Silverwood specifically for the view. You can ride facing south and see all the way into Coeur d'Alene, or ride facing north and see Lake Pend Oreille. Lots of fun.

[Cottonwood]

http://www.cdapress.com/news/busines...f30ef6299.html

Silverwood's Aftershock wins Travel Channel award

Posted: Saturday, July 14, 2012 12:15 am | Updated: 8:18 am, Fri Jul 20, 2012.



JEROME A. POLLOS/Press

Silverwood Theme Park's Aftershock roller coaster gained national recognition with Americans voting it as one of the top coasters in the U.S.

[jimthemanincda]

A new baseball stadium is on the drawing board, along with trying to lure a summer college-league team from Spokane to move to Cd'A and play. The stadium would hold about 1,000 spectators. Here are highlights from the article:

COEUR d'ALENE - After hibernating for a few years, the Spokane RiverHawks want to wake up and migrate to Coeur d'Alene.

Local organizers behind the baseball proposal say the stadium is on track to be ready for games by summer 2014.

"The preliminary stadium drawings look promising," said Bobby Brett, Spokane Indians baseball club managing partner and friend of RiverHawks owner Irv Zakheim, both of whom have been meeting with the local group to work out details with the possible move. "It's a very solid group (in Coeur d'Alene) and they're involved with this for all the right reasons."

But Brett, who has owned other teams in various cities and whose brother owns the Tri-City Dust Devils, said Coeur d'Alene has the capacity to support, and benefit economically, a summer league team - just as similar-sized Wenatchee, Wash., has.

"It's worked in those sized markets," he said. "And Coeur d'Alene is a very good baseball town with a very good baseball history."

The WCL is a summer league in which college players from the around the Northwest play with wooden bats. Like in minor league baseball, players live with host families during their stay. The league will have 12 teams next season, from Corvallis, Ore., to Bellingham, Wash., but could expand more in the coming years. Average game attendance is between 1,000 to 1,500. Its website says that no other college summer league has had as many former players reach the big leagues so early in its history.

"The West Coast League has had its eye on Coeur d'Alene since 2008," WCL President and Seattle Mariners broadcaster Ken Wilson told The Press, adding the league is "very much behind" the move if logistics work out. "It's attractive to our league in terms of having a real nice city and a really nice stadium."

The RiverHawks, whose uniforms have blue lettering outlined in gold across white tops and blue caps, have talked about moving to Coeur d'Alene as far back as 2009.

Zakheim was out of town this week and couldn't be reached for comment, but told The Press in 2009 he'd like to move east if a facility seating up to 1,000 was in place. The team hasn't played since then, and its website says the team is canceling games until its anticipated move to Coeur d'Alene.

The goal will still be to host as many levels of baseball events, from Little League to American Legion, as possible. Lacrosse, softball and soccer games, even music concerts, outdoor movies and classroom excursions would all be events for the stadium.

Source/full article: http://www.cdapress.com/news/local_n...be7b48368.html

[jimthemanincda]

In regards to the article that I posted above, it would be great to have a baseball team here in town. Cd'A residents are proud supporters of the Spokane Indians short-season Class A club and Bobby Brett (George Brett's brother), who owns the Indians, is supportive of another baseball team in the area (in a different league of play of course). The Indians are a well-run family-friendly organization and almost always lead the Northwest League in average attendance (they averaged 4,828 fans in 38 home games last year). It would be awesome to have another baseball venue in the area to go to games at in the summertime.

[jimthemanincda]

Big news!!!

12 story retail & condo building (153 feet tall) proposed in downtown Cd'A...the proposed building would be across the street from the 9 story Coeur d'Alene North Condos, one block away from the 10 story Lake Tower Apartments, and about 2 blocks from the 18 story Coeur d'Alene Resort.

The story mentions one resident of the Coeur d'Alene North Condos who lives on the 7th floor and is upset that her views of the lake might be partially blocked but the article also mentions a resident of a lower floor saying that the new building would be good for downtown.

I don't know the developer but after checking out the website, I did find renderings! I think this project has a greater than 50% chance of being completed.

Newspaper article:

COEUR d'ALENE - A Colorado company is proposing to build a 12-story retail and apartment building in the heart of downtown Coeur d'Alene, adjacent to some highrise apartments already there.

Austin Lawrence Partners, a real estate development firm out of Aspen, Colo., hopes to break ground on the 125,000-square-foot, 60-unit luxury-apartment building, called One Lakeside at 201 N. First St., in the spring.

The proposed mixed-use building would sell one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments with "high-end finishes and appliances," according to the company's website. A 12-unit apartment building, called Lakeside Apartments, currently sits on the 20,000-square-foot lot, which Austin Lawrence Partners purchased in April 2012.

"It is known to be one of the prized remaining parcels adjacent to the lakeshore in downtown Coeur d'Alene," the company wrote about the project. "One of Idaho's premiere resort destinations. This parcel is within steps of The Coeur d'Alene Resort, lakefront and downtown marina."

According to the company website, the apartments would range from 750 to 3,400 feet, boasting "ample living and deck space, outstanding city and lake views, a rooftop outdoor pool, exercise facility, and lounging areas."

The building would sit across Lakeside Avenue from the Coeur d'Alene Chamber of Commerce building, directly south of the 9-story Coeur d'Alene North Condominiums.

Some neighbors aren't wild about the proposal.

They said they're concerned the building will obstruct their lake views, block light into their building and negatively affect their property values once lake views are obstructed.

Other residents on the lower level of the condos, like Mark Curtis, said they would welcome the change, and think the proposed mixed-use building could help draw business and people downtown.

"It's progress," Curtis said.

Austin Lawrence Partners plans to obtain approvals from the city this fall.

The developers tout the location being close to downtown shopping, North Idaho College and the race course for Ironman on the website. The site didn't list an estimated cost of the project, or what the price range for the apartments could be.

The proposed building includes commercial space on the ground level, underground parking, and would stand around 153 feet tall.

The height alone fits under the city's downtown building guidelines, Yadon said. Height allowances are based on floor area size as well as a number of variables developers can incorporate into their building design that grants them extra height. The maximum limit downtown tops out at 220 feet.

If ground is broken in the spring, a reservation program for the apartments would go into effect winter of 2013 and early 2014, according to the company.

Source: http://www.cdapress.com/news/local_n...2111ff743.html

Rendering:



Source: http://www.alpaspen.com/one-lakeside.php

[Cottonwood]

This will be a few blocks from the lake correct? The growth and highrise development in Coeur d'Alene has been pretty amazing for being a smaller city. It is the best looking city next to a lake repped in the MW forum. Any chances of an updated vista of downtown from the lake?

[Evo5Boise]

I've never been to Silverwood but I would love to check it out. I will plan on it in the next year or two.

Also, nice developmental news. Good for you CDA! Great little progressive city you have there.

[jimthemanincda]

Originally Posted by Cottonwood

This will be a few blocks from the lake correct? The growth and highrise development in Coeur d'Alene has been pretty amazing for being a smaller city. It is the best looking city next to a lake repped in the MW forum. Any chances of an updated vista of downtown from the lake?

Yes. That is correct Cottonwood. Here is the location...on 1st St, directly north of Lakeside Avenue and the Cd'A Chamber building downtown:
https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=coeur+d'alene,+id&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x5361b4f8ba557c8f:0x5fe5995b05bf5290,Coeur+d'Alene,+ID&gl=us&ei=N7cyUIxKg_6JAtCmgdgK&ved=0CLYBELYD

I will try to get some updated pictures but the skyline hasn't changed significantly in the past 3 years. I do have pictures from the top floors of Parkside on my mom's camera that I will be posting eventually. Stay tuned!

[jimthemanincda]

The City of Post Falls Parks & Recreation Department just released its first ever draft Master Plan this week. The city is expected to have over 60,000 residents by 2030. Around the year 2040 is when Post Falls is expected to pass Coeur d'Alene as the largest city in the county.

Here are the population projections from the plan for Post Falls, the 10th largest city in Idaho and the second largest in Kootenai County:

2011 population (US Census): 28,104
2015 estimated: 31,297
2020 projected: 37,848
2025 projected: 47,848
2030 projected: 60,492

Source: http://www.postfallsidaho.org/city_i...%208-14-12.pdf

[jimthemanincda]

Two news stories for today:

1) Construction on a 4-story Marriott Springhill Suites Hotel has started. The hotel should be completed within a year. It will be directly next to the Holiday Inn Express near the Riverstone development.

2) Finishing its 25th year in business, Silverwood Theme Park is expected to surpass 660,000 guests this season (up from last year's 654,000).
Source: http://www.cdapress.com/news/busines...d02aac24b.html

[Cottonwood]

Thanks for the updates.

[Cottonwood]

Originally Posted by jimthemanincda

Big news!!!

12 story retail & condo building (153 feet tall) proposed in downtown Cd'A...the proposed building would be across the street from the 9 story Coeur d'Alene North Condos, one block away from the 10 story Lake Tower Apartments, and about 2 blocks from the 18 story Coeur d'Alene Resort.

The story mentions one resident of the Coeur d'Alene North Condos who lives on the 7th floor and is upset that her views of the lake might be partially blocked but the article also mentions a resident of a lower floor saying that the new building would be good for downtown.

I don't know the developer but after checking out the website, I did find renderings! I think this project has a greater than 50% chance of being completed.

jimthemanincda, I saw this update today in the statewide news online. Exciting news for sure and also exciting that new highrises are in the works for cities in both North and South Idaho.


http://www.cdapress.com/news/local_n...9541d5d0e.html

Highrise returns, with changes

Developers will present draft at Cd'A City Hall Thursday at noon
Posted: Wednesday, October 3, 2012 12:00 am | Updated: 12:55 am, Wed Oct 3, 2012


COEUR d'ALENE - After considering feedback from city planners and concerned neighbors, the Colorado developers proposing to build a highrise apartment complex in downtown Coeur d'Alene are ready to unveil their latest proposal.

In a nutshell, the retail and residential building pitched for First Street and Lakeside Avenue calls for a skinnier, taller version from the original concept.


With the change, the building's height would go from 153 feet to 173 feet. Codes allow buildings downtown to reach 220 feet. The 60-unit luxury apartments, estimated to be a $20 million project, would have retail shops on the ground level. The updated plan calls for a street-scaped front.