T. W. Clark Construction LLC, of Spokane, has begun erecting a 25,500-square-foot structure in Coeur dAlene to house a larger newspaper production plant for Hagadone Corp., of Coeur dAlene, which publishes the Coeur dAlene Press and five other North Idaho newspapers there.


Steve Sunleaf, a project manager for T.W. Clark, says work needs to be completed at the site next to the Coeur dAlene Press by Feb. 1, when new press and inserting equipment the building is designed to hold is scheduled to arrive.


The $2.1 million project is located at 305 N. Second, at the northwest corner of Coeur dAlene Avenue and Second Street, just north of the Hagadone-owned block bounded by First and Second streets, and Coeur dAlene and Lakeside avenues, Sunleaf says.


The single-story building will include a 20,000-square-foot production plant, with a 5,500-square-foot mezzanine devoted to office uses, he says.


The building will be owned by Hagadone Realty Inc., an affiliate of Hagadone Corp.


John Barlow, president of Hagadone Real Estate Holding Co., who handles development for all of Hagadones companies, says market growth in North Idaho created a need for more production space than is available at Hagadone Corp.s current production facility in Coeur dAlene, where the company publishes the six newspapers.


The Coeur dAlene Press occupies two connected buildings where its editorial and advertising departments are located and shares space in a third connected building where four daily and two weekly newspapers are printed. Workers in that 12,000-square-foot production building will move to the new structure when its built, says Barlow, adding that other operations owned by Hagadone Corp. will move into the vacated space.


We need new equipment that will generate more volume and get the job done quicker to accommodate our needs, Barlow says. He declines to disclose the cost of the new production equipment.


In addition to the Coeur dAlene Press, Hagadone prints the Post Falls Press; The Daily Bee, of Sandpoint, Idaho; and The Shoshone News Press, of Kellogg, Idaho, in the building on Second. All four are dailies. Hagadone also prints the weekly Priest River Times and Bonners Ferry Herald there.


The new building was designed by G.D. Longwell Architects PLLC, of Hayden Lake, Idaho.


Contact Rocky Wilson at (509) 344-1264 or via e-mail at rockyw@spokanejournal.com.