Downtown Confidence

Some of the empty spaces in downtown Coeur d’Alene are beginning to fill up in anticipation of the area’s predicted revitalization.

Leading the pack are a couple of “off-Sherman” stores that are moving to Sherman Avenue.

The larger tenant is Lake City Antique Mall, which is moving to 414 Sherman from 401 N. Second St. The move involves a selective downsizing from more than 5,000 square feet to 4,000 square feet in exchange for the more visible location.

Owner Jonny Fish is renovating the Sherman Avenue space to include a wide stairway into a full basement. The back (south) wall is being opened toward the city’s Third Street Parking Lot and whatever can be developed there in accord with the Downtown Public Places Master Plan.

Owned by Don Johnston, landlord for several downtown spaces and former Lake City mayor, the building had been occupied by Oriental Gifts & Foods, which moved to the Post Falls outlet mall.

The large Second Street building, which long ago was the home of Runge Furniture, was sold to a Minnesota businessman. It has housed antique stores for about 20 years. Fish said a monthlong sale to cut inventory from about 40 dealers will end with an auction Feb. 27. She plans to open on Sherman on March 1.

“I’m confident in downtown,” she said. The business will specialize in fine antiques and collectibles. Fish came to Idaho 21 years ago from Redding, Calif. She has owned Lake City Antique Mall for seven years and has four employees. Winter hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 4 Sundays.

Lumberjack Lodge also is relocating to Sherman. Specializing in the rustic Northwest look for home decor and gifts, the store is at 416-1/2 Sherman, in space vacated last month by Ramblin’ Rose, which moved a block west.

Owners Marc and Traci Stevenson have decorated the 800-square-foot space into a log lodge theme, complementing their inventory of items made from unfinished logs, wildlife sculpture and pottery. They moved from 110 N. Fourth St., where they had opened last May.

Originally from Ohio (Marc) and Florida (Traci), the Stevensons came to Coeur d’Alene from Arizona, where they were educated at Northern Arizona University. Their winter hours are 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Phone 667-5976.

Angie Brainard was initiated into the pet grooming business when she was about 10 years old. A Christmas gift was a razor to help with the care of many sled dogs and household pets when her family lived in Alaska.

Now that knowledge is her business at Angie’s Groomingdales, 1303 Best Ave. in Coeur d’Alene. She and her sister Apryl groom dogs, cats and other small animals and board small dogs and cats in the building that earlier housed the Clay Palace ceramics shop.

Although they lived in Alaska and Spokane for several years, the Brainards consider themselves (Silver) “Valley girls” after living in Kingston and Kellogg. Their grandfather, Wendell Brainard, was editor of the former Shoshone County Evening News for 30 years.

Hours at Groomingdales are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and by appointment. Phone 666-6025.

Tidbits:

Coeur d’Alene building permits were issued this past week for the new Chili’s restaurant in front of Fred Meyer and a 14,000-square-foot retail building just south of Jerry’s Body Shop.

The parcels are almost across from each other along Highway 95. The projects were outlined in this column months ago.

Jerry Anderson’s building, for which he is seeking tenants, will take advantage of the new Home Depot store under construction just to the east along Government Way. The facilities will share parking space.

Some people have complained about Home Depot’s huge, plain block walls facing the streets and fairgrounds. Take heart. The place eventually will have the company’s characteristic orange stripes.

Nothing major is happening to the Flamingo Motel, a Sherman Avenue landmark that lost its sign last month. That’s exactly it; the sign blew down in a flurry of sparks. A new one is up.

Nearly 550 people applied for 27 jobs at the new GTE call center. Of those, more than 100 reportedly were people laid off from Coldwater Creek’s call center.

Mad Mary’s has reopened at 1414 Northwest Blvd. With a modified menu and hours, the Thai restaurant is open for lunch and dinner Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays and for dinner Saturdays and Sundays. Phone 667-4367.

Some local observers fear the new attitude toward downtown Coeur d’Alene will result in anticipatory landlords raising their rents. It’s a potential trend worth watching.