CdA chamber wants new visitors’ center

Annoyed tourists sometimes huff their way into the Coeur d’Alene Area Chamber of Commerce’s office.

They’ve cruised up and down midtown searching for the chamber’s obscure location on North Third Street, gotten lost and navigated their share of one-way streets.

In short, “they’re mad because they couldn’t find us,” said Jonathan Coe, chamber manager.

Hardly a good opening for pitching dining guides, or encouraging visitors to stay and play the Coeur d’Alene Resort Golf Course.

On Tuesday, the chamber kicked off a capital campaign for a $1.4 million building downtown. The pavilion-style building, located on Sherman Avenue across from Independence Point, would showcase a view of Lake Coeur d’Alene. Part of the building would house a visitors’ center.

“Tourism is the No. 1 industry here, but we don’t have an open, year-round, professionally staffed visitor center in a visible location,” Coe said.

The campaign’s goal is to raise $600,000 by next spring, which would allow the chamber to arrange the financing to start construction. On Tuesday, the chamber bought the land for the building from the Hagadone Corp. The triangular site is bordered by Sherman, First and Lakeside.

The building has been in the works for several years. The chamber hoped to qualify for a $1 million federal grant through the Economic Development Administration. But the grant application fell into limbo after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Money in the program was diverted for rebuilding New York City, Coe said.

Faced with an indefinite wait on the grant, the chamber’s board decided to raise the money locally, he said.

The new building was designed by local architect Rann Haight, who described it as a “picture frame” in a 2001 interview. “We’ve got an opportunity to show people, when they visit Coeur d’Alene, just how beautiful it is,” he said at the time.

The south side of the two-story building will be largely glass. The first story will be partially underground, to preserve the lake views of other downtown property owners.

The 11,000-square-foot building will house 12 chamber employees, the Coeur d’Alene Downtown Association and the Lake City Development Corp., which is the city of Coeur d’Alene’s urban renewal agency. It will replace the chamber’s current leased quarters at 1621 N. Third St.

Part of the building – as currently designed – encroaches on an open, grassy strip owned by the city of Coeur d’Alene. The chamber is talking with the city about acquiring the strip of land, Coe said. City officials could not be reached for comment Tuesday afternoon.

The chamber spends about $500,000 annually marketing North Idaho to leisure and business travelers. Tourism is one of Kootenai County’s largest industries, employing about 8,300 people during the peak of summer.