COEUR d'ALENE — Specialized Needs Recreation has outgrown its current 2,000-square-foot facility.  

“We need more space — we are bursting at the seams,” said SNR executive director Lindsay Patterson. “Our Building Belonging project proposes a 20,000 square-foot facility designed to complement the existing use of Cherry Hill while meeting the growing needs of our community, creating a permanent, inclusive, year-round indoor space where partnership delivers lasting impact for generations.”

Patterson will introduce a Memorandum of Understanding before the City Council on Tuesday to provide a framework for SNR's Building Belonging project, a proposed 20,000 square foot facility with a price tag of $3.5 to $5 million.

"The facility (is) designed to complement the existing use of Cherry Hill while meeting the growing needs of our community, creating a permanent, inclusive, year-round indoor space where partnership delivers lasting impact for generations," Patterson said.

She’s confident they’ll be able to raise the necessary funds and complete the building within the three years allotted to SNR, which provides individuals with disabilities access to therapeutic recreation.

“We have a large amount of community support — early champions who have stepped forward with leadership gifts and multi-year commitments,” Patterson said. “We also have 59 founding members helping raise funds.” 

The MOU has already been passed by the Parks and Recreation Department, allowing SNR to lease the 15th Street property for the project.

It's the perfect partnership with Parks and Rec, she added.

“This facility will also open up indoor recreation space for the community, including Parks and Rec,” Patterson said. “We’ll run our program during the day, and they can use the facility in the evening.” 

SNR Board Member Suzanne Knutson also expressed confidence in the project.

"This MOU is huge, especially in light of all the Medicaid cuts on the table in Idaho," she said. "For a city that does not have a recreational center, to get behind a rec center facility for people with disabilities shows that they are valued and should have opportunities that are often overlooked."