New Businesses Flock To North Side Of Coeur D’Alene; Rumors Flying

The main thrust for new businesses, buildings and developments in Coeur d’Alene continues to be on the north end of town.

Rumors are flying crazily. News in the next few weeks (or months) might be quite interesting.

Among the confirmed items:

Kathleen Court, with the definite “anchor” store of D&B Farm & Home Store, will likely be an eight-building complex on 11.43 acres in the southeast corner of the intersection of Government Way and Kathleen Avenue.

The property, known for decades as the Ulrich Quarter Horse Ranch, was about the last parcel of rural property left in Coeur d’Alene.

Leasing agents of Tomlinson Black Real Estate have an ever-changing site plan that shows the parcel bounded eventually by extensions of Second Street and Neider Avenue. Several buildings, hundreds of parking spaces and considerable landscaping are penciled into the plan.

Agent Ron Branson said three restaurants, a financial institution and a convenience store have indicated interest in being included in Kathleen Court. However, the only confirmed business presently is D&B, which would be in the Kathleen and Second Street corner across from the southern access to the fairgrounds.

Expanding from its base store in Lewiston, D&B will build a 25,000-square-foot store with an office mezzanine. Owners Larry and Carol Parrott will move to Kootenai County with some of their corporate office employees. Grove Ayers will manage 24 employees in the new store.

Utilizing a $3 billion buying base with MidState Distributing Co., D&B (named after the original owners) offers farm, pet and nursery supplies, work and western wear, toys, housewares, hardware, tack, and electrical, plumbing and automotive supplies.

“With that kind of buying power, we’re competitive with the big-box boys,” Carol Parrott said. “We know our products and our customers (well enough) to give service that counts.”

Originally from Glasgow, Mont., the Parrotts have been in the farm and home supply business more than 30 years in California, Chicago and Spokane before moving to Lewiston four years ago. He was an officer with Tractor Supply Co. and Big R supply company. They hope to expand into additional stores in the next few years.

Caddy Shack will be a new sports pub featuring three virtual golf simulators in a 5,000-square-foot building on the south side of Prairie Avenue about a half mile west of Highway 95.

Owned by long-time Coeur d’Alene sports enthusiasts Dirk Ferrell and Dean (D.J.) Lundblad Jr., the new business will be in a renovated building formerly utilized by the old Pumpkin Patch party facility. It will include seating for 32 people at tables, 10 at the bar and 12 at the golf simulators.

These high-tech machines, in 140-square-foot spaces, will offer monthly rotations of eight to 12 golf courses, including the classic sites of Pebble Beach, Spyglass, and, yes, The Coeur d’Alene Resort. Cost will be about $1 a hole.

The simulators will allow the formation of leagues and tournaments and even be used for golf lessons. Other Caddy Shack amenities will be several TV sets, sandwiches, soups, beer, wines and snacks. Watch for a Jan. 21 opening with daily hours of 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., later on weekends.

A North Idaho College graduate, Ferrell has managed the Third Street Cantina for several years. Lundblad graduated from the University of Idaho and was a regional manager for Footlocker Corp.

Tidbits:

An unlikely event at the Coeur d’Alene Inn last weekend was a Beanie Baby Buyback.

The collectible, floppy toys are about 2 years old and sold new for $4.99. One high school student I know sold her monkey named Bana for $500 and her camel Humphrey for $200. Most of the money is committed to her college fund.

Those “available” parcels between the Centennial Trail and The Coeur d’Alene Resort Golf Course are still in limbo. The administering Idaho Transportation Department was thinking of selling the pieces outright to Hagadone Hospitality or at auction, but delayed action at its November meeting to gather more information and property appraisals.

The issue should come up again Thursday or Friday at the ITD’s monthly meeting in Boise. One parcel, though four acres in size, is an elongated, nearly useless part of the steep bank between Coeur d’Alene Lake Drive and Fernan Creek. The other piece, however, is a mostly level 19,000 square feet between the east curve of the Potlatch Road exit and the Centennial Trail rest stop. It would be a perfect place for a lakeview picnic area.

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