Coldwater Creek begins addition to its CdA center

Coldwater Creek Inc. has started construction on a four-level building at 745 Hanley Ave. that will expand the company’s Coeur d’Alene campus.

The 100,000-square-foot building will contain two levels of parking topped by two floors of office space. Coldwater Creek is also adding 18,000-square feet to an adjacent building for an employee fitness center, plus a larger cafeteria area, loading dock and storage space.

Coldwater Creek, which is based in Sandpoint, is a national retailer of women’s clothing. The new construction at its Coeur d’Alene campus will accommodate computer network expansions, said Jeffrey Parisian, vice president of real estate.

Most of the company’s main computer systems are located in the existing Coeur d’Alene building, which also serves as a call center. As the equipment needs have grown, computers have been squeezing out cubicles in the existing building. “We’ve run out of room for people to sit,” Parisian said.

Call center employees will be moved into the new building to make way for equipment growth, he said. The new building is scheduled for completion in mid-2008.

The new building can house about 300 workers. It’s being built larger than currently needed, to accommodate future employment growth, Parisian said.

ALSC Architects of Spokane designed the new building, which will incorporate natural light, energy efficiencies and other environmentally friendly building practices endorsed by the U.S. Green Building Council, Parisian said. Coldwater Creek wants to certify the building under the council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, program.