Kroc Center opening in Coeur d’Alene

Organizers are finally getting ready to celebrate the opening of the Kroc Center, the new $38 million community center in Coeur d’Alene. The community center officially opens Monday. But the first in a series of events marking the opening is slated for Friday night. The festivities culminate three years of planning, fundraising and construction after the northern Idaho city was awarded money to build the center in 2006 from the Ray and Joan Kroc foundation, founders of McDonalds’s fast food restaurants. A dedication ceremony and ribbon cutting is planned for Saturday. The facility was funded with a $34 million from the foundation and another $4 million in local donations. The center includes a swimming pools, gyms, exercise equipment and a community wing where residents can take computer, art and music classes.