COEUR d'ALENE - Most agree the infrastructure in the East Sherman area of the city needs improvement, and now may be the time to take a hard look at it.

"East Sherman should be on the radar, and the timing is good," said former Coeur d'Alene Mayor Sandi Bloem. "But it will take a combination of people, ideas and development."

Under her former administration, Bloem said the city was working with the homeowners and business owners in the area to spruce up the eastern gateway to Coeur d'Alene, but that effort fell apart when the economy took a downturn.

"We tried to do some pre-planning to see if we could do anything down there," she said. "We looked at things like design standards, but they didn't want a big (local improvement district) project."

Instead the property owners agreed to a smaller project to upgrade the sidewalks in an effort to attract more investment in the area.

Bloem said there are some people who would like the East Sherman area to look more like downtown, but that it is going to take more than adding street trees and aesthetic touches to make that happen.

The issue is complex, she said, because any revitalization effort would have to include blending a variety of interests in the area. The effort would also have to include some level of development interest to be able to do it cost-effectively.

"But if we bring the right partners together, East Sherman has tons of potential," she said.

Former City Councilwoman Deanna Goodlander, who also sits on the board of the Lake City Development Corporation, agreed with Bloem.

"I think it should be an urban renewal district," Goodlander said. "But the problem is that there is not much increment down there."

By increment, Goodlander means developable property that would generate additional tax revenue over and above what taxes are collected in that area now.

Projects within urban renewal districts, or URDs, are funded by tax increment financing. After a URD is formed, any increased property taxes paid within the district go to fund infrastructure improvements.

Goodlander said the amount of developable East Sherman property that lies within Coeur d'Alene's city limits does not amount to much, and it is not likely to generate enough incremental tax revenue to make a difference.

"It would take forever to get something going," she said.

However, she added, the city of Fernan does have a considerable amount of vacant land in that area.

The property that lies south of Sherman Avenue and east of Coeur d'Alene Lake Drive is within Fernan's city limits. The problem is that Fernan doesn't have adequate water and sewer services to accommodate the type of development that would be needed to make a URD successful.

"When you turn down Coeur d'Alene Lake Drive, everything on your left is in the city of Fernan," Goodlander said, adding that a partnership between Coeur d'Alene and Fernan to provide that infrastructure might help move things along.

But she said it would also have to include many other players, such as developers and existing property owners.

"It would take some real talent to put that together," she said. "You need to get the right partnerships and agreements together."

Goodlander said she doesn't think it would cost too much to improve the aesthetics on that end of Sherman, and with the right set of circumstances something could be done soon.

"I think that area is kind of ripe right now," she said. "You know we just can't leave it like that, or it will continue to deteriorate. In the long run something needs to be done."