COEUR d'ALENE - Some really innovative ideas might be on a shelf or in someone's mind right now in North Idaho.

Finding a place with the right workspace, tools, collaborators and mentors in fields like technology or engineering could make the difference between an idea dying on the vine or not.

A nest for such creation, education and development is what a public-private partnership that includes the University of Idaho is seeking to establish under one roof. It would be called the Coeur d'Alene Tech Market.

It would serve as a business startup incubator, classroom, technology development space and public gathering place for ideas and inspiration.

"In some ways, I think, what we're trying to do is inspire and expose people in a space where they walk through and lightbulbs are turning off and on," said Nick Smoot, one of UI's partners. Smoot has been trying to create a more technology entrepreneurial culture in Coeur d'Alene through his business, Innovation Collective.

UI, Smoot and a third partner, Gizmo-cda, currently have their eyes on roughly 11,000 square feet at Riverstone, a space that at one time was going to be occupied by a Barnes & Noble bookstore.

That space is at the heart of a bitter recent email exchange between Coeur d'Alene's mayor and Riverstone's developer.

Tech Market

Charles Buck, who manages the university's facilities in Coeur d'Alene, Post Falls and Sandpoint, said the Tech Market would engage students in fields that make up an increasing share of the U.S. economy.

For the university, it's a great way to reach more students.

"The best way to learn something, especially something like tech, is to do it," Buck said Friday. "This experiential learning opportunity is invaluable. It's not really something that, I think, our public institutions can reasonably take on."

Of the three partners, Buck said, UI stands to benefit most by simply showing students what they could learn with the university's help.

To make sure UI gobbles up its share of bright young minds, the university would have a recruiter and enrollment specialist at the market.

"There's going to be a higher likelihood that candidate students will be coming through," Buck said.

The other partners stand to gain plenty, too.

Gizmo-cda, founded by Barb and Marty Mueller, is a nonprofit technology and tool-training school that has been operating out of a cramped 3,000-square-foot space in Coeur d'Alene. It's already training people on technologies like 3D printing.

Marty Mueller said moving to a larger space would allow Gizmo to serve more people.

"The crossover between ideas - which currently happens at Gizmo on a regular basis - would be so much richer in this context," Mueller said.

Smoot, to the benefit of Innovation Collective, would seek to bring new and developing businesses to work in pods at the Tech Market.

Smoot said the new location would provide Innovation Collective with more space to rent to startups. Smoot could seek shares in startups in return for his help.

"I'm going to pick up whatever opportunity comes," Smoot said. "I'm going to be the first in the pool - and others, I think, should put their capital and their talents into empowering these companies."

Costs to operate the Tech Market are divided up between the partners.

Under the current model, Smoot promised his fellow partners he would contribute $26,500 annually for three years, in addition to labor.

The university is willing to put up $30,000 annually in cash. It will also contribute $102,000 in instructor staff time over a three-year period.

The university would be using funding designated for community and economic development.

"I've been able to orient that and divert that into this effort, in large part because it's successful and impactful," Buck said.

Gizmo would contribute $10,000 annually. That money comes from fees people pay to attend classes and summer camps. Gizmo would also contribute staff and equipment.

Riverstone

As for locating the Tech Market at Riverstone, the partners said it makes sense because of the size and quality of space that is available there. It's in a great part of town, includes a lot of free parking, and is connected to bus routes, they said.

Buck said Riverstone landlord and developer John Stone has offered rent concessions. Stone hasn't been able to rent the space since the bookstore chain backed out.

This past week, the partners went in front of the board of commissioners for Coeur d'Alene's urban renewal agency, ignite cda.

The partners asked for $90,000 annually for rent money, and $100,000 more for equipment.

"We are talking about thousands of people who are accessing this (Tech Market) and benefiting from it," Buck told ignite's board. "This location really is ideal."

Coeur d'Alene Mayor Steve Widmyer, who is on the board, raised alarm about spending urban renewal dollars in such a way. Widmyer said it's not a legal use of the funding.

The urban renewal agency is seeking clarification on whether it's legal.

"The issue is still being researched and no determination has been made," board attorney Danielle Quade said Friday.

The partners all said they have no interest in asking for anything illegal, and would seek the money elsewhere if necessary. They're not married to the Riverstone location either, so they would jump at a better option if it presented itself.

Boise's startup hub, Trailhead, has a partnership with that city's urban renewal agency, Capital City Development Corp. But Trailhead is nonprofit.

Trailhead also is partners with the city of Boise, Micron and Albertsons.

"We have reached out to Albertsons," Smoot said. "We'll keep talking to them about our programs up here and see how that goes."

"As we do more and this synergy builds, this will be an obvious place for corporate partners to come in and say, 'We need to be part of this. How can we help you?'" Buck said.

The squabble

After Widmyer questioned the legality of using urban renewal funds at the meeting and scoffing at the idea of rent concessions on a space that Stone hasn't been able to fill, Stone fired back in an email to the mayor.

"I think that your intense, one-sided negative opposition to the group that you initiated belies your true intentions to only serve your personal interests with respect to the downtown and the Hagadone Corporation," Stone wrote on Thursday to the mayor.

Stone couldn't immediately be reached for comment.

But his email exchange with the mayor is a public record.

"I am disappointed again as I stated in our meeting, of all the time and energy that people in the community dedicated believing that you really wanted to see new tech jobs in CDA," Stone wrote.

He continued: "You wasted a lot of people's time and energy, which could have been translated into numerous new and exciting initiatives in CDA."

Finally, he added, "To start this effort and then stick a knife in it in the end shows a disrespect for the youth of our community and makes me question what you really believe in. I am disappointed."

Widmyer shot back, saying Stone's accusations that the mayor was only serving his own interests and those of Hagadone Corp. aren't founded in facts.

"As mayor of this town I am sworn to uphold the law. Those are facts. I have an expert in the field of urban renewal law tell me that funding this is not legal. What I am doing John is following the law. I would believe that is what you would expect an elected official to do," Widmyer wrote.

The mayor said urban renewal money is for public infrastructure projects. He said he supported such money being used to make Riverstone a reality.

"I don't support Urban Renewal funding rent in one of your buildings and you label me as someone who doesn't care about youth? You label me as self serving?" he added to Stone.

He continued, "As far as your labeling my 'performance' intense. You bet it was. I will always fight for what I believe in. What people in this town want is responsible spending of their tax dollars. You are 100 percent wrong that I oppose what this group is trying to do."