COEUR d'ALENE - Lewis-Clark State College won't be holding classes at the Harbor Plaza after July.

The Coeur d'Alene branch of the Lewiston-based four-year public college will move out its two classrooms in the Northwest Boulevard commercial/retail mall, and into a pair of portables on the North Idaho College campus.

"For approximately the same cost, LC will double our classroom space, take advantage of a wonderful campus environment, eliminate our safety concerns regarding pedestrians crossing Northwest Boulevard, and enhance student access to our transfer programs," said Cyndie Hammond, director of Lewis-Clark in Coeur d'Alene.

NIC has used the portable buildings as replacement classrooms while Seiter Hall was closed for a $4.35 million renovation project now nearing completion.

Since January, NIC students have been attending classes in a cluster of 13 portables set up on a portion of the old DeArmond mill site property off River Avenue, now owned by the NIC Foundation and leased to the college.

"Once our use of the portables is over, two of them will be leased to LCSC for classrooms," wrote John Martin, NIC's vice president for college relations and marketing. "This is not a long-term solution for their classroom needs, but hopefully will bridge the gap until we can get a joint classroom/office building on the mill site."

Rising enrollment at both colleges fed Lewis-Clark's need for more classrooms.

From 2002 to last year, Lewis-Clark's enrollment grew from 292 to 396, a 36 percent increase.

"At the same time, North Idaho College experienced tremendous growth," Hammond said. "It's important to remember, Lewis-Clark students are first NIC students."