Open for business

POST FALLS - The Post Falls Chamber of Commerce is now up town. The nonprofit has opened its new 5,900-square-foot building next to City Hall a month ahead of schedule. "It's extraordinary," chamber CEO Pam Houser said with a wide grin. "We held our first board meeting here on Tuesday and several of the board members commented that they haven't seen me smile all the way through a board meeting in the four years I've been here."

POST FALLS - The Post Falls Chamber of Commerce is now up town.

The nonprofit has opened its new 5,900-square-foot building next to City Hall a month ahead of schedule.

"It's extraordinary," chamber CEO Pam Houser said with a wide grin. "We held our first board meeting here on Tuesday and several of the board members commented that they haven't seen me smile all the way through a board meeting in the four years I've been here."

"It's gratifying, it's humbling and it just says so much about our community."

The $500,000 building is intended to blend in with the surrounding city center, including City Hall, the museum, Jacklin Arts and Cultural Center and older homes.

Two marquee artwork pieces, both part of the conference room, are stained-glass door windows of Post Falls' landmarks designed and donated by local artist Kathy Pierce and a wall mural of the Coeur d'Alene Tribe made from 50,000 tiny prints of local people and businesses.

Pierce also made the stained-glass window in the City Hall rotunda of Herborn, Germany, Post Falls' associate city.

The Tribe was the lead donor on the building project, giving $30,000 for the conference room sponsorship and $20,000 for the patio. The etched window above the conference room says "The Gathering Place" and, in tribal language, "hn'ya'(net."

The conference room can seat 35 people, allowing the chamber to hold more meetings on site and thereby save money.

The building has a Northwest feel throughout with knotty alder wood accents and furniture built by Kimball Office just down the road. The ground-level floor also has a kitchen to allow for catering.

The upstairs houses the Post Falls Urban Renewal Agency, Express Professionals and Convertec. About 700 square feet remains for lease.

Outside, the landscaping features river rock, native plants, the patio and an iron fence with business sponsors.

Dave Bobbitt, the chamber's chairman, said the building is the culmination of many individuals, donors, businesses and agencies coming together for the common good of the community.

"The building enhances the City Hall campus that was created with the city's new home and provides the resources the business community in Post Falls and North Idaho needs to continue our focus on expanding employment opportunities and increasing the diversity of our business base," he said.

About $285,000 has been raised for the building and the chamber took out a $215,000 loan. About $45,000 in pledges over the next two years will help pay for the loan.

Several building sponsorships, ranging from $500 patio pavers to $10,000 building pillars, are still available.

Other major donors included: Silverwood Theme Park, $30,000, and Dan and Wendy Malloy, Kootenai Health, Schneidmiller Family Foundation, Northern Idaho Advanced Care Hospital, Kimball Office and Ron and Pam Nilson, all $10,000. More than 200 donations ranging from $300 to $10,000 have been secured.

Houser said the project dates back to 2002 when Randy Wells, the chamber's chairman at the time, had the vision of finding a new location and seed money was raised.

At one point, the chamber was planned to be built near Cabela's before the organization settled on being in the city center.

The city, which is leasing the land to the chamber for its building, is purchasing the former chamber building along Interstate 90 for recreation classes.

"We really are a city campus now and, with more retail, restaurants and gift shops, it can be a downtown destination," Houser said. "It's something that we can all be proud of."