[eastidaho]

anyone making 20K a month won't be able to afford the $540 they're proposing in this. i can only assume their monthly rent costs were based on financial feasibility of the project and not what people in that salary range can actually afford.


:haha: :haha: To funny. I questioned the upper side of their numbers. I understand the $540 at $20,000 a year. Budgeting plans usually call for the standard 30% for housing expense and lenders use 29-32% for housing debt-to-income limits. The part that confused me was the upper end, $1040 at $27,900 per year, or 45% of income and IMHO not recommeded. You bring up an interesting take...what level of yearly income is too low to spend 30% as a housing allowance?

i was hoping for something brand-new in that space and for some developer to tear down the current structure and build a tall, thin, mixed-use type structure.

I was hoping for an art/theatre space. I imagined using the multi-story open air center of the building as the lobby. The lobby would feed artists and patrons to the work spaces and performing spaces located in the west, north, and east sections of the building. Place a Boise style marquee on the outside to advertise upcoming events and draw attention away from the less than stellar outer exterior.

[GrandTeton]

Boise is surprising me left and right with all the smart growth in the works! It's certainly a good idea to bring more living spaces downtown, especially in existing buildings. You don't want to end up with another hole with empty proposals.

The parking-lot across the street should be developed before even thinking of tearing down the Macy's building.

On a side-note, if I can recall, wasn't Boise considering transitioning to two-way streets in that area? That makes me think that Boise is planning for residential mixed-use development...

That's just my two cents.

[Cottonwood]

The Occupy people are such rebels and nimbys.:rolleyes: I'm digging their boyscout camp downtown:) Is it possible a few of these "don't build Zions Bank" citizens, may possibly end up with a new job in the new tower once it is built?
This Renna chick really likes to yell "mic check" lol.

http://www.boiseweekly.com/CityDesk/archives/2011/11/14/occupy-boise-occupies-ccdc-disrupts-meeting

Occupy Boise Occupies CCDC, Disrupts Meeting
Posted by George Prentice on Mon, Nov 14, 2011 at 3:24 PM



Members of the Occupy Boise movement decided to occupy today's meeting of the Capital City Development Corporation. A meeting that usually attracts a handful of people became standing room only this afternoon when the Occupiers filled the fifth-floor conference room of the CCDC.


Keesha Renna stood up from the audience and said, while she wasn't an official spokesperson for the Occupiers, she had a list of questions she wanted answered.

"Well, this isn't really a question-and-answer session," responded May.

But Renna proceeded to ask a series of queries concerning the Eighth and Main project, which CCDC has committed up to $4 million toward the construction.

"What community benefits would result from this project?" asked Renna and the crowd, once more, repeated in unison.



___________________________-

Well, Renna, we are getting a new tallest!!!

[el conquistador]

The Occupy people are such rebels and nimbys.:rolleyes: I'm digging their boyscout camp downtown:) Is it possible a few of these "don't build Zions Bank" citizens, may possibly end up with a new job in the new tower once it is built?
This Renna chick really likes to yell "mic check" lol.

http://www.boiseweekly.com/CityDesk/archives/2011/11/14/occupy-boise-occupies-ccdc-disrupts-meeting

Occupy Boise Occupies CCDC, Disrupts Meeting
Posted by George Prentice on Mon, Nov 14, 2011 at 3:24 PM



Members of the Occupy Boise movement decided to occupy today's meeting of the Capital City Development Corporation. A meeting that usually attracts a handful of people became standing room only this afternoon when the Occupiers filled the fifth-floor conference room of the CCDC.


Keesha Renna stood up from the audience and said, while she wasn't an official spokesperson for the Occupiers, she had a list of questions she wanted answered.

"Well, this isn't really a question-and-answer session," responded May.

But Renna proceeded to ask a series of queries concerning the Eighth and Main project, which CCDC has committed up to $4 million toward the construction.

"What community benefits would result from this project?" asked Renna and the crowd, once more, repeated in unison.



___________________________-

Well, Renna, we are getting a new tallest!!!

This is what's ticking me off about the whole 'occupy' thing. It has morphed so far from what it was intended that now all the people who have any sort of axe to grind are taking over. It was intended as a way to protest how banks and the wealthiest Americans have abused the bailout funds and tax loopholes, and that the revenue shortages we face are on them. Now, people are using it as a forum for any type of mindless protest. :shrug:

Protesting someone trying to do something that WILL boost the economy just shows how dumb some people can be. Maybe if she did a modicum of research, she would realize that Zions is the top SBA lender in the State...

[Cottonwood]

I have wondered if the handful of Boise Guardian followers are camping out downtown too. I saw at their little blog that they were bitching about the new Yogurt factory in Twin Falls....in their opinion screw the jobs it brings, they just care about the tax money used to get those jobs. What a life those followers must live, always in such turmoil over growth. Get outta town.

[boisecynic]

Check this historical pic:

http://www.boise-property.com/images/Boise_05.jpg

Hotlinked of course from: http://www.boise-property.com/

Is that a Cordoba with soft corinthian leather I see?

[Evo5Boise]

Wow!! Great find. I love looking at old pictures of Boise. I worked at that location several, several years ago in the parts department, right after Lithia bought out Bob Rice.

[isangpogi]

Photo Found on Google Earth
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/28840_389190744823_563699823_3766112_3245806_n.jpg

Here's a interesting historical photo... This is Cole and Overland before the current intersection above the freeway was built. To navigate cole one would have to turn onto Overland, cross the freeway, then turn back onto cole. At the bottom-right corner is Wild Waters. At the bottom-left is the space where Edwards is now.

[boisecynic]

Here's a interesting historical photo... This is Cole and Overland before the current intersection above the freeway was built. To navigate cole one would have to turn onto Overland, cross the freeway, then turn back onto cole. At the bottom-right corner is Wild Waters. At the bottom-left is the space where Edwards is now.

Oh man, that is so awesome. I've been trying to explain to a couple of people how Cole was disconnected back then. They didn't believe me. It totally sucked trying to go out South Cole back then. Even more than now. ;)

[Evo5Boise]

I remember that. I was always going to Wild Waters when I was a kid. It sucked to see it go! My, how this area has changed in the last 20 years. 1992 seems so long ago yet doesn't at the same time.

Also, there used to be a drive in A&W right there on Overland (where the Taco Bell is) that my grandparents used to take me to all the time. :)

[City Of Trees]

In addition to Wild Waters, two entire rows of houses were condemned on the north side of the interchange, near the LDS temple. You can see the before/after of that as well in Google Earth.

In that 1992 view, you can also see that ACHD also condemned a ton of homes on the east side of Curtis north of Fairview as part of the extension from Mountain View to Chinden. The purpose of doing so was to "widen" Curtis, but after cowering to NIMBYs in the neighborhood, the "widening" was originally only two lanes! I'm sure many of you remember that controversy.

You can also see that before the Curtis extension, Ustick's east terminus turned into 44th Street going down the bench to Chinden.

Also in the 1992 view the Connector is almost, but not quite, complete. They're still putting the finishing touches on the 23rd/River section, and it appears that's where they were letting cars get off while they finished it. I still wish they had created a pairing on-ramp from 17th in that location, but that's a whole different conversation....

[Saturnfromboise]

rrrrrtytyytrytyjujjkjugyehwGGJGHHHGGGGQQQQQQQSSSSHHHHH

[Hawk]

rrrrrtytyytrytyjujjkjugyehwGGJGHHHGGGGQQQQQQQSSSSHHHHH

:whatthefuck: you drunk or something Saturnofboise? lol

[BoiseAirport]

rrrrrtytyytrytyjujjkjugyehwGGJGHHHGGGGQQQQQQQSSSSHHHHH

Did you do a little too much of this? --> :cheers:

:P

[Bodo_business]

Appears to be some very small scale demo taking place on the JUMP site today. Didn't have a camera with me, but a front end loader and dump truck were working the area facing 9th in front of the old warehouse.

[Saturnfromboise]

Lmao sorry everyone when im away from my computer, my daughter likes to take over and play with my mouse and keyboard lol!

[Sawtooth]

Today I received in the mail an invite for a public meeting at Whittier Elementary for the Esther Simplot Park Master Plan. The card says construction is scheduled for Spring because of the generosity of the Simplot's.

This is exciting because I did not know that the actual park was almost ready for construction. This area of downtown is getting a major face lift with this park, the whitewater park and the 30th Street extension.

[Evo5Boise]

You can also see that before the Curtis extension, Ustick's east terminus turned into 44th Street going down the bench to Chinden.



I also remember that.

[Cottonwood]

Lmao sorry everyone when im away from my computer, my daughter likes to take over and play with my mouse and keyboard lol!

That is funny. I was thinking a secret code:)

[Hawk]

Lmao sorry everyone when im away from my computer, my daughter likes to take over and play with my mouse and keyboard lol!

i've gotten like 3 text messages on my android this past year apparently from randoms numbers saying they're kid was playing with their phone. :haha:
anyways lol look on the bright side... at least your daughter likes to use technology. xD

[Hawk]

Appears to be some very small scale demo taking place on the JUMP site today. Didn't have a camera with me, but a front end loader and dump truck were working the area facing 9th in front of the old warehouse.

has anyone else gone by there and seen the same thing?

[Saturnfromboise]

Oh she takes my android phone to no doubt! lol

[trekkerguy]

has anyone else gone by there and seen the same thing?

Saw the equipment, just not in motion. I drive by it every day for work so will keep an eye out.

Other note, looks like a bunch of the buildings downtown have put up their Christmas lights. US Bank and Ada County Courthouse among them. Looks pretty cool. US Bank looks lots better at night with the lights around the top edge.

[Hawk]

Saw the equipment, just not in motion. I drive by it every day for work so will keep an eye out.

Other note, looks like a bunch of the buildings downtown have put up their Christmas lights. US Bank and Ada County Courthouse among them. Looks pretty cool. US Bank looks lots better at night with the lights around the top edge.

Just think how nice it'll be when 8th and Main has lights around the top of it as well.

[Cottonwood]

has anyone else gone by there and seen the same thing?

I bet that truck is for the stairwell redo at the City Centre Garage across the street on 9th. The truck says GUHO on the side and that name is also by the stairs being repaired.

[Hawk]

i believe so, i walked by there this afternoon.

[Carpenter]

Saw these while looking at the legals in the Statesman this morning
CUP11- 00080 Boise is getting it's first real Chick Fil A. It will replace the existing Perkins restaurant on the north east corner of Broadway and Front street. The existing Perkins will be torn down.
CUP11-00081 This is for a Jimmy Johns restaurant. This will replace the abandoned gas station/ used car lot on the north east corner of Vista and Overland.

[isangpogi]

Saw these while looking at the legals in the Statesman this morning
CUP11- 00080 Boise is getting it's first real Chick Fil A. It will replace the existing Perkins restaurant on the north east corner of Broadway and Front street. The existing Perkins will be torn down.
CUP11-00081 This is for a Jimmy Johns restaurant. This will replace the abandoned gas station/ used car lot on the north east corner of Vista and Overland.

Do you have a link for this? I have a friend who is gonna flip about getting a full-fledged Chick Fil A! Thanks! :D

[trekkerguy]

Having worked as a delivery driver for Jimmy John's, the Vista Bench is going to love having that kind of quality sandwhich shop + delivery in the area. And it will get rid of yet another eye sore. If I still lived up off Vista I'd be jumping up and down right now :D


AND... since I live off Broadway... Walgreens, Wholefoods and now Chick Fil-A?!?! Hells yeah

[Carpenter]

Chick Fil A
http://pdsonline.cityofboise.org/pdsonline/details.aspx?id=CUP11-00080

Jimmy Johns
http://pdsonline.cityofboise.org/pdsonline/details.aspx?id=CUP11-00081

[Evo5Boise]

Wow!! Perkins is folding eh?

[trekkerguy]

Wow!! Perkins is folding eh?

I totally forgot they exist

[el conquistador]

I totally forgot they exist

Their food was pretty sucktastic. :shrug:

[Cottonwood]

Boise designates new landmark: Masonic Temple gets recognition
By Anna Webb - awebb@idahostatesman.com
Copyright: © 2011 Idaho Statesman
By Anna Webb
Published: 11/21/11


Read more: http://www.idahostatesman.com/2011/11/21/1887402/boise-designates-new-landmark.html#ixzz1eMnYV7lt


• A swamp cooler built in New York City in 1913, known affectionately as “Bertha.” It still works, thanks to regular oiling.

• Transom windows the size of card tables.

• A kitchen that resembles a set from “Mad Men.”

• A vault that holds the sepia-toned photographs of lodge leaders from the turn of the last century.

• A zigzag-pattern linoleum floor that would not be out of place in a David Lynch movie.

These are just a few of the treasures at the Masonic Temple Lodge on 10th Street in Downtown Boise.

[Boisebro]

Their food was pretty sucktastic. :shrug:

good pies, tho.

mmmm.... pie....

[Hawk]

good pies, tho.

mmmm.... pie....

I could really go for some pie right now!

[BoiseAirport]

By the way, if anyone's curious, I posted some quick renderings in my 3D model thread. :cheers:

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=188911&page=3

[BoiseAirport]

Awful quiet around here, everyone have a good Thanksgiving? :)

Found this really neat link about the failed proposal for a downtown mall in the 1980s. http://library.boisestate.edu/Special/Downtown.shtm

The unrealized plan for Boise's downtown mall (1980) envisioned closing off several city streets and covering them (dark brown) to create enclosed pedestrian walkways protected from the elements. While the plan called for demolishing most of the existing buildings in the 8-block core and replacing them with new ones, a few historic structures, notably the Alexander Building (9th and Main), Egyptian Theater (Capital and Main), the Union Block (Idaho St.), and the Boise City National Bank (8th and Idaho) were to be preserved. The Boise City National Bank building, seen in the artist's conception, is marked BCNB toward the top of the map. Street names and other captions in square brackets [like this] were added to the graphic for this webpage.

http://library.boisestate.edu/Special/images/Mall/mss%20250%20winmar2a.JPG

In 1985, the Emkay Development Company, affiliated with the Boise-based construction firm
Morrison-Knudsen, proposed building a mall along the Boise River opposite the Riverside Hotel, north of the Main-Fairview couplet and west of 30th Street. Like the proposed downtown mall, that plan never came to fruition.

http://library.boisestate.edu/Special/images/Mall/mss%20250%20emkay1.jpg

Wow... just imagine how different our city and downtown would be had the downtown mall been built. Yeesh... :yuck:

[Visualize]

I've never seen either of these, incredibly interesting. I wish there were extremely advanced simulators that could show what would have happened had either of these gone through. I'm really curious how they thought blocking both Main and Idaho could be a good idea in the slightest, unless they tunneled. While a lot of the downtown lots which now feature prominent buildings would have been taken, I don't think it is right to assume they would just cease to exist, and could possibly have found a home further east or west, decentralizing downtown from how it looks today, but actually increasing the economic potential of more parcels, in the same way that leap frog development actually increases the density of future development on the land that was skipped over when infrastructure is sufficient.

[boisecynic]

Whoa, good find airport. Never ever heard of the proposal for the mall at the 30th and Main area. :tup:

For those interested, Horton Plaza in San Diego is very similar to the original downtown Boise mall proposal.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westfield_Horton_Plaza

[BoiseAirport]

There's a quite a few great gems in there. Here's a link to the Interstate and some of the alternate proposals that never were. http://library.boisestate.edu/Special/Interstate.shtm

I think the history of our city is truly fascinating stuff. For example, check this out... http://library.boisestate.edu/Special/FindingAids/fa250.shtm

9 boxes of studies, reports, development proposals, development agreements, etc.? I'd give anything just to take a brief look at some of that, there's gotta be some real fascinating stuff in there! More projects for my 3D model maybe? :D

Just check out some of these (I don't know if these were built or not), these are all just from one year, 1989. I wonder if there are any renderings or drawings or anything to give us an idea of what they might've looked like:

A Proposal to Boise Redevelopment Agency, Hotel / Block 22, submitted by Oppenheimer Development Corporation. April 24, 1989 (Box 7, Folder 6)

Hotel submittal by John Q. Hammons, Oppenheimer Development Corporation. October 15, 1989 (Box 8, Folder 2)

Eastman Block Proposal submitted by Oppenheimer Development Corporation / Safeco Properties of Boise, Inc. November 6, 1989 (Box 8, Folder 3)


EDIT: Of course, I want to respect the library's rules. I'm going to apply for access to research some of these documents and see what I can find. If I have their permission I would like to put up whatever I can find into a thread, or perhaps publish it to a website definitively documenting almost built projects in Boise. But I don't expect that access and approval to be obtained easily, so I'll go in and see what happens. :)

[Cottonwood]

:previous: Interesting stuff BoiseAirport. I have read info online in the past regarding the failed downtown mall attempt in the 1980's and I have to say I am so glad that stupid idea never happened. Malls do not belong in city centers unless the city is extremely large, for example the top 10 or so largest cities in the country. Even lifestyle centers in downtown's are questionable because they usually take away from the rest of the vibrancy at street level. BoDo (Lifestyle Center) is ok imo, it is small enough that it adds to the rest of downtown without taking away and all of the shops have outside entrances at street level except for the inside of the historic 8th Street warehouse building which has always had multiple levels of shops/offices. We should feel lucky considering all that was torn down for that proposed mall that the original 8th Street Marketplace (historic warehouses) were not also torn down.

[City Of Trees]

Count me in on the appreciations of your finds, BA. I look forward to more!

I too am shocked to find that the mall would have closed off Idaho and Main. Before the extension to the Connector was completed, the heavy traffic to and from the freeway was equally split between the Idaho/Main and Grove/Front couplets. Even today, traffic on Idaho and Main is rather substantial. That mall would have a been a huge mess and it's a good thing the proposal failed.

[Cottonwood]

http://www.idahostatesman.com/2011/11/29/1897048/2-new-parks-all-about-water.html



Two new Boise parks all about water
The whitewater play area being built on the Boise River will be joined in a few years by Esther Simplot Park, featuring natural areas for hiking and flatwater for boating, swimming and fishing.
BY ANNA WEBB - awebb@idahostatesman.com
Copyright: © 2011 Idaho Statesman
BY ANNA WEBB
Published: 11/29/11



The long-awaited Boise River whitewater park between Quinn’s Pond and Veterans Memorial Park is a construction site today, surrounded by chain-link barriers. A wintry chill kicks up off the water, and the river itself has been diverted through Quinn’s Pond while crews rebuild a century-old diversion dam.

If everything goes as planned, kayakers will be navigating dramatic man-made waves this spring.

And just as the whitewater park is opening, construction could be beginning on Esther Simplot Park.

The park will cover 55 acres — 17 of them water, said Parks and Recreation spokeswoman Amy Stahl. Almost nine additional acres will be riparian natural areas.

[eastidaho]

[QUOTE=BoiseAirport;5495540]
http://library.boisestate.edu/Special/images/Mall/mss%20250%20winmar2a.JPG

Great find BA! The infamous storied downtown mall has a face. I have been to the Horton development in San Diego that BoiseCynic mentioned. It is a gerbil tube. When my group finally found an exit we were on the opposite side of the mall than we desired. We all agreed to hail a cab and ride the streets around the mall instead of attempting to reenter and find our way to the other side. :yuck:

I agree that Boise did the right thing. Was the mayor at the time Dirk Kempthorne? If so did he support the effort? Was the mall's failure more funding related or was there strong leadership that killed the effort?

[Cottonwood]

agree that Boise did the right thing. Was the mayor at the time Dirk Kempthorne? Didn't he support the effort? Was the mall's failure more funding related or was there strong leadership that killed the effort?

During that mall proposal the mayor was not Kempthorne, I believe it was Eardly. I wasn't living here back then so someone else may know. http://www.cityofboise.org/Departments/Mayor/PastPresent/page973.aspx

I am thinking Kempthorne would have been against the mall proposal, he seemed to be against knocking down historic buildings. Malls in downtowns are stupid.

[Bodo_business]

During that mall proposal the mayor was not Kempthorne, I believe it was Eardly. I wasn't living here back then so someone else may know. http://www.cityofboise.org/Departments/Mayor/PastPresent/page973.aspx

I am thinking Kempthorne would have been against the mall proposal, he seemed to be against knocking down historic buildings. Malls in downtowns are stupid.

It was Eardly and he nearly tore the whole city down, including most of our historic/ethnic districts, preparing for a downtown mall. What a tragedy! :hell::hell::hell:

[eastidaho]

:previous:
Thanks. That is a tragedy.

So was it a funding issue or a strong person/group that preserved the downtown core we have today?

[BoiseAirport]

Oh my god.

I am at the Albertson's Library right now.

Some of the stuff I am finding, including proposed towers and buildings throughout the late 80s, is truly incredible and horribly gut-wrenching. Just sickens me to see some of these proposals that for various reasons were never built. For example, one is a what appears to be 20-something floor (oddly hard to tell by the rendering) mixed used glass tower that would've gone where the Grove Hotel is, and it is nothing short of stunning, at least compared to what ended up being built. To see this and other renderings and models, just.... wow. And I've only explored a 3 year period so far! (1987-1989).

Here's what I've seen so far, remember this just ranges 3 years, and this wasn't even an in-depth look, there was so much material there:

-3 different building proposals for the Grove Hotel site, ranging from 7-20 floors
-1 3-story office/retail building proposal for Eighth and Main (ha-ha)
-A truly gorgeous 10-story glass office tower proposed on 9th and Jefferson near the Capitol Building, developed by the Winder Company (the same development firm that did the First Interstate (Now Wells Fargo) Building on the Grove).
-An fairly large model of a "State Office Tower" proposed on also from the Winder Company that appears to be roughly 12-16 floors (the model is just a white block)
-A couple 5-8 story office proposals for where the beautiful Washington Mutual building was developed.
-Alternate designs for the Grove plaza (just descriptions, no renderings)
-An original 3D rendering of the First Interstate Building when it was proposed (pretty neat, nothing really changed from rendering to construction)

I hope to be able to post the renderings, but I want to be fully respectful to Boise State and the Albertson's Library, so I will ask permission first. I hope to put up a website, or perhaps even write a book that details these projects and proposals. I'm just floored by some of what I'm finding, and I've barely scratched the surface.

[trekkerguy]

Malls ** ********* are stupid.


Edited for truth ;)


Loving the info about past development concepts, shame some of them weren't built, but I think we're headed on the right track now.

[Boisebro]

Oh my god.

I am at the Albertson's Library right now.

Some of the stuff I am finding, including proposed towers and buildings throughout the late 80s, is truly incredible and horribly gut-wrenching. Just sickens me to see some of these proposals that for various reasons were never built. For example, one is a what appears to be 20-something floor (oddly hard to tell by the rendering) mixed used glass tower that would've gone where the Grove Hotel is, and it is nothing short of stunning, at least compared to what ended up being built. To see this and other renderings and models, just.... wow. And I've only explored a 3 year period so far! (1987-1989).

Here's what I've seen so far, remember this just ranges 3 years, and this wasn't even an in-depth look, there was so much material there:

-3 different building proposals for the Grove Hotel site, ranging from 7-20 floors
-1 3-story office/retail building proposal for Eighth and Main (ha-ha)
-A truly gorgeous 10-story glass office tower proposed on 9th and Jefferson near the Capitol Building, developed by the Winder Company (the same development firm that did the First Interstate (Now Wells Fargo) Building on the Grove).
-An fairly large model of a "State Office Tower" proposed on also from the Winder Company that appears to be roughly 12-16 floors (the model is just a white block)
-A couple 5-8 story office proposals for where the beautiful Washington Mutual building was developed.
-Alternate designs for the Grove plaza (just descriptions, no renderings)
-An original 3D rendering of the First Interstate Building when it was proposed (pretty neat, nothing really changed from rendering to construction)

I hope to be able to post the renderings, but I want to be fully respectful to Boise State and the Albertson's Library, so I will ask permission first. I hope to put up a website, or perhaps even write a book that details these projects and proposals. I'm just floored by some of what I'm finding, and I've barely scratched the surface.


can't wait to see those renderings.

i'm curious to know what the tallest building ever proposed for boise was. i'm assuming it was the 34-story version of Boise Place, but i'd be surprised if there weren't plenty of other proposals that would've been boise's new tallest.

:shrug:

[Cottonwood]

It was Eardly and he nearly tore the whole city down, including most of our historic/ethnic districts, preparing for a downtown mall. What a tragedy! :hell::hell::hell:

I wonder if he is still around and if he is ashamed of himself. Any city council person who supported him should also be ashamed:uhh:

[BoiseAirport]

EDIT: Upon a very close studying of the rendering the glass tower appears to be 21 floors including a mechanical floor.

[Bodo_business]

:previous:
Thanks. That is a tragedy.

So was it a funding issue or a strong person/group that preserved the downtown core we have today?

From what I remember, the BRA (Boise Redevelopment Agency) and city hall moved forward on mass condemnation and demolition without much of a plan in place, let alone any funding. To be fair, large chunks of downtown Boise were vacant at the time and their stated intent was to get people back downtown. However, the result was pretty much catastrophic for downtown with whole blocks of unique and historic buildings razed. When no viable mall plan emerged, many of the lots were turned into parking. Some of those are still parking lots three decades later. Boise was not alone is this type of "redevelopment" but we came close, as Harper's magazine put it, to be the "first American city to have deliberately eradicated itself". It was a very dark chapter in Boise history.

[Bodo_business]

I wonder if he is still around and if he is ashamed of himself. Any city council person who supported him should also be ashamed:uhh:

I believe he is still alive, but don't know if he still lives in Boise. He would be in in his 80's now. You would have to think with that legacy, that he would keep a low profile.

[Hawk]

I've seen photos of downtown from back before alot of the buildings were torn down, and it is a shame that they were. But, at the same time the Boise Skyline would not be the beautiful one that you see today. Heck it may be even more beautiful with a few of those glass buildings that BA had mention seeing while he was not doing his homework at bsu haha.
it would definitely be interesting to see how bad the traffic would be downtown now if that mall was actually built. the renderings make the mall look pretty large but i'm not sure if it'd be as large, or even larger then the boise towne square.

---------------

i'm kind of wanting to have BA create a rendering of the downtown skyline with those old proposals if they were actually built along with the ones currently proposed today or that have already been built. that is if he has the time.

[boisecynic]

Hey bodo;

I posted the 1974 Harper's article "Tearing Down Boise" by LJ Davis here a long time ago. Unfortunately an online version is no longer available. I think it was agreed that it was sensationalist. Indeed Davis' credentials were creative writing not urban planning or construction experience. Anyway, 1974 is ancient history. You agreed that much of downtown was vacant and decaying at the time. Indeed much of it was an abandoned railroad warehouse district.

We'll never know, but the downtown mall was probably a bad idea. Or maybe it was a good idea before its time. What we have now is basically an open air mall. I see lots of people around during the warm season but look around in winter. It's dead downtown except for office workers. Except for the Farmer's Market and special events it's dead on weekends too.

If it hadn't been for the clearing of the Grove block would we have the Grove Plaza, US Bank Tower, Grove Hotel and arena, convention center and the Oppenheimer Tower? What was there before that was so great? Where's the pics? Had the Grove Block been preserved would we have the pedestrian traffic downtown that we now have?

Is L. J. Davis still alive? If he is still alive, I really wish he would return to Boise and do a follow up. I really wish that Boise preservationists would come up with something other than 1970s BRA and the Harper's Article as proof that demolition is inherently evil. I'm not trying to start a fight, just a discussion. A new URD is proposed for West Downtown and the tax-o-phobes like to use the old BRA issues as fodder against any new URDs. If any part of Boise needs a URD it's west downtown. One might say tax-o-phobes and preservationists make for strange bedfellows.

EDIT: Seems Davis passed away this past April http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/idahostatesman/obituary.aspx?n=lj-davis&pid=150108658

[City Of Trees]

From what I remember, the BRA (Boise Redevelopment Agency) and city hall moved forward on mass condemnation and demolition without much of a plan in place, let alone any funding. To be fair, large chunks of downtown Boise were vacant at the time and their stated intent was to get people back downtown. However, the result was pretty much catastrophic for downtown with whole blocks of unique and historic buildings razed. When no viable mall plan emerged, many of the lots were turned into parking. Some of those are still parking lots three decades later. Boise was not alone is this type of "redevelopment" but we came close, as Harper's magazine put it, to be the "first American city to have deliberately eradicated itself". It was a very dark chapter in Boise history.Something that (I think) hasn't been mentioned yet is the "Mall Wars" aspect to the story. Meridian wanted the mall to be located at their I-84 exit (where the WinCo/Sierra Trading Post/etc is located now). Boise and Meridian went back and forth in trying to woo the mall developers to their city (and they eventually compromised on the current location), leading to the more extreme measures of the BRA that we all deride today.

I could be wrong, but the good news is (I think) that all of the land that was razed has been infilled somehow--at the very least, within the footprint of where the mall would have gone. Furthermore, to answer cynic's question, it sure seems like there would have been plenty of more open land in the blocks around, say, 11th to 15th Streets that could have been used for the more modern development that we might have. Sure, not everything could/would/should have been saved, but in addition to obvious buildings like the Eastman or Falk's, I sure would have liked to see most of the south side of Main Street saved to have a longer version of what we now call Old Boise, as this old photo would demonstrate:

http://www.pstos.org/instruments/id/boise/egyptian_exterior-1950-l.jpg

[Cottonwood]

Too bad we lost the old city hall, which was at the corner of Idaho and 8th? Where the Capitol Terrace is now I believe.




source: http://www.boiseartsandhistory.org/media/2036/OriginalCityHall.jpg
http://www.boiseartsandhistory.org/media/2036/OriginalCityHall.jpg

[boisecynic]

Here's a much better essay than the Harper's article on the modern history of downtown Boise including why there was a 15 year long mall stalemate.

MIT Master's Thesis by Matthew Smith, 2000: http://dspace.mit.edu/bitstream/handle/1721.1/32192/48455636.pdf?sequence=1

[boisecynic]

Note: This pic is from the 50s, probably early 50s, not the late 60s early 70s and does not show all the run down warehouses south of Front and does not show the 70s vacancy rate of the downtown core.

http://www.pstos.org/instruments/id/boise/egyptian_exterior-1950-l.jpg

[Cottonwood]

:previous: How bad of shape were the run down warehouses south of Front? I was not here when they existed so I am trying to picture in my mind if they were in a state that they could have been renovated or if they had to be torn down? I remember seeing a few historic photos somewhere showing some of the old China Town buildings/warehouses around Front and they looked like something we should not have lost. Think of how much more dense downtown would be if some of those lots in the Front/Myrtle corridor were not destroyed, as well as other buildings in the central core which are now parking lots.



Edit: It's a shame this is also gone:( The Pinney Theatre.
Note it is the building adjacent to the existing beauty on 9th and Jefferson.
It was behind The Hoff where that small surface parking lot is today.

http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/6849

source: idahohistory.cdmhost.com
http://idahohistory.cdmhost.com/cgi-bin/getimage.exe?CISOROOT=/p265501coll3&CISOPTR=268&DMSCALE=100.00000&DMWIDTH=600&DMHEIGHT=600&DMX=0&DMY=0&DMTEXT=&REC=8&DMTHUMB=1&DMROTATE=0

[eastidaho]

:previous:
Thanks for the link Boisecynic. I am interested in reading a different take. The Harpers piece has been rehashed a few times on this board. I appreciate City of Trees answering my last question. The conclusion of the story was probably so obvious to the rest of you that it wasn't brought up or I missed it previously.

The BRA/CCDC produces a lot of documents that are studies, vision, where do we go from here...type stuff. Its painful when they describe the success other cities have experienced with affordable housing coming from the reuse of existing, older building stock. Particularly when consultants have been hired and explain that the first wave of early adopters need cheap housing, which brings the amenities, which later leads to the purchasing of luxury housing units. I see CCDC saying to the consultant, 'but we tore all that down two decades ago'. Consultant: 'good luck with that'.

There may have been many buildings that deserved to go. However, in answer to Boisecynic's comment about the dead times downtown. My guess is affordable housing options would cure that problem.

[Bodo_business]

Hey bodo;

I posted the 1974 Harper's article "Tearing Down Boise" by LJ Davis here a long time ago. Unfortunately an online version is no longer available. I think it was agreed that it was sensationalist. Indeed Davis' credentials were creative writing not urban planning or construction experience. Anyway, 1974 is ancient history. You agreed that much of downtown was vacant and decaying at the time. Indeed much of it was an abandoned railroad warehouse district.

We'll never know, but the downtown mall was probably a bad idea. Or maybe it was a good idea before its time. What we have now is basically an open air mall. I see lots of people around during the warm season but look around in winter. It's dead downtown except for office workers. Except for the Farmer's Market and special events it's dead on weekends too.

If it hadn't been for the clearing of the Grove block would we have the Grove Plaza, US Bank Tower, Grove Hotel and arena, convention center and the Oppenheimer Tower? What was there before that was so great? Where's the pics? Had the Grove Block been preserved would we have the pedestrian traffic downtown that we now have?

Is L. J. Davis still alive? If he is still alive, I really wish he would return to Boise and do a follow up. I really wish that Boise preservationists would come up with something other than 1970s BRA and the Harper's Article as proof that demolition is inherently evil. I'm not trying to start a fight, just a discussion. A new URD is proposed for West Downtown and the tax-o-phobes like to use the old BRA issues as fodder against any new URDs. If any part of Boise needs a URD it's west downtown. One might say tax-o-phobes and preservationists make for strange bedfellows.

EDIT: Seems Davis passed away this past April http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/idahostatesman/obituary.aspx?n=lj-davis&pid=150108658

I'll respond where I can. I know that you are not trying to start a fight, but rather just trying to make sure that everyone understands the context in which all of this happened.

In regards to the article itself, it was a bit sensational and not hard news, but wasn't really a bad snapshot of what was going on in Boise and across the country at the time. There was little respect for buildings of historic significance, and as a result the good was torn down along with the bad. While the intent was immediate or near term infill, the city still has gaping holes all these years later.

As for the Railroad district, if memory serves me correctly, most of that was in the area that will now be home to the JUMP project (the area between Front and the Pioneer District). There have been a ton of grand proposals for this ground over the years (anybody remember the John Q. Hammond Hotel, the later Marriot proposal, the Discovery Center proposal, etc.), but so far non have come to fruition. Hopefully JUMP does happen. As for the value of 30 years of dirt parking lots vs. crumbling railroad warehouses I guess parking lots may be a bit better given that they don't attract much crime and other types of urban decay, but it is sad that nothing came of this area sooner.

As for the Grove, I think that we can all agree that it is one of the jewels of downtown and that we are better for it. We will never know, however, how downtown would have developed if that part of main street had remained intact. Much of the new business district may have been pushed to the area now bounded by Front and Myrtle (IE, the old rail yards).

I'm not one that pushes preservation for preservation's sake, but I do believe that we should respect the value and significance of our past where it makes sense both financially and culturally. History shouldn't get in the way of progress, but likewise, progress shouldn't unnecessarily trample valuable history. There is always a balance. That balance was often found in Boise...just take a look at the Alaska Center, the Hoff Building, or even the Christensen development at 8th and Myrtle that completely replaced the building but preserved the street facing facade. When "progress" got too far out in front, however, we often ended up with vacant lots.

Cheers!

[Cottonwood]

:previous:
Thanks for the link Boisecynic. I am interested in reading a different take. The Harpers piece has been rehashed a few times on this board. I appreciate City of Trees answering my last question. The conclusion of the story was probably so obvious to the rest of you that it wasn't brought up or I missed it previously.

The BRA/CCDC produces a lot of documents that are studies, vision, where do we go from here...type stuff. Its painful when they describe the success other cities have experienced with affordable housing coming from the reuse of existing, older building stock. Particularly when consultants have been hired and explain that the first wave of early adopters need cheap housing, which brings the amenities, which later leads to the purchasing of luxury housing units. I see CCDC saying to the consultant, 'but we tore all that down two decades ago'. Consultant: 'good luck with that'.

There may have been many buildings that deserved to go. However, in answer to Boisecynic's comment about the dead times downtown. My guess is affordable housing options would cure that problem.

To give more perspective to the quiet times: During the cold months, downtown at times can seem quiet because who wants to hang out on the streets when it's cold? I was downtown for the Festival of Trees and the Holiday Market this past Saturday and it was freezing...couldn't wait to get into a buliding and warm up. More often than not during winter when the streets at times are quiet, the restaurants, bars, and shops are usually full of people. When it is cold, it can be a challenge to get into a restaurant downtown to eat because they are full of the people who would, in warm months, be sitting outside dining al fresco.
On another note, affordable housing downtown is a must as downtown evolves.

[boisecynic]

Bodo_business wrote: ... Much of the new business district may have been pushed to the area now bounded by Front and Myrtle (IE, the old rail yards)...

I'll agree wholeheartedly with this. But again, context. The Front/Myrtle travel corridor was not anything like it is now. The Broadway/Chinden connector was not completed until 1992. It wasn't even started until after the mall in West Boise had been built. If it had been in place in 1972---- well things may have turned out very differently. For better or worse, the need to move cars around can not be overlooked.

[eastidaho]

To give more perspective to the quiet times: During the cold months, downtown at times can seem quiet because who wants to hang out on the streets when it's cold? I was downtown for the Festival of Trees and the Holiday Market this past Saturday and it was freezing...couldn't wait to get into a buliding and warm up. More often than not during winter when the streets at times are quiet, the restaurants, bars, and shops are usually full of people. When it is cold, it can be a challenge to get into a restaurant downtown to eat because they are full of the people who would, in warm months, be sitting outside dining al fresco.
On another note, affordable housing downtown is a must as downtown evolves.

Cottonwood, you Boiseans are soft, five minutes ago snow stopped falling from the sky over here on the east side of the state. Boise does that to you, and I loved it when I lived there, and miss it now. :D

[boisecynic]

To give more perspective to the quiet times: During the cold months, downtown at times can seem quiet because who wants to hang out on the streets when it's cold? I was downtown for the Festival of Trees and the Holiday Market this past Saturday and it was freezing...couldn't wait to get into a buliding and warm up. More often than not during winter when the streets at times are quiet, the restaurants, bars, and shops are usually full of people. When it is cold, it can be a challenge to get into a restaurant downtown to eat because they are full of the people who would, in warm months, be sitting outside dining al fresco.
On another note, affordable housing downtown is a must as downtown evolves.

Good point and I wish I had a concrete study to point to regarding numbers of people downtown spring thru fall vs winter. To be sure, Steelhead and Stampede games bring in quite a few people. But andecdotely speaking, I think winter sees fewer people and less business downtown. This could probably be determined by researching sales tax or alcohol tax revenue info.

[City Of Trees]

Too bad we lost the old city hall, which was at the corner of Idaho and 8th? Where the Capitol Terrace is now I believe.Definitely sad that it's gone. I think it should be noted that it was torn down in the 1950s, before the BRA madness happened.

Cottonwood: great find on the Pinney Theater pic. I've been wanting to see an image of it for a long time. I didn't know the entire building was as tall as the adjacent Jefferson Place. Quite a shame that it's no longer there.

cynic: I agree with you that the warehouses south of Front were no doubt in horrible, irredeemable shape (though at least the best ones left were saved). It would have been nice if they planned the mall at that location instead of the heart of downtown, wiping out more historical/cultural buildings in the process.

I'm looking forward to reading that essay you posted--I'm sure I'll learn more!

[isangpogi]

Looks like Chick-Fil-A is opening it's first full store next year at Boise Towne Square.

http://www.kboi2.com/news/local/Chick-Fil-A-plans-resturant-expansion-134786803.html

[andyroo]

Wow Chick-fil-a seems to be invading Boise. I wonder if this has anything to do with BSU's involvement in the Chick-fil-a bowl? :) UGA game this year and Ole Miss next year...

[Hawk]

I'm only 22, so I haven't been around as long as some of you have. My views and opinions may not be the best for this debate, But I will tell you this: during the late 60's, and into the the 70's ( I may be wrong on the time period) we lost some historical buildings that shouldn't have been torn down. they would have been a wonderful addition to what is now here today.
Personally I'd love to see affordable housing downtown. It's definitely a "Must Have" if the city wants to expand, attracting more businesses and such. I like what they did by adding the Aspen, but damn $204,900 for a Luxury condo? I'm not sure about you but currently I cannot afford that. that's exactly why I'm very pleased that they're considering Remodeling the old Macy's building. I just hope they make the outside of the building more attractive and modern.
A boost in the economy and a Trolley system downtown will do alot for Boise. Hopefully someday we'll be the size of Portland. But if we don't get there in my lifetime I'm fine with that. I was born in Boise, I plan to stay in Boise, I will love boise however it turns out.

[City Of Trees]

Wow Chick-fil-a seems to be invading Boise. I wonder if this has anything to do with BSU's involvement in the Chick-fil-a bowl? :) UGA game this year and Ole Miss next year...The Northwest seems to be the only place that Chick-Fil-A hadn't invaded yet. And I think you mean the Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Week, not the Chick-Fil-A bowl. For better or worse, BSU's bowl involvements are feast or famine....

[Cottonwood]

A bit of topic, but make sure to check out InlandEmpire's picture thread of Coeur d'Alene at My City Photos A-M and show some love for our 2nd largest metro. We currently have both Boise and Coeur d'Alene being represented at the photos forum with gorgeous pictures.

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=195665

[isangpogi]

A bit of topic, but make sure to check out InlandEmpire's picture thread of Coeur d'Alene at My City Photos A-M and show some love for our 2nd largest metro. We currently have both Boise and Coeur d'Alene being represented at the photos forum with gorgeous pictures.

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=195665

Gorgeous Pictures! I wish CDA was only a couple hours from us instead of 8-10!

[Evo5Boise]

Great finds! I love old pictures of the Boise area. Amazing how much it has changed.

[Cottonwood]

http://www.idahostatesman.com/2011/12/06/1905898/making-way-for-growthat-hp-boises.html

Making way for growth at HP Boise’s campus
Executives say a $50 million renovation cut costs and opened space for better facilities and new businesses
BY SANDRA FORESTER - sforester@idahostatesman.com
Copyright: © 2011 Idaho Statesman
BY SANDRA FORESTER Idaho Statesman
Published: 12/06/11


Hewlett-Packard, founded in a Los Altos, Calif., garage in 1939, came to Boise almost 40 years ago to launch its printer business.

“When HP moved here in ’73, it was a game-changer for the Valley,” says Von Hansen, vice president and general manager in the Imaging and Printing Group.

[trekkerguy]

Has anyone nabbed a pic of Downtown at night with the Christmas lights up? The skyline looks spectacular. All I've got is my cruddy Blackberry or else I would have posted a pic myself...

[Cottonwood]

This (below) is at the planning and development area of the city web site....It is on Royal Blvd and the address is 1004 W Royal but the proposed Cubes are to be at 1005 W Royal (http://pdsonline.cityofboise.org/pdsonline/Documents.aspx?id=201108011741102530)
So, if an odd address is on one side of Royal and an even address on the other side then these will be across the street from each other. That area near BSU and the river is perfect for infill, that truck yard just needs to vacate.




CUP11-00090 & CFH11-00036 / The Michaels Organization
Conditional use permit for a height exception to construct a 60-foot tall multi-family residential building on 3.42 acres located at 1004 W. Royal Boulevard in an R-OD (Residential-Office with Design Review) zone. A Boise River System permit is included in the request. Josh Johnson


http://pdsonline.cityofboise.org/pdsonline/details.aspx?id=CUP11-00090&type=doc

[Visualize]

^^^ It will be great to get rid of that nasty truck yard with some very decent density.
This looks nice and urban compared to the other apartment buildings across the street.

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m48/visualeyez1983/1004Royal.png
http://pdsonline.cityofboise.org/pdsonline/details.aspx?id=CUP11-00090&type=doc

[GrandTeton]

:previous:It looks like Boise is getting serious about infill.

I'm not crazy about the design, but I think this is an important and wise use of land.

[andyroo]

This (below) is at the planning and development area of the city web site....It is on Royal Blvd and the address is 1004 W Royal but the proposed Cubes are to be at 1005 W Royal (http://pdsonline.cityofboise.org/pdsonline/Documents.aspx?id=201108011741102530)
So, if an odd address is on one side of Royal and an even address on the other side then these will be across the street from each other. That area near BSU and the river is perfect for infill, that truck yard just needs to vacate.




CUP11-00090 & CFH11-00036 / The Michaels Organization
Conditional use permit for a height exception to construct a 60-foot tall multi-family residential building on 3.42 acres located at 1004 W. Royal Boulevard in an R-OD (Residential-Office with Design Review) zone. A Boise River System permit is included in the request. Josh Johnson


http://pdsonline.cityofboise.org/pdsonline/details.aspx?id=CUP11-00090&type=doc

So are these going to be targeted for students then?

[BoiseAirport]

I'm not sure I'm crazy about having such a large parking lot facing the greenbelt, unless I'm reading the site plan drawings incorrectly. That being said even with that, that is so much better than what's currently there it's not even funny. I think it's a great project for that lot, and I'd really like to see future development on that parking lot.

[Visualize]

^^^ I thought the same thing at first, but I'm thinking the site plan might just be a little tricky to read because most of the parking is actually going to be beneath the building. My reasoning for this is that the site design consists of the following:

Building: 59.20%
Landscape: 19.60%
Paving: 18.40%
Other: 2.80%
Total: 100.00%

With the following setbacks:

Building
Proposed Required
Front: 15.20 10.00
Rear: 20.30 5.00
Side: 55.90 5.00
St Side: 19.90 10.00

[Boisebro]

I'm not sure I'm crazy about having such a large parking lot facing the greenbelt, unless I'm reading the site plan drawings incorrectly. That being said even with that, that is so much better than what's currently there it's not even funny. I think it's a great project for that lot, and I'd really like to see future development on that parking lot.


if you look at the floorplans, it's clearer how the building will sit.

the building is HUGE... it takes up the entire lot, and sits over the parking lot in almost an "n" shape, so the building does go right up to the greenbelt with a nice courtyard in the middle.

very nice project, and a huge upgrade for that area with easy access to the greenbelt, boise state, the park and downtown.

[BoiseAirport]

Oh whoa, you're right, I was very much misreading the site plan drawings, looking at the other documents made it much more clear. I very much approve, this will be a great addition for that lot, and it'll help bring some much-needed supply to ease the excess demand for student housing at Boise State. And like I say, it's worlds better than what's currently on that lot.

[Boiseguy]

this is an excellent project for that area!! very dense and close proximity to downtown and the greenbelt.

Some things that they should look into though is access from capital blvd into and out. All traffic in that 9 block area is forced to exit from University if they want to turn left to go downtown.

With added cars and residences there needs to be another way out onto capital to go downtown

[Visualize]

I'm worried the City is not going to approve the height exception because of it being right along the Greenbelt, similar to what happened with the residential project proposed where the hotel on 30th and Main is. The only hope is that this is closer to the heart of downtown, and buildings of similar heights are nearby, BSU buildings, Cottonwood Grill, and especially the apartment building on Shoreline Blvd by the fire department training facility, which is very similar in nature. Heaven forbid the small section of Greenbelt that goes through the urban center, actually appear urban. We shall see...

[boisecynic]

Like him or not, Boiseguardian does do some leg work. Long story short, BG found out about a complex land deal which may lead to something new at the old Boise Armory on Reserve Street in the near east end.

Also gleaned from the story and the subsequent Statesman story by Cynthia Sewell--- one of the partys involved (J&M Land LLC) in the armory deal is remodeling the place behind Papa Joes at University and Capitol which will become a Cheerleaders Sports Bar & Grill.

Cheerleaders permit info: http://pdsonline.cityofboise.org/pdsonline/details.aspx?id=BLD11-01983

http://i.imgur.com/Y4jsD.jpg

[Cottonwood]

:previous: Boisecynic, good news about that building by Ann Morrison, it has been in pretty bad shape the past year. Also, it sounds like per the Statesman article that good things may come out of all of this, result in new jobs, possibly high tech, that can benefit some fellow Boise citizens, something the more often than not bitter BG fails to realize. Bring it on developers!! I would love to see the Armory restored and utilized and new jobs at the business park is a win win.

Here are a few pieces from the article:


http://www.idahostatesman.com/


Land deal could save and restore the Boise Armory
The city is working with two Silicon Valley businessmen on swaps that also involve acreages at the city’s industrial park.
By Cynthia Sewell - cmsewell@idahostatesman.com
Copyright: © 2011 Idaho Statesman


The historic but dilapidated 1930s-era Boise Armory may get a new life, and 200 acres of desert scrub may see industrial activity if two city of Boise deals come to fruition.

The city has searched years for the right people to revitalize the Boise Armory and the city’s underperforming industrial park near the airport. Now two powerhouse California developers are interested: billionaire Silicon Valley real estate mogul John Arrillaga and PowerBar co-founder Mike McCollum. They are the J (John) and M (Mike) of J&M Land LLC.



**A couple of weeks later, J&M contacted the city looking for industrial land, saying it might know a Bay-area company interested in Boise. They wanted to move fast.




**J&M is based in the Bay Area, and its contacts are in high tech, Brunelle said. J&M may already have a specific tenant in mind.


**What do the neighbors say?

“This is wonderful news. Finding a buyer with the sophistication and capacity to bring this iconic building back to life is a big win for Boise,” said Erik Kingston, a member of the East End Neighborhood Association’s armory subcommittee, which has worked with the city since 2007 on preservation options.

[alphawolf]

Is the inn between Island Ave. and Sherwood St. being used as apartments?

[Saturnfromboise]

lol i live on sherwood street right across the street from pizza hut and that building they are talking about and and renovating :).

[Cottonwood]

http://idahobusinessreview.com/2011/12/09/data-centers-seeing-new-activity-in-boise/

Data centers seeing new activity in Boise
by Brad Iverson-Long
Published: December 9,2011
Time posted: 7:00 pm

As more and more businesses and people push toward computing on the cloud, Boise could be lined up to see a growth in data centers that store critical information.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
http://idahobusinessreview.com/2011/12/09/board-approves-planning-for-new-convention-center/

Board approves planning for new convention center
by Brad Iverson-Long
Published: December 9,2011
Time posted: 3:12 pm
Tags: GBAD

“You have your marching orders,” Greater Boise Auditorium District Board Chairman Hy Kloc told Pat Rice, the district’s executive director, after the board voted unanimously Dec. 8 to give him authority to create a strategic plan to build a new convention center.



++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


http://idahobusinessreview.com/2011/12/09/boise-is-one-of-the-most-affordable-office-markets-in-the-nation/

Boise is one of the most affordable office markets in the nation
by Darren Currin
Published: December 9,2011
Time posted: 2:37 pm


Boise has been ranked by the Building Owners and Managers Association as one of the least expensive office markets in the nation.

[City Of Trees]

As a former Foothills East resident, I've long dreamed that both the Armory and the parking lots surrounding it could be transformed into the East End's version of Hyde Park. It's obviously a long way away before we'll know what the intent of the new owners will be, but I'm still excited to find out.

[Bodo_business]

Have often thought the Armory would be the perfect place for a McMenamin's in Boise. One can always hope. :D:D

[andyroo]

lol i live on sherwood street right across the street from pizza hut and that building they are talking about and and renovating :).

I'm not too far from there either. I'm Pretty stoked to eat some wings and be able to stumble back to my place.

[Hawk]

http://www.ktvb.com/news/New-water-sculpture-planned-for-Boise-city-hall--135486323.html

i'm very pleased to hear that they're finally going to be replacing the fountain that's been at the city hall for years. I'm really hoping that it'll either be the same size, or a little bigger,and very attractive.

[boisecynic]

As a former Foothills East resident, I've long dreamed that both the Armory and the parking lots surrounding it could be transformed into the East End's version of Hyde Park. It's obviously a long way away before we'll know what the intent of the new owners will be, but I'm still excited to find out.

I hate to be a Debbie Downer here but a Hyde Park district at the old armory has significant obstacles to overcome. Hyde Park has residential in all 4 directions. Because of Military Reserve Park and St Luke's, the armory has no population to draw from to the north and little to the west. Hyde Park also simply evolved over the years. It's much harder to go in and plan and zone such a district in place. What's the verdict on Bown Crossing? Can Bown Crossing be called a success yet?

A similar thing was proposed early on in the 30th St Master plan process for the area north of Idaho River Sports. The professional urban planners determined neighborhood retail would probably not be successful since it would only exist on one side of the street, the other side being parkland.

In other words, neighborhood retail needs to be on both sides of the street and have residential support in all 4 directions.

[City Of Trees]

As a former Foothills East resident, I've long dreamed that both the Armory and the parking lots surrounding it could be transformed into the East End's version of Hyde Park. It's obviously a long way away before we'll know what the intent of the new owners will be, but I'm still excited to find out.
I hate to be a Debbie Downer here but a Hyde Park district at the old armory has significant obstacles to overcome. Hyde Park has residential in all 4 directions. Because of Military Reserve Park and St Luke's, the armory has no population to draw from to the north and little to the west. Hyde Park also simply evolved over the years. It's much harder to go in and plan and zone such a district in place. What's the verdict on Bown Crossing? Can Bown Crossing be called a success yet?

A similar thing was proposed early on in the 30th St Master plan process for the area north of Idaho River Sports. The professional urban planners determined neighborhood retail would probably not be successful since it would only exist on one side of the street, the other side being parkland.

In other words, neighborhood retail needs to be on both sides of the street and have residential support in all 4 directions.Well, I did say it was a dream. :) That whole Armory area is begging for some good infill, though.

[boisecynic]

Here's a quick infographic pinpointing current greater downtown construction projects. Sorry for the poor quality, I slapped this together in about a minute. Some of these are infrastructure and some are buildings and includes Zion's Bank even though it hasn't started. Hope I didn't leave out any.

http://i.imgur.com/MWvOV.jpg