Previous Updates
Officials celebrate completion of groundwork on the Education Corridor
November 16, 2011
After decades of dreaming, years of planning and months of construction, officials celebrated the completion of the infrastructure on the site of the Education Corridor with a ribbon cutting ceremony Nov. 15.
Formed from a collaboration among North Idaho College, Lewis-Clark State College, the University of Idaho, the City of Coeur d’Alene and the Lake City Development Corporation, the Education Corridor is a visionary higher education corridor stretching along the shore of Lake Coeur d’Alene to the north of NIC’s current campus, that will provide academic opportunities and make a positive economic impact for residents of North Idaho.
Representatives from each of the institutions and organizations involved broke ground on the $3.6 million construction project by MDM Construction in June. Phase 1A of the project, paid for with urban renewal funding, included roadways, roundabouts, sidewalks, curbs and a traffic signal on Northwest Boulevard and Hubbard. Planning for phase 1B of the project will be considered in the spring.
Trees going in across construction site
November 4, 2011
More than 400 new trees are currently being planted across the Education Corridor site by employees of DewDrop Sprinklers and Landscaping. In addition, construction crews are continuing work on a segment of the Centennial Trail. Tree planting will continue on the site throughout next week as well as cleanup and finish work.
Hubbard is accessible to students, employees, and visitors to the Harbor Center, but is still closed to through traffic. Hubbard is expected to be open the week of Nov. 14. There is an issue with the lighting system on the new signal at Northwest Boulevard and Hubbard and it will remain flashing red until the issue is resolved. Drivers should treat the intersection as a four-way stop until the light is operating normally again.
Academic Way to be paved Wednesday
October 25, 2011
Academic Way (the entrance to the Harbor Center) will be closed Wednesday, Oct. 26 while crews pave the road. Employees, students, and visitors of Lewis-Clark State College and the University of Idaho must use Military Drive to access Parking Lot B on the former mill site log yard. A staff person with MDM construction will help people walk across Hubbard and down the former bike path to enter the Harbor Center. Please do not use the alternate access road through the Riverstone area, as it will be closed at times as well. Academic Way is expected to be open again by the end of the day Wednesday. Thank you for your patience throughout the construction process!
Hubbard will remain closed off of Northwest Boulevard for at least the remainder of the week and possibly longer while trees are planted and other site work is completed. Those needing access to the Harbor Center can continue to use Military Drive to connect to Hubbard and access Academic Way.
Hubbard being striped today
October 19, 2011
Crews are currently striping Hubbard Street from River Avenue to Northwest Boulevard. Employees and students with vehicles at the Harbor Center must exit via the alternate route through Riverstone. Students, employees, and visitors needing access to Lewis-Clark State College and the University of Idaho Coeur d’Alene centers while striping is in progress can also park in Parking Lot B from Military Drive (accessible from River Avenue on the NIC campus) and walk across Hubbard to Academic Way. Signage installation and striping is also taking place throughout the construction site, so please be aware of crews working along the shoulder.
The signal at Northwest Boulevard and Hubbard has been installed and is tentatively scheduled to be operational next week after crosswalks have been striped, which is dependent on dry weather.
Construction site cleanup will take place on Saturday, Oct. 22 and the paving of Academic Way (the access road to the Harbor Center) is tentatively scheduled for next week. Watch for further details on traffic revisions related to the paving schedule and trees to be planted soon throughout the site.
Harbor Center access from Hubbard Avenue closed
October 13, 2011
Access to the Harbor Center from Hubbard Avenue will be closed on Friday, Oct. 14 and Monday, Oct. 17 for paving and the road is expected to be open on Tuesday. An alternate route has been established through the Riverstone area.
Individuals wishing to access the Harbor Center should follow this route which will be marked with detour signs: From Northwest Boulevard, turn west on Lakewood and right on Riverstone. Turn left on Beebe Avenue and cross the railroad tracks. Immediately after crossing the railroad tracks, turn left (before the Cenntenial Trail) and follow the frontage road toward the Harbor Center. A new temporary entrance to the Harbor Center has been created.
East side of River Avenue closed
October 10, 2011
River Avenue is closed today from Hubbard Avenue east while the road is paved. This closure restricts access to Military Drive. Homeowners along Military Drive, Harbor Center students and employees, and those needing access to the Fort Ground Grill and North Idaho College’s Headwaters Complex buildings should use the Hubbard entrance off of Northwest Boulevard.
River Avenue is open to the west of Hubbard and through to Rosenberry Drive (the dike road).
Once paving on River Avenue is complete, crews will focus on paving Hubbard from the new roundabout on River through to Northwest Boulevard.
River to be closed Saturday
October 7, 2011
River Avenue will be closed Saturday, Oct. 8 for paving. This will restrict access to homeowners along Military Drive, the Military entrance to the Harbor Center, the Lewis-Clark State College portables, and all NIC buildings along River Avenue (including Timber Hall and the Headwaters Complex).
Homeowners along Military Drive can enter and exit to the north of their neighborhood through Parking Lot B and onto Hubbard. The Fort Ground Grill will remain open on Saturday and construction crews will work with drivers to get them to the Grill parking lot.
Curb work will also be taking place on Hubbard, so drivers are asked to be patient as they try to maneuver the construction site on Saturday. River Avenue is expected to be open by the end of the day Saturday.Access to Harbor Center restricted Friday
October 6, 2011
Access to the Harbor Center will be restricted Friday, Oct. 7. Employees, students, and visitors have been accessing Academic Way via Military Drive, which connects with Hubbard. While NIC students will still be able to access Parking Lot B from Military Drive, access to Hubbard from that lot will be blocked Friday. Those needing access to the University of Idaho—Coeur d’Alene and Lewis-Clark State College—Coeur d’Alene should get onto Hubbard directly from Northwest Boulevard. Crews will make sure cars are able to get through to Academic Way from there.
Water outage to affect Harbor Center/Wastewater Treatment Plant
September 29, 2011
A water outage is scheduled for 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Sept. 30 that will affect the Harbor Center and Wastewater Treatment Plant as work continues on the Education Corridor site near Northwest Boulevard and Hubbard. Water service is expected to be restored by the end of the day Friday. In addition, crews are expected to work on Saturday, Oct. 1 working with concrete and cleanup.
MDM Construction thanks everyone for their patience during the outage and the construction process.
Weekend work scheduled for Sept. 24
September 23, 2011
The northbound lanes of Northwest Boulevard are now closed as work continues at the Hubbard intersection. Businesses in the Harbor Plaza will be accessible between barricades throughout the Northwest Boulevard construction and installation of the traffic signal at Hubbard, which is expected to be complete by mid-October.
Crews will be working on Saturday, Sept. 24 on Academic Way, the entrance to the Harbor Center. Asphalt on Academic Way will be removed by Monday, Sept. 26 but still remain accessible to students and employees of Lewis-Clark State College and the University of Idaho Coeur d’Alene on the dirt surface. Crews will also be placing topsoil in planting beds along River Avenue Saturday.
Asphalting is scheduled to begin Oct. 1 on Northwest Boulevard, Academic Way, and Hubbard and the second layer of asphalt on River Avenue and portions of College Avenue and Military Drive.
Water outage scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 13
September 12, 2011
A water outage scheduled for 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 13 will affect the Harbor Center and Wastewater Treatment Plant as work continues on the Education Corridor site near Northwest Boulevard and Hubbard. Water service is expected to be restored by the end of the day Tuesday. MDM Construction thanks everyone for their patience during the outage and the construction process.
Gas leak fixed, NIC streets reopened
September 12, 2011 - 9:55 a.m.
The gas line that was struck by construction crews on the site of the Education Corridor today, Sept. 12 has been repaired. Traffic and pedestrian access via River Avenue and College Drive have been resumed.
NIC streets closed temporarily due to gas leak
September 12, 2011
A gas line was struck by construction crews working on the site of the Education Corridor this morning. Avista crews are currently working to stop the leak and repair the line.
Vehicle and pedestrian traffic is being restricted in the area of the roundabout at College Drive and River Avenue. River Avenue is closed from Hubbard west and College Drive is closed from Garden Avenue north, restricting access to the NIC Meyer Health and Sciences Building, Winton Hall, Post Hall, Timber Hall, and the River Building. Access to the Harbor Center and homes along Military Drive will still be available via River Avenue.
An update will be sent when the leak has been repaired and streets are reopened on North Idaho College's campus.
Northwest Boulevard reduced to one lane beginning Aug. 29
August 26, 2011
Now that the road and sidewalk infrastructure project is complete along River Avenue, the Education Corridor construction will move north.
Beginning Monday, Aug. 29, a portion of Northwest Boulevard will be restricted to one lane as work begins on the installation of a new traffic signal at Northwest Boulevard and Hubbard Street. Motorists should expect delays when traveling in this vicinity.
West Hubbard Street will be closed. Students, employees, and visitors may access the University of Idaho and Lewis-Clark State College at the Harbor Center through the North Idaho College campus, by turning onto Military Drive from River Avenue and cutting across the former log yard to connect with Hubbard and the entrance to the Harbor Center at Academic Way.
A portion of Hubbard Street to the east of Northwest Boulevard will also be closed, restricting access to parking lots for the businesses in that area. Alternative access will be available via Lincoln Way.
The project is expected to be completed by Oct. 3.
Northwest Boulevard/Hubbard intersection work postponed
August 22, 2011
Because of an unexpected scheduling issue, the work on the intersection of Northwest Boulevard and Hubbard (which was supposed to begin Tuesday, Aug. 23) has been postponed until next week. Access to the University of Idaho and Lewis-Clark State College at the Harbor Center will remain open via Northwest Boulevard for the remainder of this week. The Hubbard entrance as well as the lane restriction on Northwest Boulevard will begin Monday, Aug. 29.
Hubbard is also open for access to Parking Lot B. However, MDM Construction will be tearing up asphalt in that parking lot preparing for the construction of the roads and sidewalks in that vicinity. This will eliminate about 100 parking spaces, but parking attendants and North Idaho College Facilities crews report that 300 spaces in Parking Lot A and Parking Lot B were not used today.
A portion of Hubbard did not get paved last week. This section of road as well as the driveway to the Fort Ground Grill and the entry to River Avenue from Hubbard and Timber Hall is expected to be paved Aug. 26-27. The second lift of asphalt on River Avenue will not be laid until later this fall. Traffic on River Avenue is encouraged to drive slowly to maneuver the uneven roadway.
Sidewalks are being poured this week along River Avenue. In the meantime, pedestrian traffic from Parking Lots A, B, and C must use the roadways to walk to sidewalked areas. Please use caution walking and driving on campus!
Parking along the streets of the Fort Grounds neighborhood is prohibited, except by residents. The Coeur d’Alene Police Department COPS volunteers wrote many tickets in the Fort Grounds today and will be patrolling the area heavily in the next few weeks, issuing citations to violators. Additionally, NIC students who parked in the Memorial Field lot closest to the baseball field designated with numbered spaces were ticketed today as well. That lot is managed by Diamond Parking and all vehicles parked in those spaces must pay a parking fee. The lot available to NIC students and employees is further west underneath the large readerboard sign at Northwest Boulevard and Mullan. The entrance to the lot is across the street from the Human Rights Education Institute and is marked with signage. Students will also receive tickets for parking incorrectly on Rosenberry Drive (the dike road) with cars parked perpendicularly and sticking into the roadway.
Continue to be patient with construction and parking as the semester gets rolling for North Idaho College, Lewis-Clark State College, and the University of Idaho.
River Avenue to be paved Friday, August 19
August 18, 2011
The first lift of asphalt will be laid on River Avenue Friday, Aug. 19. Construction crews will be paving all day Friday, beginning on the west side of the street near Rosenberry Drive (the dike road) and working their way east toward Northwest Boulevard. While River is already closed to through traffic, access to vehicle and foot traffic will be even more restricted during the paving project.
North Idaho College students going to Parking Services in the Headwaters Complex for parking permits as well as students accessing Testing Center services in Timber Hall should take Park Street and park vehicles in the former Robin Hood Campground (Parking Lot A on the map) and walk along River to those buildings.
Truck deliveries to the NIC Mail/Copy Center should use the Hubbard Street entrance off of Northwest Boulevard. Homeowners in the Military Drive area of the Fort Grounds neighborhood will utilize Hubbard Street as well. The Fort Ground Grill will remain open to patrons and will be accessible by taking Hubbard off of Northwest Boulevard.
Campus parking accessibility for fall semester
August 15, 2011
Additional parking lots will be available to North Idaho College this fall to compensate for parking space being utilized as staging areas for construction on the site of the Education Corridor. The mill site property behind the Lewis-Clark State College portables as well as NIC’s River Building and Timber Hall will be accessible via River Avenue for student parking. An additional lot will be available behind the NIC Headwaters Complex and can be accessed via Military Drive. The City of Coeur d’Alene has allowed the former Robin Hood Campground to be available as a temporary lot by entering at Park Drive off of Northwest Boulevard.
A map noting available parking on NIC’s campus as well as access to the Harbor Center is available at http://www.edcorridor.com/pdfs/harborCenterDetourMap.pdf.
A portion of the NIC Meyer Health and Sciences Building parking lot will be utilized for access to Rosenberry Drive (the dike road) until the roundabout at River and College avenues is complete.
Construction on the site of the Education Corridor will continue through fall semester, but will move north of River Avenue along Hubbard Avenue and Northwest Boulevard. Hubbard Avenue off of Northwest Boulevard will be closed throughout most of fall semester. Students, employees, and visitors may access the University of Idaho and Lewis-Clark State College at the Harbor Center through the NIC campus, by turning onto Military Drive from River Avenue and cutting across the former log yard to connect with Hubbard and the entrance to the Harbor Center.
Construction crews to work in the early morning Aug. 12, 15
August 11, 2011
MDM Construction plans to work in the early morning hours beginning at 4 a.m. Friday, Aug. 12 and Monday, Aug. 15. Crews will be working on sewer tie-ins, and while services will not be interrupted, residents in the Fort Grounds neighborhood may experience minimal noise disturbances due to equipment.
Construction to continue through Art on the Green weekend
August 5, 2011
MDM Construction will continue working on the site of the Education Corridor today Friday, Aug. 5 and Saturday, Aug. 6, focusing mainly on the road and concrete grade along River Avenue from Military Drive west.
Thousands of visitors will be on the North Idaho College campus throughout the weekend for the Art on the Green, which begins today and continues throughout the weekend. River Avenue and Hubbard Street will remain closed to through traffic, which will restrict access to parking lots on the former mill site property. Art on the Green attendees are encouraged to follow the detour route to access the event as well as available parking on campus.
Art on the Green hours are:
Noon to 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 5
10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 6
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 7
Water outage scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 4
August 3, 2011
A planned water outage caused by Education Corridor construction will affect employees in Molstead Library from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 4. Employees are encouraged to use restrooms and water fountains in Boswell Hall during the outage.
Other affected areas include Empire Avenue (between Hubbard and Lincoln), Hubbard Street (between Empire and Garden), and homes at 509 and 513 Military Drive.
Construction crews to dig utility ditch Saturday
July 22, 2011
MDM Construction will dig the remaining utility ditch on the north side of River Avenue (to the west of the Fort Ground Grill) beginning Saturday, July 23 so that utility crews can install conduits and continue the process of crossing over services on Monday, July 25.
Sewer installation on Hubbard may create noise
July 19, 2011
Beginning this evening, sewer installation and the use of loud pumps along Hubbard Avenue may create noise disturbance for Fort Grounds homeowners along Military Avenue north of River Avenue. Work is expected to continue into the overnight hours and be complete the morning of Wednesday, July 20.
MDM Construction, Inc. apologizes for any inconvenience to homeowners throughout this process.
Water outage to affect residents, NIC buildings Friday
July 14, 2011
The first portion of a scheduled water outage today Thursday, July 14 has been completed, restoring water service to all homes, business, and residences east of Hubbard on River Avenue. College facilities and Jeffries TV, which are the only facilities to the west of Hubbard Avenue on River, will remain without water until 5 p.m. today.
Another water outage is planned for Friday, July 15. Beginning at 7 a.m., water will be shut off to the areas east of the Fort Grounds Grill and on Military north of River Avenue. This includes homeowners to the north of River as well as NIC’s Headwaters Complex. Water service is scheduled to resume by 5 p.m., but construction crews hope to have it restored earlier if possible.
Water outage planned along River Avenue
July 12, 2011
Details of a scheduled water outage released earlier today have changed. The water outage originally planned for the early morning of Wednesday, July 13 has moved to Thursday, July 14.
Homes, businesses, and buildings along River Avenue will be affected by the outage while crews work on the water line. The water service is expected to be re-established to east River Avenue by 7 a.m., including River Apartments, the NIC Headwaters Complex, and the Fort Ground Grill. Water service will be off until possibly 5 p.m. for the rest of River Avenue, including the NIC River Building, the Lewis-Clark State College restroom facility near the portables on River Avenue, Jeffries' TV, and Winton-Post Hall.
River Avenue water line repaired
July 6, 2011
The water main along River Avenue that was disturbed by construction earlier today has been repaired and is functioning properly again. The cap on the 12-inch water main came off when construction crews were digging near the line, but the water main itself was not damaged. The cap was replaced by city water crews and should no longer be impacting water to buildings, homes, and businesses near River Avenue.
Hubbard Avenue to remain open for holiday weekend
June 29, 2011
The treatment of Hubbard Avenue has been re-evaluated through the July 4 holiday.
MDM Construction will postpone the excavation of Hubbard Avenue until after the holiday weekend. This will keep Hubbard in a passable condition for emergency vehicles to utilize at all times. In addition, Hubbard Avenue will be open to the general public throughout the holiday weekend, except on July 4th between 4 p.m. and “breakup,” which begins shortly before the end of the fireworks display and ends when traffic is cleared from town. During breakup, Mullan Avenue will be the only exit from the Fort Grounds neighborhood and North Idaho College campus for traffic.
Fort Grounds Homeowners: The normal Fourth of July traffic plan will be in place. The barricades will close Mullan Avenue and Government Way from approximately 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. for the parade. Hubbard and the Lincoln exit off Northwest Boulevard may be utilized during this time. The barricades will be replaced at approximately 4 p.m. for the fireworks display and no access will be allowed via Mullan Avenue between 4 p.m. and the end of breakup. Homeowners may utilize Lincoln Way off of Northwest Boulevard to enter the Fort Grounds neighborhood and use Hubbard to exit.
Water service to be disrupted Monday, June 27
June 23, 2011
Construction on the site of the Education Corridor will cause an outage in water service throughout the day Monday, June 27 on parts of the North Idaho College campus.
The outage will affect the River Building, Winton Hall, Post Hall, and the Lewis-Clark State College restroom next to the portable classrooms from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
NIC employees in the River Building should utilize restrooms and water in Molstead Library, while students, staff, and faculty in Winton Hall, Post Hall, and the Lewis-Clark State College portables may use the Meyer Health and Sciences Building.
Construction continues on River Avenue
June 22, 2011
Construction is well underway on Phase 1-A of the Education Corridor project. Currently River Avenue is closed while pavement and sidewalk removal takes place to allow for underground utility work. The entrance to campus via Park Drive off of Northwest Boulevard is still open and guides drivers along the detour path. Drivers needing access to Rosenberry Drive (the dike road), are routed through the main North Idaho College campus along Garden Avenue and College Drive. Construction plans call for the installation of a roundabout at the intersection of River, Rosenberry, and College, which will require an access road to be installed for temporary access to the dike road. The ramp, being built today Wednesday, June 22, will eliminate several parking spaces on the north side of the Meyer Health and Science Building parking lot.
Access to the University of Idaho and Lewis-Clark State College is still available off Northwest Boulevard via Hubbard, but the remainder of Hubbard is closed to through traffic to River Avenue. Access to the businesses and residential property along River Avenue will still be granted throughout the construction process. The Fort Grounds Grill, Jeffries’ TV and Stereo, and access to the NIC Mail and Copy Center for truck deliveries can be accessed via Hubbard Avenue by passing through the barricades to access those businesses.
Pedestrians and bicyclists using the Centennial Trail between Hubbard and Park will have to follow the detour route until they can regain access to the trail. An alternative route is currently being established at College and at Military in an effort to keep cyclists and pedestrians on pavement.
Contractors are planning around several summer events that will affect access to the colleges, beach, and Fort Grounds neighborhood. Since Mullan Avenue will be restricted Sunday, June 26 for the Ironman Triathlon, access will be granted to the Fort Grounds neighborhood and colleges via Hubbard throughout the weekend.
Inconveniences throughout the construction process are to be expected as access to colleges, businesses, and residential property are restricted. Please feel free to share any concerns you may have with us and we will pass them on to the appropriate project representatives. Thank you for your patience as the construction project progresses.
Construction set to begin
June 10, 2011
Officials turn over the first shovel of dirt on the site of the Education Corridor during the June 10 groundbreaking ceremony. Pictured are Fort Grounds Homeowners Association Vice President Mark Faulkner, Lewis-Clark State College President Tony Fernandez, North Idaho College Vice President for Instruction Jay Lee, University of Idaho Associate Dean Richard Reardon, and Lake City Development Corporation Executive Director Tony Berns.
Groundbreaking ceremony scheduled for Friday, June 10
June 6, 2011
After a pre-construction meeting between JUB Engineers and MGM Construction and their subcontractors at 9 a.m. Friday, June 10 at the City of Coeur d’Alene Old Council Chambers, construction will be set to begin on Phase 1-A of the Education Corridor project.
Everyone is invited to attend the groundbreaking ceremony at 2 p.m. Friday, June 10 on Hubbard Avenue across from the City of Coeur d’Alene Wastewater Treatment Plant.
The ceremony will include brief comments from representatives from the City of Coeur d’Alene, North Idaho College, the University of Idaho, Lewis-Clark State College, the Fort Grounds Homeowners Association, and the Lake City Development Corporation.
MDM Construction selected as winning bid
May 31, 2011
The winning bid for Phase 1-A of the construction project was selected today by the Lake City Development Corporation Board of Directors. The bid was by MDM Construction based in Hayden with the low bid of $3,690,050. In the highly competitive bidding process, only about $162,000 separated the high and low bids of the four proposals. Other companies submitting bids were Red Diamond Construction, Contractors Northwest, and Knife River Corporation.
The next step is a pre-construction conference, which could be held as early as the end of this week. Actual construction on Phase 1-A of the project could begin within just a matter of weeks. Phase 1-A includes the construction of roadways that will connect the Education Corridor on the site of the former DeArmond Mill, including roundabouts, sidewalks, curbs, and a signal at Hubbard and Northwest Boulevard. (View the attachment for a graphic depicting Phase 1-A of the project.) The major roads are expected to be complete by Aug. 19 for the start of fall semester at NIC, while other projects are not expected to be complete until later in the fall.
