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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Huckleberries Online

City wants to buy old Atlas Mill

City of Coeur d'Alene map.
City of Coeur d'Alene map.

The city of Coeur d’Alene wants to buy a 47-acre former sawmill site on the Spokane River for a public park and future business development.

The $7.85 million property is the previous home of the Atlas Mill, which closed in late 2005. Several developers have looked at the property, but it has lain vacant because of some complexities, Coeur d’Alene Mayor Steve Widmyer said.

The city owns a former BNSF Railway right-of-way through the property, which is a complication for future owners. The parcel also is outside of city limits and would need to be annexed before development could occur.

“We’ve worked with three to four different people over the years, but there were so many questions,” Widmyer said. “We thought maybe we should step up to the plate and be the leader.”

The initial concept calls for a 10-acre city park on the eastern end of the property, with 1,800 feet of waterfront access. The city would annex the parcel and sell the remaining property to ignite cda, Coeur d’Alene’s urban renewal agency, which would find a buyer for it/Becky Kramer, SR. More here.



D.F. Oliveria
D.F. (Dave) Oliveria joined The Spokesman-Review in 1984. He currently is a columnist and compiles the Huckleberries Online blog and writes about North Idaho in his Huckleberries column.

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