New life planned for ‘50s-era dairy barn

A weathered dairy barn in Coeur d’Alene will become the centerpiece of a new residential development aimed at people 55 and older.

Dennis Cunningham, developer for the Meadow Ranch project, said he’s fielded dozens of queries about the fate of the barn since announcing plans for a 223-unit housing development on 12 acres near Kathleen Avenue and U.S. Highway 95.

“You wouldn’t believe how many people ask about it,” said Cunningham, president of ActiveWest Development. “It’s pretty much the No. 1 comment.”

The barn, once part of a 160-acre dairy, will be moved about 75 feet onto a new foundation. Cunningham anticipates spending about $100,000 on the move, new foundation and utility hookups. He’s had requests from people who want to start a restaurant in the barn; use it for square dances; or renovate it for office space. Beyond a desire to preserve the barn, Cunningham said he hasn’t figured out the structure’s long-term future.

“It’s a whole project in itself,” he said. “The beams and the trusses and the stuff is just amazing. It’s got the rough-cut wood you can’t buy anymore.”

The public interest in the barn doesn’t surprise Dorothy Dahlgren, director of the Museum of North Idaho.

“It’s an icon for that area,” she said. “Everybody knows the barn.”

As late as the 1970s, people paid $1 a jug for milk from the dairy. The barn represents Kootenai County’s rural past, which is quickly slipping away, she said.

“A lot of those barns were built with just timbers underneath, which means they deteriorate rapidly,” Dahlgren said. “They’re just becoming fewer and fewer.”

Cunningham investigated whether the barn, built about 1950, would qualify for the state or national historic register listing. Architecturally, it wasn’t considered significant enough, he said. The presence of outbuildings would have bolstered the barn’s case, but they were lost to commercial development years ago.

Cunningham decided to keep the barn as a focal point of Meadow Ranch. He plans to break ground next month on the ranch-style development, which will feature condos, townhouses and cottages, priced between $160,000 and $400,000.Meadow Ranch is geared toward a rapidly growing demographic: people 55 and older. More than one-third of the households in Coeur d’Alene and Kootenai County include people 55 and older, according to ActiveWest’s market research. A large percentage of them are single, Cunningham said.

“There’s a large market, particularly for single women,” he said. “We believe that you’ll have locals wanting to downsize, or people who have lost a spouse looking for something smaller.”

Meadow Ranch is also part of a U.S. Green Building Council pilot project focused on designing environmentally friendly neighborhoods, Cunningham said. Once a month during the growing season, a farmers’ market will be held on site so residents can purchase local produce. Meadow Ranch will also incorporate a community greenhouse. Recycling programs will encourage residents to reduce their waste stream.

Cunningham also hopes to see residents leave their cars in the garage periodically and opt for a pedestrian lifestyle.

“We’re within walking distance of Fred Meyer,” he said. “We’re a mile to the new Kroc Community Center and 1.25 miles to the public golf course.”