ARENA: Its time has finally arrived

A gem in the making, that’s how folks I speak with refer to the Riverstone area. I work there and the growth it has seen is exciting! With the coming additions, Riverstone will take several steps toward becoming the neighborhood it was intended to be. The piece still missing is that capstone project; something along the lines of the proposed Sports Arena.

Yes it would most directly benefit the various eateries and other businesses nearby, but the impact of the estimated $15 million per year that such a project would bring to Coeur d’Alene is not to be denied. In this time of economic rebirth we should not hesitate to support visionary projects like the Arena that would jump-start our local economy. Not only does it provide an influx of much needed jobs and capital into the area, it represents a real opportunity to improve the facilities at North Idaho College. It would serve as both an economic boost and an investment in higher education as it would certainly draw more students to the area.

The current facilities built in 1949 are woefully inadequate. They present extreme challenges to the college when scheduling events and classes while at the same time failing to meet current requirements for ADA accessibility and life safety. The Arena would allow Coeur d’Alene to host state high school and collegiate events. Spokane is a wonderful city, but should we really be sending our events there as we do now?

JOSEPH HOWER

Coeur d’Alene