City gets sneak peak into soon-to-open Atlas park

The sounds of summer were undeniable along the Spokane River Friday, compelling Bill Greenwood to slightly raise his voice over the crash of the waves at his feet.

“It’s really a one-of-one,” the Coeur d’Alene Parks and Recreation director explained, metal bars partially submerged in the water behind him. “It’s really a first-of-its-kind.”

Greenwood was describing to a band of city officials and Parks Department workers how the ADA-friendly launch would help those with disabilities safely enter the water. The amenity was just one of the features that stood out along the 2,200-foot stretch of shoreline that makes up the Atlas Waterfront project.

“It’s something that will help everyone enjoy this park,” he said. “We really wanted this to be something the entire community could come down and enjoy.”

Once completed, the dock will enable parkgoers to wheel down to the water and let buoyancy ease the transition into the water. It’s one amenity — stretched out between a kayak launch and dog water park — in the soon-to-be newest park in Coeur d’Alene’s lineup. The park, which will open to the public in mid-August, also includes a multi-purpose pavilion, support building, and grotto, to name a few, not to mention 118 parking stalls for people to park.

Greenwood — along with Welch-Comer’s Phil Boyd, the lead designer of the park — gave a pair of tours to City Council members, city staff and the workers who will help maintain and support the inner workings of the grounds. Boyd said he was excited to see the reactions from city leaders and staff.

“Just to give council members that were in attendance yesterday,” he said, “and some of (Greenwood’s) team an opportunity to see the work that’s being done here, as we get closer to opening the park to the public, has been really exciting to see.”

City administrator Troy Tymesen attended Friday’s tour. He said tracking the park’s progress was one thing; seeing it in person is another.

“This is an amazing property,” he said, “and it’s transformed into something everybody will be able to take in … This is really going to be one of the jewels of the city.”

Sand has yet to be spread, and sod has yet to be laid. Workers had just finished pouring concrete on the path from the pavilion to the beach. Building paper still lines the outer walls of the support building. For the nearly two months to go before the park opens, crews still have their work ahead of them. But the tour gave city personnel a look at how the park was transforming from hypothetical plan to firmed-up reality.

“The work these guys have done is really impressive,” Boyd said of LaRiviere Construction, the company working the project. “From where we were in February of 2018 to today, they’ve really made this something special for the community.”