Downtown needs tall residential buildings. But wait, critics say: Not that tall. And not there.
Quote:
“Our Downtown core was essentially 10 square blocks for a really long time, and it’s clear that a city of 230,000 needs a bigger Downtown core than that,” Clegg said.
She said Boise zoning hasn’t caught up to the amount of development Downtown Boise has undergone the past five years.
“If Boise wants residential density Downtown, it’s going to have to support taller buildings,” Ludwig said. He said his plan is “going to test the city of Boise’s view on density.”
The commission found that Ludwig’s proposed buildings — a nine-story, 147,500-square-foot structure on the southeast corner of 5th and Broad Streets; and an 11-story, 130,200-square-foot tower on the northeast corner — are incompatible with the neighborhood and inconsistent with Boise’s master plan for the Central Addition, which recommends a lower height limit for the space where Ludwig’s south tower would go.
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While I don't support Ludwig's proposal simply due to the bridge that would span across Broad Street, to argue against it on the basis of density is an absolute joke. The "Central Addition" should not maintain its character as a warehouse and horse barn neighborhood when it's only several blocks east of The Grove, and in-between Front and Myrtle. One of the first things that comes up in any development proposal is how the developer is going to mitigate traffic impacts. Broad Street is in-between the two widest streets in the entire city. There will never be a more apt location for ultra high density development than along that corridor, but because of old antiquated thought, the City seems intent on trying to maintain an image for the neighborhood that was abandoned 75+ years ago. Setting development guidelines based on past or current building stock just means that you're planning based on demand from 20, 50, 100 years ago. Plan for the future not the past, or Boise will always fall short on its potential.