CDA: Two burning issues

I want to comment on two items that need talked about.

(1) The idea of selling the administrative offices of School District No. 271 is not the best idea I have seen in a while. The building was purchased for $2.2 million and has more value today. The school district has about half of the building unused according to The Press and that space could be leased out. If there is e.g. 10,000 s.f. and it could be leased for $3 a foot you will have $30,000 a month income. If $1 a foot, you would have $10,000 a month income. With that income the school district could borrow money and pledge the income from leased space to amortize the loan. If there is a shortfall, then sell one of the lesser parcels of land. Not sure if Idaho Code would allow the lease concept, but it should be explored. Keep the building and be creative.

(2) The URD has committed more than $50,000 to rebrand their name so it is more palatable to the local citizens. They came up with “ignite cda.” Wow! I was thinking if they had offered to sponsor a contest for the citizens of Coeur d’Alene to come up with an alternate name and give $1,000, this would have involved many of the citizens, had a rebranded name such as: Coeur d’Alene Forward; Up With Coeur d’Alene; Build Coeur d’Alene; Gem of Coeur d’Alene; Coeur d’Alene Future; etc.

There are literally thousands of rebrand names available that would have been submitted and the citizens would then be more aware of the URD and more involved. Now we will see ads and television commercials telling us about ignite cda. I hope it is not related to some of the forest fires around here.

Word of mouth for a good restaurant is the best advertisement. Perhaps the same would work for a URD. Well, it is only taxpayer dollars, so what?!

JAMES B. CROWE

Coeur d’Alene