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Former North Idaho Museum condemned; public asks council to pause demolition for reuse
Summary
A resident urged the council to pause planned demolition of the former North Idaho Museum building at 115 Northwest Boulevard and explore repurposing it as a children’s museum; staff said the building was condemned for mold and scheduled for demolition with firefighter training and asbestos remediation underway.
A Coeur d'Alene resident asked the City Council to pause planned demolition of the former North Idaho Museum building at 115 Northwest Boulevard and to work with community members exploring reuse as a children’s museum.
Brianna King, who identified herself as a Coeur d'Alene resident and the organizer of an online petition, said the building is historic and could generate year-round revenue as a children’s museum, attracting visitors and supporting restaurants and hotels. “Preserved and repurposed, the building could be leased to a non-profit children’s museum, producing steady rental income to the city,” King said.
City staff responded that the building was found uninhabitable due to mold after roof failure, and that remediation costs (mold removal, new roof and HVAC) made restoration infeasible when compared with replacement. Troy (staff) said utilities have been disconnected, firefighters have used the structure for training, asbestos remediation is planned and the city intends to demolish the building with city staff in March, weather permitting.
Council members said they had reviewed prior engineering assessments and master plan guidance; one council member noted the 4-Corners master plan calls for the site to be a parking lot and said the council would consider proposals from community groups if they brought funding. No formal action was taken.
