Coeur d’Alene makes Kroc list – City will compete for $20 Million community center grant

Coeur d’Alene — not Meridian, Boise or six other Idaho cities — is Idaho’s representative in a competition for a multimillion-dollar grant that would pay for a community center offering a variety of public services.

Kathleen Kreller
The Idaho Statesman

http://www.idahostatesman.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041028/NEWS01/410280356/1002

Idaho first lady Patricia Kempthorne headed up the statewide Idaho Kroc Initiative Task Force, which announced Coeur d’Alene’s selection Wednesday. The Salvation Army is offering $20 million grants to about 20 to 25 U.S. communities, which will be funded by a $1.9 billion bequest from the late Joan B. Kroc, wife of McDonald’s founder Ray Kroc.

Kempthorne said all nine applications were "viable," but she declined to detail what gave the North Idaho city an edge over more-populous Treasure Valley locations.

"There is a need for this all over the state," Kempthorne said.

Among other factors, the task force looked at land acquisition, the ability of a community to sustain a center over time and community collaborations. And Coeur d’Alene lacks community art and recreational resources like a swimming pool, Boys & Girls Club or a YMCA, Kempthorne said. The Boise-Meridian area has such amenities.

Meridian proposed a large center at Storey Park on a 10-acre area bounded by Franklin Road, Main Street and Watertower Lane. The site would have included an aquatics center, auditorium, Boys & Girls Club, senior center, library branch and education center, ice arena, and recreation hall.

"I don’t know what Coeur d’Alene did. I felt we showed a strong case, not just for our community, but for the region," Meridian Mayor Tammy de Weerd said. "I thought we could really make this kind of a vision work very well and have a strong application at the state level."

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Grant timeline

• February 2004: Salvation Army approaches Patricia Kempthorne and searches throughout the state for representatives on the Idaho Kroc Initiative Task Force.

• August/September: Cities submit applications and make presentations to task force members.

• October: Task force grades and discusses applications, then selects Coeur d’Alene over Boise, Meridian, Pocatello, Blackfoot, Idaho Falls, Twin Falls, Mountain Home, and Rexburg.

• March 2005: Applications due from Coeur d’Alene and cities in other western states.

• May 2005: Decision expected.

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The city of Boise proposed two separate sites — one off Vista, the other off 30th Street — that would be operated by the city, Boise School District and other community groups, said Theresa McLeod, a special projects assistant in Mayor Dave Bieter’s office.

McLeod said she was not surprised Boise wasn’t chosen, but the city plans to continue the process the Kroc initiative started.

"We at least have the pieces, so now we can connect the organization and the public and private entities to help serve our citizens better," McLeod said. "Unfortunately, our state has areas of need. Boise, although we have the largest populations of folks that are economically disadvantaged, we do have a lot of the solutions here."

The Salvation Army’s Cascade Division, which encompasses Oregon and Idaho, will work with Coeur d’Alene to outline facility plans. The grant would come with an additional $20 million to cover operation costs.

"I was surprised," said Coeur d’Alene Mayor Sandi Bloem. "We are very excited, but also (we have) mixed emotions because all the applications were outstanding. We do feel we will be able to represent Idaho extremely well."