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OpenCdA invited readers to suggest topics for discussion here.
Last Wednesday one of our readers provided this topic: “Welcome to Coeur d’Alene — You want fries with that?”
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Welcome to Coeur d’Alene – You want fries with that?
Rumor on the street is that [two local businesspeople] are working to sell the parcel at the Northwest Blvd. intersection into Riverstone to McDonalds.
I’m all for private property rights, but high impact junk-food at a gateway entrance to our fair city seems a bit counterproductive to all of the efforts and tax investments from others in the LCDC taxing district.
Additionally, I think it sad commentary that after all of the tax benefits granted to Riverstone, that the only company that can afford that incredibly valuable hunk of land is a multi-national fast food chain. So much for promoting the local economy from within.
Your thoughts?
I’ve redacted the names of the business people the reader identified, because the topic raised is more important than the people.
As our reader said, “Your thoughts?”
It sure wouldn’t be very inviting as an entrance to Cd’A but neither are the air conditioning chillers on the top of the theater bldgs in Riverstone nor the wrong facing image of Idaho on the intersection pavement at the Riverstone entrance.
It’ll just be tacky and all for a $buck$.
Comment by Ancientemplar — April 22, 2012 @ 8:04 am
I agree, Ancientemplar. The city invested $100,000 to improve the gateway to the city with landscaping, etc. The issue of the ugly mechanical equipment certainly could not have been missed by the developer as he left the freeway and headed south. I gather it was not important as they are still there. Riverstone could have been an outstanding example of master planning, complete with outstanding architecture and attention to detail. Unfortunately, it is lackluster at best. To me, the design of the building doesn’t matter in the scheme of things. Would the addition of a sky high Mc Donald’s sign on Seltice be an attractive addition?
Comment by Susie Snedaker — April 23, 2012 @ 8:42 am
Agreed, the layout of Riverstone and lack of curb appeal are a result of poor planning. The Bloem regime just keeps saying, “SHOW ME THE MONEY”, with little care how the end result looks. It’s all about the money.
Comment by dinosaurman — April 23, 2012 @ 9:18 am
Well that’s convenient! I live right up the road. Now instead of hopping into my car and driving to McDonalds on Appleway, I can just walk over and work off a few of the calories I’m about to belt down. 🙂
In all honesty, that’s pretty horrific. It’s not to say all McDonalds restaurants are unattractive (see here) but somehow I can’t imagine this one looking particularly nice. Other than those hideous, inexplicable feathers, the entry to CdA via Northwest Blvd is pretty attractive, and the Riverstone area is rather inviting. I believe putting a McDonalds there would detract from that and from the overall “feel” of Coeur d’Alene to visitors. Another nice local or regional restaurant like Bardenay would be great, or even additional office space. But a McDonalds just seems kitschy and rather unnecessary since it’s less than 1 1/2 miles from the Appleway location.
Comment by adonis — April 23, 2012 @ 10:24 am
The building featuring the roof top AC equipment was the first one to go up. I had assumed then that the developer would build a penthouse to obscure and protect the equipment. But maybe it was not feasible as NW Blvd is a higher elevation and it would require a closed roof penthouse which is basically another floor added to the building. The siting was wrong from the beginning, I think.
Focus on the water feature in the poop pond, but be careful if you’re driving. Better to focus on the road, I think.
Comment by Gary Ingram — April 23, 2012 @ 10:50 am
I wonder how much design latitude McDonald’s gives its franchises. I recall stopping at Barstow Station, the McDonalds in Barstow, CA, enroute to and from Las Vegas. It was a railroad car theme. Coeur d’Alene could have used something there like a lumber mill theme, but of course, Shakedown Sandi and the Mullan Avenue Gang want everything associated with CdA’s origin and heritage to disappear.
Comment by Bill — April 23, 2012 @ 10:52 am
The business people trying to sell the lots are hopefully pitching other drive through chains as they all generally choose locations by the numbers.
Comment by adamgraves — April 23, 2012 @ 6:09 pm
See http://www.oregonlive.com/clackamascounty/index.ssf/2012/04/with_lax_oversight_mismanaged.html
Just my morning news fix. Just
Comment by justinian — April 24, 2012 @ 6:11 am
Although the discussion regarding the aesthetics at a gateway to the city is important – I think more important is that hundreds of thousands of dollars of local tax-dollars were spendt to subsidize this intersection to which McDonalds wants to locate. McDonalds is one of the largest corporate land owners in the world; they’re not poor.
Therefore, McDonalds certainly doesn’t need our hard earned money (via tax increment financing) to continue to expand, or on the other hand – if McDonalds does need our generous gift of roads, water, sewer, street lights, etc. etc. that were paid for from “defferred taxes” to make the land deal pencil, perhaps we all should be looking closer at any and all infrastructure development that is not directly funded by the developer.
May as well flip-in a Walmart into Riverstone – I’m sure they too could use a little “free” tax incentives as well. We can do better than this.
Comment by old dog — April 25, 2012 @ 1:02 am
old dog, do you know how the rich get richer? By spending other peoples money.
Comment by rochereau — April 25, 2012 @ 8:26 am