COEUR d'ALENE - Twenty-five years ago, the Coeur d'Alene Resort opened its doors to a hopeful public in a down economy.

"Some have credited its opening to stimulating the region's economy," said Jerry Jaeger, co-owner and president of Hagadone Hospitality. "Perhaps history will repeat itself."

Jaeger was referring to the Hagadone Events Center - a venue at the gated Coeur d'Alene Resort Golf Course that will combine an 11,000 square foot state-of-the-art meeting facility with an elaborate base for weddings and banquets, a swimming pool, a beach area and more.

Construction started last week and will be completed by July 1, Jaeger said.

That deadline is firm because the first party already is booked: Gov. Butch Otter has scheduled the opening ceremony for the Western Governors Conference at Hagadone Events Center June 30.

The year-round facility is intended to increase Hagadone Hospitality's footprint in Coeur d'Alene and boost the local economy at the same time, said Duane B. Hagadone, the company's owner.

"I hope this helps give confidence to others in the community that this is a good time to build," he said during a telephone interview Monday. "This project will also put us ahead of the competition. It creates a whole new venue that attracts more people and more business to Coeur d'Alene and the surrounding area."

And for the first half of 2011, Hagadone said, a lot of good construction jobs have been created.

The events center is the heart of the project, with 200 feet of sliding glass walls that can be retracted at the push of a button. The walls open to views of the lake, a 25- by 70-foot swimming pool, beach and lawn areas and outdoor wedding and banquet venue. Four fireplaces will give the center a cosy feel for Christmas parties and other seasonal events, while banquets can serve 400 inside or 600 when the outside tiled decks - all 6,000 square feet of them - are used.

Inside, 57 spotlights and 73 ceiling speakers will make for exceptional sight and sound, Jaeger said.

"There will be one pocketed sound door to allow two different events to occur at the same time within the center," he added.

Outside, berms with 20,000 bright petunias and 5,000 junipers will provide privacy for banquets and weddings. Inside the petunia beds will be speakers so that people in the back row of the wedding or banquet will be able to hear just as well as those in front.

And up front is a 57-foot wedding stage and speaker's rostrum seemingly floating in the middle of a reflection pool. The backdrop, framed by deluxe cabanas, the swimming pool and beach area, is Lake Coeur d'Alene herself. The beach and pool are available to any guest of the Coeur d'Alene Resort or Best Western Coeur d'Alene Inn.

Jaeger said weddings will be unrivaled at the site, with private suites for the bride and groom to get ready. Docking stations will allow wedding parties to listen to their favorite music while they're preparing, and the groom's suite is equipped with something special.

"We're putting in a flat screen, high-definition TV," Jaeger said, "just in case there's a ballgame on."

Jaeger said the Hagadone Events Center represents a new ballgame itself.

"We've had tent functions out there for years," he said. "This is a whole new level for all kinds of functions."

For information or reservations, call The Resort at 765-4000, ext. 7220.