Boys & Girls Club location approved

COEUR d'ALENE - A final location has been approved for a new Kootenai County Boys & Girls Club in Coeur d'Alene.

The Coeur d'Alene School District Board of Trustees worked with the organization in April to lease a half-acre of land on the campus of Lakes Middle School, located at 930 N. 15th St. in Coeur d'Alene, for $1 a year. This week, the board unanimously approved a change in the lease agreement that shuffles the location of the estimated 20,000-plus square foot building.

"The approval means the Boys & Girls Club can move forward to the next stage of planning and pre-construction," said Superintendent Matt Handelman.

Initially the plans called for the facility to be constructed on the southwest side of the campus but the updated plan has it now located where the current parking lot is on the southeast. A new parking lot will be constructed to replace the spots lost.

"They are going to be working with us, of course, to make sure that they're not disrupting what's going on at Lakes during the school year and during the school day," Handelman said.

In a previous article, The Press reported that the new facility could see about 400 children walk through its doors each day. The organization's existing facility, the Jordan Johnson Center in Post Falls, sees about 225 kids each day.

The mission of the Boys & Girls Club is "to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens."

If you'd like to help with fundraising efforts or want more information, contact Ryan Davis at the Boys & Girls Club of Kootenai County: (208) 457-9089 or rdavis@northidahobgc.org.