Mixed feelings in Coeur d’Alene over townhouse project at historic Roosevelt Inn

COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho — The future of the historic Roosevelt Inn is almost decided. A developer from Western Washington has submitted a proposal to buy the property that the city and the historical preservation commission support.

Yet the community is not happy with how many families will move in downtown.

For seven years, the owners of the inn have been trapped in a waiting game, trying to secure a buyer for the property. But every time the finish line seemed only an arms length away, the sale has fallen through.

“There was a lot of concern back in March and April when this first came to, that we could lose a building like this,” said Walter Burns-Chair from the Historic Preservation Commission.

A petition came out to save the building, gathering over 6,000 signatures and scrapping a buyer’s proposal. Now, a new proposal has emerged.

“We have huge housing challenges in the community as this whole area does,” said Hillary Patterson, the Coeur d’Alene community planning director. “People love moving to the area and then people that live here that are already looking for housing. It does help meet that need.”

Blue Fern Development has agreed to buy the property while preserving the historic Roosevelt Inn as required by the city.

“It makes me feel great if we could get it done,” said Burns-Chair.

But many are still unhappy despite the inn being saved, saying the number of units that will be built is a joke.

38 townhouse-style units will be built on the less than 1.5 acre property. Patterson said the preservation of the trees and the inn allow the builders to have increased density on the project.

“That’s really not up for discussion,” she said.

A public hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, which has ignited a wave of online backlash triggered by city signs spreading the message of the hearing.

The city said the only input from the community at that meeting will be on the design plan for the property, not on whether the project will be allowed.

“Progress is inevitable,” Burns-Chair said. “We need to change. We need to grow all of those things. But we also need to remember where we came from, what our roots are and preserve the history of the city.”