The third phase of the Atlas Mill project in Coeur d'Alene plans to include more than 100 attainable housing units, including cottages, townhomes, twin homes, and single-family homes, priced from about $300,000 to about $600,000. 

“This is one of the most unique and best opportunities the city has to provide attainable housing for local workers,” said Kiki Miller, Coeur d’Alene City Councilor and Housing Solutions Partnership founding member. “I’m excited about this project.” 

Infrastructure work on the nine-acre site next to Seltice Way is tentatively slated to begin this year and wrap up by spring 2027. Houses could be going up by the summer of 2027. 

While it will be part of a development of higher-end homes already built, looking toward the Spokane River and will be higher-density, the starter homes will still blend in with the surrounding community, said Will Osborne, ignite cda executive director, the city’s urban renewal agency. 

“The architectural requirements will be consistent with the look and feel of the development as it is today,” Osborne said.  

Homeowners' association fees are a likelihood, Osborne said, but not a certainty. HOAs would go toward maintaining green space and other common areas. 

Ignite cda’s third and newest district, the Atlas District, was formed by the City Council in December 2018. It consists of 68 acres and includes the former Atlas Mill site. The city purchased the eastern portion of the old mill site, 47 acres and transferred the property to ignite cda for redevelopment.   

Osborne said the price range of the homes will “absolutely help meet the need” for attainable housing. 

“Employers here are struggling to fill jobs because of the cost of housing,” he said. “We've like to provide some housing for people that do work here.” 

In a recent joint workshop between ignite cda and the Coeur d’Alene City Council, Osborne outlined “attainable housing drivers” for Atlas phase three, including a strong economy, market demand, and a successful partnership between ignite and the city. He said the former mill site provides a “rare, viable opportunity to provide attainable housing.”

According to a report Osborne presented to the City Council, for-sale housing unit prices grew 181% between 2015 and 2026, with the median prices going from $199,500 to $562,000. 

Kootenai County needs an estimated 3,015 new units per year between 2020 and 2040, the report said. 

The report cited economic impacts from a “constrained housing market,” including that more young professionals and families cannot stay in the area; households lose economic opportunities to save, build wealth and pay for other services; increased commuting and congestion; and community character can change. 

According to the report, 68% of people employed in Coeur d’Alene live outside the city limits. Most employees commuting to Coeur d’Alene for work are coming from Post Falls, Hayden, Rathdrum and Spokane. 

The report said the Atlas Mill phase three housing “will provide homeownership and wealth building opportunities to individuals and families that otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford homeownership.” 

An artist rendering of the development shows tree-lined streets, driveways, walkways, and a large green space with a play area, serving as a gathering place and park. 

The report said phase-three home buyers could include a nursing assistant who earns $38,720; a high school teacher earning $466,620; a mechanical engineer making $100,460 and a lawyer with an annual income of $130,670. 

Tentative plans call for four types of homes with varying prices: Cottage, 1,300 square feet, $475,314; townhome, 1,600 square feet, $478,638; twin home, 960 square feet, $299,946; small-lot single-family, 1,800 square feet, $ 598,297. 

“There's some great opportunity there,” Miller said. “This is the leg up our local workers need.” 

Coeur d’Alene Mayor Dan Gookin said he supports the creation of attainable housing, but wasn’t convinced Atlas Mill phase three would provide it.

“The problem I have with this affordable housing phase ignite is proposing is it’s an HOA,” Gookin said. “How much are those fees going to be? How are they going to maintain all that open space in the middle?"

Gookin said that while mortgage payments may be lower, allowing folks to buy a home, the HOA fees could push things out of reach or create financial challenges later. 

He said HOAs are usually for private communities.

“HOA is not something you think about when you talk about affordable housing,” Gookin said.  

Miller said the HOAs are not a done deal and things are still very much in the discussion stage. She said a committee worked on the Atlas Mill phase three housing for about two years, 

She said the homes will be deed-restricted, meaning the price will remain the same when they change hands down the road. 

Miller believes that when it’s finished, phase three will be a great example of how attainable housing partnerships can work. 

“It's going to be beautiful,” she said. 

    Osborne