COEUR d’ALENE — The vacant Atlas Building Center, built by the Richards family in 1979, had certainly seen better days.

The 50,000-square-foot building at the corner of U.S. 95 and Kathleen Avenue has been vacant and without maintenance for years. Many, including Tom Richards’ wife, called it an eyesore.

As Richards, who was in junior high when the retail facility opened, watched the demolition of the nearly 50-year-old building on Tuesday, he couldn’t help but picture it in its heyday.

“I could see past that broken-downness and still see that '70s vibe,” Richards said. “In my mind, it’s still the Atlas Building Center.”

The retail center came in response to growing demand for lumber from the Atlas Tie Mill, which operated along the Spokane River and was part of the Idaho Forest Industries conglomerate beginning in 1968.

At the time, many questioned the choice of location, as the area was largely undeveloped.

“You could walk around the entire property and not see much of anything other than grass and trees,” Richards said.

Richards served as the last general manager of the Atlas Building Center from 1994 until 1998, when the family sold it to Anderson Lumber. Building Materials Company (BMC) later purchased Andersoh and relocated its facilities to Huetter Road in 2019. Parkwood Business Properties has since assumed ownership of the property.

The retail space was the last building in Coeur d’Alene to have been part of Idaho Forest Industries, Richards said.

The demolition of the Atlas Building Center makes way for a new era of development on the site, The Junction at Kathleen.

The preliminary plat, unanimously approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission on Dec. 9, calls for the development of 10 new lots on about 16 acres of land.

Phase 1 will see four of the 10 lots developed on the southern portion of the commercial property and completed in the spring of 2026.

Some have reacted negatively to the demolition of the building, Richards said, arguing that Coeur d’Alene has already seen its share of development.

Richards doesn’t see it that way.

“This is a living, healthy, vibrant community, and that’s a good thing,” he said. “That’s going to bring change.” 

    The Atlas Building Center was demolished on Tuesday to make way for a 10-lot subdivision planned for the land at the corner of U.S. 95 and Kathleen Avenue in Coeur d'Alene.
  

    The Atlas Building Center at 505 W. Kathleen Ave. was built in 1979.