Nils Rosdahl: Mirror-shaped retail space coming to old parking lot at Riverstone

Readers have asked, “What’s happening where the theater parking lot used to be?” in the Riverstone development off Northwest Boulevard, Coeur d’Alene. A parking garage north of the theater has taken over the duty of the former parking lot west of the theater.

Now under construction in place of the old lot are two mirror-shaped buildings on the north and south sides of the parcel with a wide passageway (Main Street) between. aabeled Buildings B and C on the city’s building permits, the structures are about 83,000 square feet. They each have about 24,000 square feet of retail space on the main floor and about 59,000 square feet of residential (condo) space on the second and third floors.

Main Street heads west toward a commercial pad (stand-alone business location, such as for a restaurant) on the south and Building A on the north.

Also under construction, Building A is a larger similarity to Buildings B and C. This structure of 166,173 square feet has a first-floor retail center of 45,379 square feet, including a space of 28,000 on the east end labeled for a Barnes & Noble bookstore. The second and third floors will have 51 residential condos.

Called The Village at Riverstone Lifestyle Center, the complex plan spreads to the west with five more pads (including the under-construction Bardenay Restaurant), two residential towers (more on those in the future) and a six-acre lake.

A look at the overall Riverstone plan reveals a great deal more development north and west of the lake. Toward the Spokane River are 250 residential units, 300,000 square feet of offices north of that and a large retail complex and two pads (taking the place of the building that formerly was Central PreMix on Seltice Way). That retail plan shows five spaces, with two having “Old Navy” and “World Market Cost-Plus” printed on them. More on that later also.

Business complex at Third, Locust

With the sign saying “Syringa on 3rd,” a 12,000-square-foot business complex is under construction on the northwest corner of Third Street and Locust Avenue, Coeur d’Alene.

The L-shaped building’s plan reveals as many as 10 spaces from 1,100 to 6,000-square-foot possibilities, depending on the needs of the occupants. The one-story complex will primarily be glass, stone and wood with a peaked roof. Owners include contractor Tom Messina.

For information contact Steve Hill of Century 21 commercial real estate at 691-2465.

This week’s tidbits

“Wild Waters in Coeur d’Alene is adding a canal on the west side and a pumphouse to push water uphill to allow family rides down the canal.

“Hotel studios and suites offer Lake Pend Oreille views at The Lodge at Sandpoint, which opened in mid-May. Next to The Landing Restaurant on 600 feet of lake frontage, the suites have balconies, fireplaces and wet bars with refrigerators. The Northwest-style lodge has a waterwheel and fishpond at the entry. It offers room for corporate meetings and weddings and employs 20 people.

“Somehow the “old businesses” have to be persuaded to remain open during Art Walk and special events in downtown Coeur d’Alene.

Those special times really add to the evening life of the town.

“A few businesses really need to spruce up the “landscaping” outside. Potential customers think the shabbiness outside probably reflects a lack of cleanliness inside.