Silver Valley economyis looking golden

Region’s affordable living, recreation, beauty attracting entrepreneurs

The Silver Valley has been slower than some areas to get its economic engined revved up during this post-recession era, but the region is rounding a corner.

That's the sentiment of many merchants heading into the valley's summer tourism season.

"(The economy) is currently on an uptick," said Jeff Colburn, general manager for Silver Mountain Resort. "The recovery has come slow to the Silver Valley, but we are starting to see more people moving in from all over the country due to the beauty of the area, recreational amenities and affordable living."

Even with the ongoing strike at Hecla's Lucky Friday Mine near Mullan and the closure of Stein's grocery store in Kellogg, Colburn said the business mood in the valley is "very positive."

"Summer is a great time to be in the Valley with all the outdoor activities and fun festivals," he said.

Karen Hulstrom, who owns Silver Legacy Realty in Kellogg, said the economy is also cooking on the home sales front.

"Homes are selling quickly when priced appropriately," Hulstrom said. "I believe the majority of the home sales in the Silver Valley in the past year are due to many buyers being priced out of the Coeur d'Alene market and moving this way. The commute is very easy to Coeur d'Alene. Our biggest concern is lack of homes for sale."

Mallory Phillips, director for the Historic Silver Valley Chamber of Commerce in Kellogg, said the Silver Valley provides an "awesome climate" for entrepreneurs, small business owners and larger industries.

"The cost of living is lower here for those looking to start their own businesses, and business expenses are less expensive in the Silver Valley than in other places in the country, so we see bigger businesses showing interest," Phillips said.

Phillips said over the past year, several new businesses have moved to the valley.

"There appears to be more spending power and it shows by the houses flying off the market and storefronts being filled," she said. "It is really exciting to see more people take interest in the downtown areas of the Valley."

Phillips said she believes recreation opportunities and a small-town feel are other drawing cards.

"We have two ski resorts within a half an hour of each other, amazing bike opportunities whether you like paved trails or playing in the dirt, and we have small, tight-knit communities," she said.

Among the recent business openings in Kellogg and the surrounding area: Lisa's Gems, Moose Creek Grill, Zany's Pizza, International Service Learning, and Dirty Dog Saloon.

Phillips said the Silver Valley chamber's main focus this summer will be promoting weekend-long visits.

"What we've discovered from data is that the Silver Valley is often a place that people take day trips to and only a small percentage are staying the night," she said. "We want to help highlight all the awesome aspects that the Silver Valley has to offer by creating a ‘Take a Long Weekend’ campaign. Our main focus this summer will be Spokane, Coeur d'Alene and Missoula."

The Thursday night Community Market, hotel discounts, outdoor activities and community events are key aspects of the campaign.

"We will emphasize that every weekend we have different events in our seven communities," Phillips said.

A Silver Valley Market Mug Club, in which folks buy a reusable pint glass at the market, is also being launched. The glass will get you discounts on beer at the market along with bars and restaurants listed on the mug.

Dave Copelan, coordinator for the Wallace Chamber of Commerce, said the business climate is also positive in that part of the valley.

"In just the past three years, more than a dozen entrepreneurs have purchased historic buildings and either taken over long-established businesses or started new ones," he said. "The paradigm seems to be to market not just to Silver Valley residents but to the region and around the country.

"Strong and growing eastern Washington, Coeur d'Alene and Sandpoint populations should drive visitor traffic to Wallace to escape the bustle of city life."

Copelan said the Idaho State Historic Society recently reaffirmed that Wallace is the only entire city on the National Register of Historic Places. He said new business owners appreciate the history and want to preserve the past with their buildings.

Copelan said the Grey Ghost Armory, which manufactures specialized arms and protective gear, is remodeling a historic building and has plans to open shop soon.

The high-tech firm Gravis Tech, which moved to Wallace from Idaho Falls in 2016, has been steadily hiring more technicians.

Proprietors Jeremy and Katie Watterson, from Missoula, purchased the Wallace Coffee House last year and have since purchased and leased other businesses in town, Copelan said.

Copelan said several events should also keep the Silver Valley hopping

during tourism season, including:

• 35th annual Depot Day Classic Car Show, Wallace, May 11;

• Hiawatha Trail opens, Memorial Day Weekend;

• 79th Gyro Days and Lead Creek Derby, June 12-15;

• Stix and Stones motocross races, Silver Mountain, June 22-23;

• Wallace Blues Festival, July 12-14;

• ATV/UTV Jamboree, July 23-27;

• Huckleberry Jeep Festival and 5K Fund Run, Aug. 16-17;

• Brewsfest, Aug. 17; Silver Mountain; and

• Under The Freeway Flea Market, Labor Day Weekend.

As part of the Jeep Festival, Dave Smith Motors will be giving away a Jeep Gladiator.

Tom Richards, owner of The Snake Pit historic restaurant in Enaville, said if last year is any indication, the summer of 2019 will be a success for restaurants in the Silver Valley.

"Last summer was the busiest in the history of the restaurant and we expect that to continue this year," he said.

Richards said tourists from the region comprise the bulk of his summer business, while mostly locals visit during the winter months.

"There's a huge number of tourists who ride the bike trails and they come in all sweaty and in a good mood," said Richards, adding that fly fishermen, motorcyclists, campers and classic car enthusiasts are also common in the summer.

"July is our absolute peak, and August is our second-busiest month," he said.

Matthew Sawyer, marketing director for Lookout Pass, said the Silver Valley economy is going through a "renaissance," transitioning from primarily a mining industry to tourism.

"We're hopeful that there will not be a fire and smoke event that reduces tourism traffic and that the weather cooperates," he said.