On January 4, 2010 the Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce opened their new Visitor Center and headquarters at 231 N. Third Avenue in Sandpoint in the PSB Community Plaza, a property which will encompass a mix of nonprofit and for-profit businesses. Initiated after years of infrastructure issues at the location on Highway 95 along Sand Creek, the Board of Directors decided to move due to the financial constraints to incur from most recent flooding in December 2008.
“The Board of Directors spent a lot of time strategizing the pros and cons of moving, and I feel we made the best decision,” said Chairman of the Board Kathy Hubbard. The new location at PSB Community Plaza provides a financial savings, closer proximity to businesses, a location for meetings with an upstairs conference room, financial relief from providing a public restroom, and opportunities to promote more businesses in the Greater Sandpoint area to downtown visitors.
Another significant benefit is the ability to interface with agencies and organizations such as the Downtown Sandpoint Business Association (DSBA) within the plaza. “We have worked diligently these last two years to work cooperatively with other organizations, and this move will only foster more cohesiveness in the years to come,” said executive director Amy Little.
The Board is also negotiating a satellite Visitor Center during the high traffic months from Memorial Day to Labor Day in or near the city of Ponderay. “The Board was very cognizant that the Visitor Center’s location would now be downtown Sandpoint and that many of our members are not. That is why we’ve decided to either find a location in Ponderay or re-open the former building during our peak tourist season,” Hubbard said.
The Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce’s Visitor Center’s operating hours are Monday through Friday from 10 am to 4 pm during the winter months, and the center will open for extended hours during the summer. The general public is welcome to come visit the new center, and Chamber officials look forward to hosting a ribbon cutting and grand re-opening ceremony in February.
For more information, call (208) 263-2161 or visit www.SandpointChamber.com.
Photo Caption: Pictured is Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce Chairman of the Board Kathy Hubbard (center) with the Chamber staff in their new Visitor Center and headquarters in the PSB Community Plaza, located at 231 N. Third Avenue in Sandpoint. The Chamber, a 501 c(6) nonprofit organization promoting, supporting, and developing businesses in the Greater Sandpoint area, moved after over 30 years from their location on the Highway 95 corridor and re-opened on January 4, 2010. From left is programs & communications manager Heather Bennett, executive director Amy Little, operations manager Corrie Greene, and Visitor Center staff Claire Gervais and Melody Circo (not pictured).
Posts
