Coldwater Creek to move

Coldwater Creek will leave its longtime location on Sandpoint’s Cedar Street Bridge next year, and open a smaller retail store nearby.

The new store will reflect the same natural, outdoorsy ambiance that made Coldwater Creek’s store on the bridge a popular stop for tourists, said David Gunter, company spokesman. But, following the company trend of smaller stores, it will have about two-thirds the floor space.

The new retail store will be located at 311 North First Ave. A grand opening for the 10,000-square-foot store and wine bar is tentatively planned for early next year. Coldwater Creek plans to begin renovations this fall on the historic building, which was built in 1907.

“We’ll be moving literally across the street, kitty-corner from where we are now,” Gunter said.

Coldwater Creek first opened a retail outlet on the Cedar Street Bridge in 1988, and leased the entire building in 1995. The building is situated on an old bridge crossing Sand Creek.

At the time, Coldwater Creek was primarily a catalog company. The Sandpoint store was its only retail outlet, showcasing men’s and women’s apparel and home décor.

“When this was the only store, people would make pilgrimages to Sandpoint to shop at Coldwater Creek,” Gunter said. “We are able to use a lot of space.”

Coldwater Creek has since narrowed its focus to women’s clothing, accessories and gifts. The Sandpoint retailer also operates 130 stores nationwide, and plans to expand to 500 stores over the next several years.

“As we’ve put more stores in (the customer’s) back yard, there’s less need for her to travel,” Gunter said. With the lease on the Cedar Street Bridge up in January, the company started pondering its options, he said.

The new store marks the latest chapter in Coldwater Creek’s 21-year history in Sandpoint, said Dennis Pence, company chairman and CEO, in a prepared statement.

“We realize the importance of maintaining a substantial presence in the downtown core and we’re pleased we found the right property to make that happen,” he said. The company will lease the building at 311 North First Ave.

At twice the size of a typical Coldwater Creek retail outlet, the new store will still offer a destination shopping experience, Gunter said.

The owners of the Cedar Street Bridge, meanwhile, are looking for new tenants. Jeff Bond and business partner John Gillham bought the building in March. They knew at the time that Coldwater Creek was looking for a smaller space, and wouldn’t renew the lease, Bond said.

He anticipates that the Cedar Street Bridge will go back to multiple uses, including professional office space and retail stores.