Play days lead to pay days
Don't look now, but the natural recreation paradise known as North Idaho might be taking a big step forward.
Let us count just a few of the ways.
• The nonprofit Kootenai Youth Recreation Organization has raised $2.8 million and needs less than $30,000 more in contributions to finish Frontier Ice Arena and open it this summer for year-round skating and sporting events.
• On Tuesday a front-page Press story detailed plans for a 40-acre soccer complex in the vicinity of Prairie Avenue and Huetter Road. That's room for 16 fields to accommodate this burgeoning youth sport, and backers also have their eyes on another 40 adjacent acres that could be used for other sports.
• On Wednesday a front-page Press story detailed plans to raise $2 million to $3 million for a 1,000-seat baseball stadium next to Cherry Hill Park in Coeur d'Alene. American Legion Baseball would be its primary tenant, but a host of other activities could take place there.
• And as the front page of The Press has detailed too many times to count, McEuen Park in downtown Coeur d'Alene is headed for some kind of multi-million dollar overhaul.
Whether or not you support these projects or the ways they're funded, consider what they will mean to the region's overall recreational landscape and its potential financial impact.
Every May, the Sting soccer club hosts its Hot Shot Tournament, bringing in about 4,000 players from numerous states and Canada. The economic impact of that one tournament is about $1.1 million. Imagine if several tournaments could be held each summer. Yes, tourism is a big player here.
Even to those who consider "tourism" a dirty name, think about the money you spend on vacation. Better still, next time, keep track of how much you spend and where you spend it. Hotels might get a good chunk, but your dollars flow down many streams in the communities you visit.
And as important as tourism is to the Coeur d'Alene area's economy, expanding on our recreational mecca will prove a powerful selling point for good employers to relocate here. Consistently listed as a high priority for businesses on the move is quality of life, and recreational opportunities are a key ingredient in that recipe.
Complain about this and that if you will, but a community that plays together and provides an abundance of healthy activities for its citizens of all ages is an enviable place to be.