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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Commercial strip being revived


The employees include from left, Omen Oakes, Steve May, Tyler Neff (behind truck) Karen Balmer and Jeff Southern. The business is in the old Knudtsen Chevrolet building on Fourth Street in Coeur d'Alene, where several businesses are now located. Workers at A New Car, a business owned by Steve May and Mike Lundy, detail older autos to like-new condition. The employees include from left, Omen Oakes, Steve May, Tyler Neff (behind truck) Karen Balmer and Jeff Southern. The business is in the old Knudtsen Chevrolet building on Fourth Street in Coeur d'Alene, where several businesses are now located. 
 (Jesse Tinsley / The Spokesman-Review)
Nils Rosdahl The Spokesman-Review

It won’t be Dinkytown much longer.

Sixty years ago the small commercial area on Fourth Street north of downtown Coeur d’Alene was called Dinkytown because, well, it was the smaller business area of town. And it was mostly houses, some rather elegant. You can see this with Yates Funeral Home, which has a commercial front added to a fine, old house.

As Fourth Street blossomed to be the main artery between downtown and points north, several automobile dealers positioned themselves on the roomy blocks north of Harrison Avenue. They left Sherman Avenue, the city’s main street, in a quieter state. The same thing happened to Fourth Street in the past few years when the dealers opted for mainstream locations along Highway 95 and Interstate 90.

The empty blocks on both sides definitely gave Fourth Street an abandoned look. That era is over. The former Chevrolet, Subaru and Jeep lots have filled with occupants in the past few weeks.

The biggest change is on the planning board.

On June 21 the city of Coeur d’Alene will have a hearing regarding a request to abandon Linden Avenue between Fourth and Fifth streets. Logic shows the proposal probably will pass because Linden isn’t a through street on the west side of Third Street.

Once Linden is abandoned, the Panhandle Area Council is expected to buy the resulting connected block and two-thirds (formerly Lake City Ford) for an estimated $1.5 million. The council’s plan is to lease it to the Coeur d’Alene School District, which needs space, for about $9,000 a month.

The existing building on the property would house the school district’s maintenance-and-operations division, currently in crowded leased spaces near Showboat Theatre off Highway 95. The 15 to 20 maintenance employees could be in their new quarters by fall.

A second building, including a large meeting room and a few offices, may be built at the same time, according to Steve Briggs, chief financial officer. Another new building would house the administrative offices, currently at 311 N. 10th Ave. This existing building/parcel would probably become part of adjoining Sorensen Elementary School.

“This is still five or six years away,” Briggs said. “Depending on what the needs and finances are then, this building could be anywhere from 10,000 to 50,000 square feet for what is now 35 to 40 people.”

The commercial neighbors of the property are thrilled.

“It’d be a great pump for our area of midtown,” said Steve LaTourette, owner of LaTourette’s Salon. “It would put activity into all the former car lots.”

Motorcar Center almost full

Meanwhile, the almost 30,000-square-foot building and block that once housed Knudtsen Chevrolet has filled with auto-related businesses. It’s called the Motorcar Center.

The centerpiece is Coffeeville, an upscale coffeehouse offering a variety of spaces including main room with nooks and crannies, a private room and a deck. All with their own entrances, the other businesses are Kootenai County Customs, A New Car, City Salon and (soon) Autos by Owners.

Auto restoration and collision repair are the business of Kootenai County Customs. Owners Matt Jackson and Karl Fuller combine about 36 years experience. They’re open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays. Phone 665-7052.

Extreme detailing and reconditioning are offered at A New Car, which opened in mid-May. Services include minor dent repair, painting, decals, metal-plating and upholstery work, including leather. Owners Steve May and Mike Lundy have 10 employees. Phone 765-0300.

Motorcar Center owner Mike Fowle said the Autos by Owners business should be open in early July. Private owners will simply rent space to market their cars. A Reno native who came to North Idaho from Bull River, Mont., Fowle said he is hoping to attract a muffler business to the final available space. Phone 765-0645.

Lakeshore Drive houses for sale

An unusual offering of five fancy houses on East and West Lakeshore drives in Coeur d’Alene are for sale at one time. Here are the deals:

Three mansions in a row are for sale on East Lakeshore. The priciest is about $1.6 million for the three-story white colonial of 9,600 square feet with a guest house and 225 feet of waterfront. This is followed by $1,285,000 for the neighboring European style home of 7,800 square feet and 100 waterfront feet. An offer has been accepted for the 4,800-square-foot yellow house across Dollar Street. It was advertised at $795,000.

Resting next to each other on West Lakeshore, the classic white house cornering to Military Drive is 5,609 square feet with 178 feet of beach at $1.2 million, and the newer one next door is 4,474 square feet with 77 feet of beach at $975,000.

Enjoy!