It's been fraught with controversy from the beginning, with a very vocal opposition movement that fueled a recall effort, but Monday morning groundbreaking for the McEuen Field Project finally happened.
As the ceremony got underway, Coeur d'Alene Mayor Sandi Bloem took the microphone to cheers and clapping.
"This is going to be a place that I think we can all be very proud of," Bloem said.
She called Monday's groundbreaking a celebration.
The groundbreaking marks the beginning of the McEuen Field construction. The parking lot south of city hall will be expanded to 179 spots. By next November, there will be a playground, splash pad, waterfront promenade and a grand plaza.
All of the construction and change will be roughly from city hall to the boat launch and covers 15 acres of park land and five acres of parking space.
The price tag sits at $14.2 Million, funded through the Lake City Development Corporation, donations and the parks capital fund.
From the beginning, people have been against this project and are still so even with shovels in the ground. One of those that are against the project is City Councilman Dan Gooking, who argued against the project.
"They are working on a park, when they could be working on jobs or infrastructure or other things the city really needs right now," Gookin explained.
A recall effort targeted four city council members but that recall effort fell short of making it to a vote. It is clear that the entire community does not support the project.
"I've said a couple of times, if this is really worth doing, if the community is really behind this, let's wait a year. Let's wait until the economy gets better, let's do a bond, let's get all the money we need to do everything you want to do," Gookin said.
Now standing vigilant over the process, Gookin said he's checking budgets and plans because even though the shovels have been put away from the groundbreaking the real construction is just about to start.
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