Cda Forum Today Will Air Center Proposal

A forum starting early this morning will answer questions about a proposal to build a community center in Coeur d’Alene.

The forum will run from 7:30 to 9 a.m. at City Hall. The Coeur d’Alene Chamber of Commerce’s local government committee is sponsoring the forum, and it will be moderated by John Goedde, a member of the local government committee.

The Center Project Foundation, a nonprofit organization, is advocating that the city build a community center.

Several local business people with financial interests in health clubs oppose the facility, saying that it’s government subsidized competition for their businesses.

Representatives from both the health clubs and the Center Project Foundation will present their perspectives on the issue during the forum.

The $6.3 million facility would include a competition-sized pool, a gym, a small indoor track, locker rooms, office space for the Coeur d’Alene Parks and Recreation Department, a multipurpose room with a stage and other rooms for meetings, arts and crafts or a drop-in day-care center.

A story in Saturday’s Handle Extra section incorrectly reported the cost for the building.

Coeur d’Alene residents will be asked for an advisory vote on the proposal on Nov. 2.

If a simple majority of voters approve it and the Center Project Foundation can sell 2,000 memberships to it, the center’s construction could begin as soon as the spring.