Agencies pursue Post Falls city center land swap

POST FALLS — A proposed Post Falls city center land swap would help satisfy the city's goal to create a vibrant business climate along Spokane Street and the county's desire for boat and RV parking for inspections.

Shelly Enderud, Post Falls city administrator, said the city is interested in securing county's vacant lot that's six-tenths of an acre along Spokane at Railroad Avenue for a future business to be determined.

"We'd like to keep it from becoming a parking lot (or other non-business use)," said Enderud, referring to the city center master plan aimed at creating a downtown along Spokane Street.

The site is directly west of the county's DMV and Veterans Services building and across Railroad Avenue from the Handy Mart.

The county, meanwhile, is interested in acquiring the 1.04-acre vacant property owned by the Post Falls Eagles that's directly east of the former Oddfellows Hall the county is buying for its future DMV-Post Falls office.

Shawn Riley, the county's building and grounds director, said vehicle inspections are currently performed in the street on Railroad Avenue, which isn't as safe as in a parking lot. He said the parking lots at both the current and future DMV buildings aren't large enough for inspections.

The same scenario is occurring on the county's crowded downtown Coeur d'Alene campus, so a large parking lot in Post Falls would benefit both DMV locations, Riley said.

"We like the lot across from the Eagles lodge because it's larger (than the one on Spokane Street) and it suits our needs better for the licensing department or future growth," Riley said. "Our plan is to pave it to accommodate vehicles with trailers or RVs so there's a safe place for employees to perform inspections."

The sites are in the City Center Urban Renewal District of which the city is a proponent.

Under the proposal, the Post Falls Urban Renewal Agency would purchase the Eagles' vacant site in exchange for the county's vacant property that fronts Spokane Street. While the Eagles' land is larger, the county's property is believed to be worth more per square foot since it fronts Spokane Street.

Both sides are hopeful for a swap without exchanging funds.

"Dirt for dirt," Riley said.

Pete Bredeson, the URA's attorney, wrote in an email to Patrick Braden, the county's civil deputy prosecuting attorney, that the URA is determining how much to offer for the Eagles' parcel. A message left for the Eagles' management on Tuesday was not returned before deadline.

County commissioners on Monday directed Braden to work with Bredeson to draft a memorandum of understanding about a possible future transaction that would be signed by the commissioners and the URA.

"It is a win-win for the county and the city," Commissioner Dan Green said of the proposal.

The URA sought the MOU with the county regarding the possible swap before the URA committed itself to the potential purchase of the Eagles parcel.

Enderud said while the URA would originally acquire the property, it's possible it could later be deeded to the city.

"Neither the city nor the URA plan to keep it," she said. "We'd likely do an RFP (request for proposals) to allow a business to purchase it."

All of the entities involved said while it appears the proposal would benefit all sides, the swap is still in the early stages of being hammered out.