Grand entrance
<p>North Idaho Fairgrounds board members, local sponsors, and community members gather Wednesday afternoon to break ground in the location of the new entryway for the fairgrounds which will commemorate Kootenai County’s 50th anniversary. Ground breakers are from left; Dane Dugan, Allan Dykstra, JerryJohnson, Todd Tondee, Dan Green, Jai Nelson, Alan Harper, Mike Henley, Merlin Berger, Joe Dobson, Dave Nussear, Jim Wilson, Dave Fair, Linda Rider, Christina Petit, Karleen Meyer, Barbara Renner, and Denise Rosen.</p>
<p>The new entrance at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds wil be known as the 'Idaho Forest Group Main Gate.'</p>
<p>An aerial view of the new entrance at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds.</p>
COEUR d'ALENE - The old ticket booths and main gate are history.
The Kootenai County Fairgrounds will have a new main entrance for the upcoming summer season.
A ceremonial groundbreaking was held Wednesday, and artist drawings of the entryway were unveiled.
"We've seen increased usage on a year-round basis, with attendance going strong," said Dane Dugan, general manager of the North Idaho Fair and Rodeo and the Kootenai County Fairgrounds. "We want to keep that momentum going."
The new entryway will be completed by the end of July and be dedicated on the opening day of the North Idaho Fair and Rodeo, Aug. 20.
Jerry Johnson, chairman of the fair board, said the new entrance follows newly painted buildings, a new roof on the grandstand, and some other updates to infrastructure.
"The new entryway into the fairgrounds is one more step in making this facility one that the residents of Kootenai County can be really proud of," Johnson said.
In addition to the entryway, there will be a new commemorative monument in a plaza with fountains and engraved pavers. The monument will showcase the four industries - agriculture, mining, timber and tourism - that made North Idaho what it is today.
The total cost of the project is $125,000, and more than $100,000 has already been raised, Dugan said.
The architect is Longwell and Trapp of Hayden. Construction will be completed by the fairgrounds' in-house maintenance team along with donated services and products from multiple companies. There will be some limited contract work for electrical, grading and fencing, Dugan said.
County Commissioner Jai Nelson said the monument will commemorate the county's 150th anniversary this year.
"I'm really excited about this summer and all the things that are going to be happening at the fair," Nelson said. "Hopefully we're going to see some new faces (at the fair) and interest in the history of our county."
Denise Rosen, board member of the nonprofit Fair Foundation, said it is a great project for the foundation to support. It contributed $20,000.
Idaho Forest Group, of Coeur d'Alene, contributed $35,000. The new entry will be known as the "Idaho Forest Group Main Gate."
"At Idaho Forest Group, we really do think of the fairgrounds as the hub of our community," said Alan Harper, the company's resource manager. "For me personally, I've watched my kids grow up at the fairgrounds."
"We live here, we work here, we raise our families here," said Mike Henley, plant manager for the Chilco and Laclede mills. "We're really happy to be able to do this."