Leaders from the city of Coeur d’Alene and North Idaho College convened this week for early talks on possible joint projects, including a concept for an arena that could accommodate large events and the future of the historic building that houses the Human Rights Education Institute.

“We know there’s a lot we have in common and a lot we can do together for the entire community,” said Coeur d’Alene Mayor Dan Gookin, looking out at the group gathered in the Driftwood Bay Room in the Student Union Building on the NIC campus.

City councilors expressed interested in NIC President Nick Swayne’s pitch for a 5,000-seat arena on a 15-acre property owned by NIC near the wastewater treatment plant. The property, off Hubbard Avenue, is currently used as a parking lot. 

The arena would functionally replace Christianson Gymnasium as the college’s athletics facility. Built in the 1940s and located near the center of campus, Christenson Gym seats about 1,100 people and would be repurposed if another facility is built. 

The college would use a new facility about 49 days a year, Swayne said, for sporting events, graduation ceremonies and other large events. For the rest of the year, the city could rent out the space that he said would attract concerts, high school sporting events and other large activities. The arena would include a parking deck for 2,500 vehicles. 

Swayne estimated the facility would cost $40 million to $50 million to build, with about half the cost coming from donations and the rest from a loan. 

Coeur d’Alene City Councilor Christie Wood said there’s an appetite in the community for a facility that could attract and accommodate large events. 

“We just couldn’t get past the price tag,” she said. “That was always the issue.” 

To cover debt services, Swayne proposed establishing an auditorium district for the arena. Some Idaho cities, including Boise, Idaho Falls and Nampa, have established auditorium districts, which can charge a local sales tax only for short–term lodging of 30 days or less within their district boundaries. 

“It really only affects visitors who are paying a hotel tax,” he said. “It’s not a property tax.” 

The corridor where the arena would go is mostly hotels, Swayne noted. Funds generated within the auditorium district would stay in the district. 

To establish an auditorium district, 10% of the proposed district’s population would have to sign off to put the measure on the ballot. Then it would go to a public vote. City staff said the auditorium district option is compatible with the university district zoning established in 2024. 

“The city would not be opposed to this,” Gookin said. “We would be supportive. You have the dirt. That was always the big issue.” 

Wood said she believes residents throughout the county would have interest in such a facility. 

“You’re right that every event is in Spokane or Boise,” she said to Swayne. “We’ve got enough people here now. It’s time we took a good hard look at it and how we can all work together.” 

Talks also included the historic building at 414 W. Fort Grounds Drive, which has been home to the Human Rights Education Institute for 23 years. 

Last summer, in vote that required a tiebreaker, the Coeur d’Alene City Council approved a lease with HREI that runs through September 2028. The lease term requires HREI utilities, as well as $500 per month in rent for the second year and $1,000 per month in the third year. 

The brick building needs “a lot of attention and care,” Gookin said, and its use is limited to education. 

“We can’t really sell it because a small corner of the building sits on BLM property and you need an act of Congress, literally, to surrender that,” he said. 

The city and college are exploring the possibility of NIC using the 5,000-square-foot building without displacing HREI. 

“We don’t want to lose that vision out of our city,” Wood said. “It’s important to the character of the city. It’s important to people in the community.” 

HREI director Jeanette Laster said the nonprofit is open to a partnership with NIC. It’s a good fit, she said, because the two entities share a mission of education. 

She emphasized that HREI ought to remain in its current space. 

“To some people, it is like a shining lighthouse,” she said. “Other people don’t understand the work that we do and who we serve.”