The Bonners Ferry City Council voted at its Jan. 21 meeting to participate in a regional non-profit initiative to revitalize downtown Bonners Ferry.

Beginning in March, the Rural Development Initiative will offer a series of free webinars as part of its Main Street program to guide a committee of city administrators, economic development councilmembers, and local downtown business owners on the economic vitality, design, promotion and organization of downtown Bonners Ferry. 

“Revitalization means there’s got to be a healthy mix of entertainment, retail and service downtown,” said David Sims, executive director of the Boundary County Economic Development Council. “You go to downtown Sandpoint, and you look, there's a mix.” 

City and county officials surveyed for the 2023 Bonners Ferry Comprehensive Plan agreed on the importance of a lively downtown. 

“A constant theme throughout engagement efforts revolved around the downtown,” the comprehensive plan states. “Frustration about vacancies and unkept buildings were hot topics for many who participated. Generally, respondents would like more activity and reasons to be in the historic downtown, with the majority supporting the further promotion of downtown arts, entertainment, and events.” 

Participation in the RDI program will mark a step toward addressing city needs. It will impact not just downtown, but also the South Hill area off South Main Street. 

There are currently three buildings that are either underutilized, closed or vacant on Main Street in downtown Bonners Ferry, and more of the like throughout the rest of downtown. 

But the underused buildings downtown are not as prevalent today as they have been in years past, Sims said, adding that the downtown area should look to capitalize on the considerable out-of-town traffic to the Kootenai River Inn Casino. 

A project slated to begin potentially in the summer of 2025 to reconstruct Riverside Road could also improve downtown vitality, as it would feature improved bike lanes. 

The Idaho Department of Commerce offers its own Main Street vitality program, but it is catered toward larger cities that can afford hiring a full-time Main Street employee. 

In the case of a small, rural city like Bonners Ferry, RDI will model its revitalization plan based on what other small, rural communities similar to Bonners Ferry have done successfully in their downtowns. 

“There’s a cardinal rule of economic development,” Sims said. “If you’re not copying, you’re not trying.”