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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Parker Toyota starts construction on new space

Nils Rosdahl Staff writer

Major changes are coming for Parker Toyota. The 25-year-old dealership has started construction on 60,000 square feet of new space on its 11.6-acre parcel at Highway 95 and Kathleen Avenue.

Phase I will be a new service department to the northwest of the existing building, and Phase II will be a new showroom and offices where the current service department is located. The existing showroom will be demolished to increase the outside display area on the front of the building.

The project will take about 10 months, according to owner Jim Parker, and will increase the building space from its current 25,000 square feet. To allow space for the construction, the road going into neighboring Fred Meyer from Kathleen Avenue (west of Parker Toyota) was eliminated this week and replaced by a new road farther west.

Parker Toyota opened in 1983 north of Les Schwab Tire Center on Government Way and moved to its present location in 1992. The company has 153 employees. Check www.parker toyota.com.

Parkside fills retail spaces

The final two retail spaces at Parkside Luxury Condominiums in downtown Coeur d’Alene have been filled with the occupants moving there early in 2009.

The first probably will be Fratelli Parkside, a full-service salon. Located next to Bakery By the Lake, Fratelli’s will fill about 1,200 square feet of space with four stylist stations, a pedicure spa and a retail area stocked with the Aveda product line.

Owners (and sisters) Kelli Cordon and Anna Jessick and managers Lynn Holloway (of Parkside) and Jenifer Mitchell (of the Sunset/Highway 95 salon) will be adding four to six stylists to the current team of 12. Interested stylists may make an appointment by calling 664-4043.

“Our goal is to offer the highest level of professionalism with cutting-edge services,” Cordon said. “Each team member must complete a rigorous six-month advanced training program before being designated as a master stylist.

Cordon’s and Jessick’s family homesteaded in North Idaho in the late 1800s.

“Our belief in giving back to the community has given us the drive to donate almost $100,000 in goods and services in the last seven years,” Cordon said.

Mix It Up for home, garden

Mix It Up, a store that will offer merchandise to combine urban and country living, will be in 1,000 square feet adjacent to Parkside’s atrium lobby.

Catering to her philosophy of “live, garden and play,” owner Jan Carr will combine an inventory of modern and antique furniture, lamps, mirrors, art and potted plants.

“A mixture is what makes an interior interesting,” she said. “It will be indoor and outdoor with the home and garden emphasis for green living.

A former employee of Nike, Carr owned the One More Thing apparel store in downtown Coeur d’Alene for 16 years. She will have four employees at Mix It Up with hours of 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays.

Twenty-story Parkside is almost full. Spaces remain for a 10,000-square-foot restaurant and a 2,000-square-foot office suite. Only a handful of residences remain available. Phone 664-1773.

This week’s tidbits

•About 2,000 “Mudgy & Millie” books were sold at the welcome celebration last Saturday. Author Susan Nipp, illustrator Charles Reasoner and sculptor Terry Lee signed books and merchandise for the children’s book about the adventures of a moose and mouse in Coeur d’Alene. The event earned about $15,000 donated by the book sales for the library foundation.

•A sale until the end of October will celebrate the retirement-closing of furniture store Making Room at 254 W. Hanley Ave. Owners Ron and Tami Thompson are retiring to have more time to develop property they own. Making Room hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

•Costco already is a gold mine, but think how well a fast-food drive-through would do there. Another brilliant idea would be for gas pumps to offer coffee, water or soft drinks.

Contact Nils Rosdahl at 769-3228 or nhrosdahl@nic.edu.