New Attractions Spice Up Kootenai County’s Entertainment Scene

There will be no reason to get bored in Kootenai County next year.

At least six movie screens, three ice rinks (including a pro hockey team) and an arena-style gymnasium are being added to the entertainment menu.

The first venue will be an ice rink at the GoKart Family Fun complex at 3535 W. Seltice Way between the old YJ’s market and Interstate 90 just west of Coeur d’Alene.

Aiming for a mid-November completion, the rink will be an oblong, 175 by 85 feet, just east of the bumper-boat pool. The rink will offer skate rentals, skating lessons, rental for hockey practice, lights for night skating and music to skate by, sometimes with a disc jockey.

The rink will add three or four employees to the amusement park, which already includes laser-tag, an arcade, miniature golf, the bumper boats and two go-kart tracks. The place employs 30-35 people during the summer. The ice rink probably will be covered and used as a dance and special events pavilion during the summer.

Owners are Joe and Julie Kamps and Tracy and Diane Singer, all Northwest natives. Both men were raised in North Idaho.

Now, broaden your horizons for the blossoming entertainment complex just east of Post Falls Mazda.

The six screens at Post Falls Cinema are expected to open on Nov. 22. The 17,000-square-foot building will include three pairs of theaters with capacities of 300, 200 and 125 patrons. One of the screens possibly will feature alternative films, similar to the Magic Lantern theater in Spokane. The cinemas will employ about 10 people.

When the theater complex is complete, the next project is the neighboring Northwest Sports Center, which will include two full-size ice rinks, a gymnasium, sporting equipment store and a sports bar.

The 100,000-square-foot complex, scheduled for completion next fall, will have regulation hockey rinks of 200 by 85 feet. The rink will seat 3,866 hockey fans, which the owners hope is large enough to attract a franchise of the Rocky Mountain Hockey League. The complex will be designed so it can convert into a sports arena that seats 5,766 people for events such as boxing.

A sports bar and sports equipment store will occupy from 3,000 to 5,000 square feet. The bar will employ about 25 people. The store will be Lonsdale London Sports Equipment Ltd., coming from England.

The 12-acre complex is the brainchild of Bob Guindon of Post Falls, with help from several financial backers, including Larry Blair, owner of the Magic Lantern.

“It wasn’t even a year ago that this was just some talk,” Guindon said. “It’s amazing how it’s grown, but it still takes time. We’re working on an $8 million project.”

Born in Coeur d’Alene and raised in Post Falls, Guindon owns Burley Bear Construction.

Remaining on the sports theme, Instant Replay Sports will open a sporting goods store at 1104 Fourth St., Coeur d’Alene. The 8,000-square-foot building formerly housed Unique Printing.

Owners Bob and Ellen Stamsos will buy, sell and trade new and used sporting goods, including all types of inflatable balls and equipment for golf, skiing, snowboarding and exercise. The large building will provide space for baseball, softball and golf hitting ranges.

Originally from the Portland area, the Stamsoses came to North Idaho from Walnut Creek, Calif., where they had a financial planning business. They are completely renovating the building, which was built 25 years ago as a Fossum Paints store.

They are planning a grand opening for the week of Dec. 10-14. They will have six employees.

Here’s one more entertainment item: Watch for a new major attraction for Wild Waters water slide complex in Coeur d’Alene.

General Manager Tim Newhart said an aerial photo has given the owners “some ideas of how to put us up into the next league.”

Newhart said the company “is looking for the new E-ticket ride, a new top-level ride, like Silverwood or Disneyland does every few years.

“We’re looking at owning other attractions in the area,” he said. “We’re on the prowl.”

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