ISP building new facility in Coeur d’Alene
More space, a combining of related departments, owning their own facility rather than leasing and better security are the reasons the Idaho State Police is constructing a new building at 615 Wilbur Ave. (at Mineral Drive), Coeur d’Alene.
To be named the Linda Huff Building, after a trooper who was shot to death in the ISP parking lot about 10 years ago, about 80 employees will move into the single-level, 40,000-square-foot structure in July. The departments include patrol, investigations, forensics, dispatch, commercial vehicle inspectors, evidence, officer training and support staff.
The separate bureaus are now scattered throughout different rental spaces in Coeur d’Alene and Post Falls. These spaces will revert back to commercial and office areas available to lease from the owners. The new facility also will have a three-bay outbuilding for storage and processing of evidence.
“We believe this new building will enhance our service to citizens and be fiscally responsible at the same time,” said Capt. Clark Rollins of the ISP.
Taco John’s to be Taco Time
The building at 2517 Fourth St., Coeur d’Alene, that has been a Taco John’s will become a Taco Time on Dec. 1.
Now under renovation, the 900-square-foot facility will have indoor seating for 22 customers, a pick-up counter and a drive-through. The menu will begin with the regular Taco Time lunch and dinner items and will add breakfast items later.
Philip Goodlander and his mother, Coeur d’Alene City Councilwoman Deanna Goodlander, own the building, and his wife, Kelli Callihan, will be the business manager of about 20 employees. They formerly had a Taco Time in a convenience store combination they have since sold at Appleway and Ramsey Road.
Taco Time began in 1960 in Eugene, Ore., and now has more than 300 stores in the U.S., Canada and Japan. Its headquarters is in Scottsdale, Ariz. Check www.tacotime.com.
Riverstone office building to open
Three professional businesses will open in the Riverstone Professional Office Building on Dec. 1. The three-level, 10,500-square-foot, brick and masonry building is northwest of the Riverstone pond at 2140 Riverstone Drive.
Occupants will include owner Tim Skelton of State Farm Insurance with four employees in 1,500 square feet on the middle level, Drs. Wayne and Cindy Ellenbecker with Riverstone Orthodontics with seven employees in 3,400 square feet on the ground floor, and Dr. Michael Chaffee with his orthodontic practice and six employees in 3,400 square feet on the third level.
About 1,100 square feet remains available on the middle level. Phone Skelton at 818-4682.
This week’s tidbits:
•Parking garage architecture does not need to be boring. Last week in Kansas City journalism students from North Idaho College saw the walls of the garage serving the city library to be shaped and painted as 30-foot, colorful covers of classic novels in a bookcase. The students’ newspaper, The Sentinel, won first place in the nation for two-year colleges and special sections (their election issue).
•Speaking of the election. Our granddaughter’s kindergarten class had a mock election. She said she voted for John McCain. When asked why, she said because he’s white; he looks like her grandfather. OK, she’s forgiven.
•If you can, get your airline boarding pass online. We didn’t and were three minutes “late” when we went to the United passenger counter to get them and had to take the next plane (for $150 extra each) even though ours didn’t leave for another 27 minutes. Sigh.