Commercial Complex Taking Shape In Historic Cda Neighborhood

Hoping to link to the location’s history, a trio of new buildings under construction at 112 Hazel Ave., Coeur d’Alene, is looking for a train-related name.

Architect Tim Wilson has designed a complex for office, commercial and storage buildings to resemble a train station in keeping with the Hazel Avenue neighborhood once housing the Northern Pacific freight depot. This half-acre itself was the turning “Y” for steam engines. The trains, however, have been gone for decades.

Al Scarth and Nick Schilling are developing the complex. Two of the commercial spaces will be occupied by Schilling’s stringed instrument repair business, called Nichols Guitars, and Barb Scarth’s pottery studio. The third space, 1,000 square feet, remains available.

Schilling came to North Idaho from Woodside, Calif., in 1974 and started his instrument repair business about 15 years ago.

Barb Scarth said her pottery studio will be a contemporary ceramic workshop, a hands-on studio with lessons for adults and children. She also will offer ceramics parties, such as bridal showers, where the participants make gifts and favors. A graduate of the University of Colorado, Scarth has 27 years of experience in pottery work.

One of the offices will be for Vanguard Capital, which will be leaving its current space at 1200 W. Ironwood Drive. Owner Mike Morgan, a Coeur d’Alene native and University of Idaho graduate, formerly had Rainbow Cycles.

Idahomes, a construction company owned by Al Scarth and Thomas Orjala, will move from Riverview Drive to occupy the second office. A New York native, Scarth came to North Idaho 26 years ago from Colorado, and Orjala came here 20 years ago from Minnesota. Idahomes also will occupy half of the storage building. The other half, with five units, remains available, as is the third office space.

The complex, just east of C&S Glass on Government Way, will be completed in June. For information, phone 667-5005.

Family Hearing Center has merged with Professional Hearing Aid Center and taken the latter’s space in Appleway Square at 501 W. Appleway, Coeur d’Alene (behind Granny’s Wild Geranium).

New owners are Doug and Deborah Williams, southeast Idaho natives who came to Coeur d’Alene in 1989. Professional Hearing Aid’s former owner, Ernie Ransom, will remain with the company.

Doug Williams is certified in hearing instrument services and is a factory-trained repair technician. The independent company offers hearing aids from 30 companies, including Starkey, Telex, Siemens and Rexton. Phone 667-6290.

Submarine Express of Harbor Plaza, Suite 110 on Northwest Boulevard at Hubbard Avenue, Coeur d’Alene, has new owners in Mark and Pat Davis. They originally are from Springfield, Minn., and Placentia, Calif, respectively.

Now open 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. weekdays, the business offers espressos, muffins and Danishes, a variety of submarine sandwiches, homemade soups, salads, brownies, bagels and yogurts, including their Botanica non-dairy, fat-free variety. Phone 667-7827.

Some tidbits:

When Coeur d’Alene’s post office personnel announced that the new truck center on Kathleen Avenue would have no customer services, they meant it. A mail drop-off isn’t even available. It’d be nice for the area to have a second drop-off spot for off-hours and Sunday pickup. The only option is downtown Coeur d’Alene, which does have additional parking since the truck facility moved to Kathleen.

Many area bike enthusiasts are glad to know that Jordon Keough, former owner of Bitterroot Bike & Ski, has returned to North Idaho. He’s now with Lookout Bike & Ski in Post Falls.

Some people now say that Wal-Mart will never come to Kootenai County since the retailer is building a new store in the Spokane Valley. Nobody is saying that Price-Costco won’t come, although many speculate where it would locate. The prime Coeur d’Alene sites are Highway 95 north of Silver Lake Mall and along West Appleway. Post Falls is unlikely because of it’s proximity to the East Spokane store.

Roxy Antiques moved from the old Roxy Theater building in downtown Coeur d’Alene to Spokane’s new Riverwalk Project at 1003 E. Trent. Owner Michael Fietsam had good ideas for enhancing the old Roxy’s blank orange wall facing the lake and McEuen Park. Perhaps a new occupant will follow through.

, DataTimes The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Nils Rosdahl The Spokesman-Review