Idaho Falls/Pocatello Development Thread

[N2I.F.]

Originally Posted by IFguy

Anyone interested in all aspects business should check these sites out. The first is created by the honorable Paul Menser from the heyday of the Shoptalk column in the Post Register. The second was created by yours truly to bring IF growth junkies together to discuss the good, the bad, and sometimes, the ugly. Enjoy!

http://bizmojoidaho.blogspot.com

http://idahofallsprojects.wordpress.com

Where to start with all these posts. IFguy, glad to see you got these on here. It's good to see Paul Menser digging for info again and posting online, let alone I.F. Magazine. And I recognized the writing style of Idaho Falls Projects Good for you!

[N2I.F.]

Originally Posted by Boiseguy

apparently Pocatello is poised to boom as well with some projects there. Somebody said something about a fab facility or something in the process of being built. I drove through there a while back and there was a big 6 story hospital on the side of the mountain and what looks like a big hotel/casino being built on the reservation...

Hi Boiseguy, It's been a while since we've exchanged ideas.

I certainly bow to redzepplin when it comes to most things Pocatello, except the hospital which I happen to know a lot about via many accurate sources.

Six stories is no larger than EIRMC. And the kicker about the hospital, beyond what the residents of Bannock County had to do a couple of years back to partner with a company so the building could be finish, is they decreased the total beds available in Pocatello. It's about 170 beds total now.

Bannock County doesn't always tell the full story about what the residents had to do or the problems they faced completing the structure that use to be the IHC - Owned Hospital when it was originally built as a two story hospital. The special vote etc. 1B residents had to have and essentially threatening the county commissioners with being voted out of office to get this deal done with some big healthcare company seem to not be included in many stories anymore. Plus, the mass exodus of so many of the medical staff from Portneuf has been amazing.

I wouldn't be fooled by a building. One has to have the personnel and programs to excel. I removed additional info I wrote as I don't know the current status of certain litigation. I'd check the news archieves to learn more about some of the layoffs, the mass exoducs of medical staff and other detailed stories about Portneuf. IMHO KIFI is more objective as the former anchor of KPVI accepted the PR position at Portneuf, but you can decide for yourself.

The comments written by KIFI viewers are very insight, such as the layoffs and other details about subjects I don't want to post here, since the new facility opened.

Hope that helps give you more insight. And I read an editorial another company is looking at Pocatello and linking with Hoku. I'm guessing that is the same plant you were referencing above.

Happy Holidays

[N2I.F.]

Originally Posted by IFguy

The NRC has approved and licensed the Areva enrichment plant! Construction shall commence next spring so bring on the jobs!!!

Well, IFguy, you and I always thought this project would come to Idaho Falls despite all those who wrote we weren't realistic in what we thought. Good to see Areva finally got past all the hoops!

[N2I.F.]

Originally Posted by GrandTeton

A direct flight to Seattle would make things a lot easier for me when I visit family. I hope that happens someday soon.

With all the activity downtown such as Idahoan, Syringa, Memorial Drive, and the completion of the Marriott Residence Inn, is there any demand to for folks to live in the heart downtown? I think the D.I. property and that whole area is begging to be redeveloped for mixed-use, especially when the Memorial Drive project is complete.

GrandTeton,

I don't have a lot of trust for Horizon given how they were not honest about the profits they were making between IDA - BOI route. That being said, Horizon did try a reverse route to Idaho Falls from Boise. They stopped at Bozeman then flew to Idaho Falls. So there has been a fair amount of thought about a flight from Seattle to Idaho Falls.

I don't know if it's when the once/day flight departed Seattle, or the fact if one started in Idaho Falls (if I can remember correctly) I think they also landed in Sun Valley before Boise, then Seattle. So many stops from Idaho Falls - Seattle may have stopped many.

I suspect flights will increase between wherever the other U.S.- based Areva employees/contractors are in the U.S. and Idaho Falls in the future. A direct flight to Seattle would be great IMHO!

[eastidaho]

It looks like my hope of getting out of this economic funk this upcoming summer took a hit this morning.

PARIS- France's state-controlled nuclear giant Areva announced plans today to cut jobs and suspend projects around the world as part of a five-year turnaround plan, aimed at returning to profit after posting a massive financial loss in 2011.

Areva's new chief executive Luc Oursel told a meeting of financial analysts that Areva plans to cut up to 1,500 jobs in Germany and has suspended a controversial nuclear enrichment plant project in Idaho in the U.S. in a bid to offset losses this year that could reach $2.12 billion. Areva is suspending a number of projects around the globe, including the Eagle Rock Enrichment Facility near Idaho Falls.

A final decision on the project had been on hold pending the review of Areva's capital investments undertaken by Oursel and his new management team. Oursel took the helm in June.

[IFguy]

Originally Posted by eastidaho

It looks like my hope of getting out of this economic funk this upcoming summer took a hit this morning.

PARIS- France's state-controlled nuclear giant Areva announced plans today to cut jobs and suspend projects around the world as part of a five-year turnaround plan, aimed at returning to profit after posting a massive financial loss in 2011.

Areva's new chief executive Luc Oursel told a meeting of financial analysts that Areva plans to cut up to 1,500 jobs in Germany and has suspended a controversial nuclear enrichment plant project in Idaho in the U.S. in a bid to offset losses this year that could reach $2.12 billion. Areva is suspending a number of projects around the globe, including the Eagle Rock Enrichment Facility near Idaho Falls.

A final decision on the project had been on hold pending the review of Areva's capital investments undertaken by Oursel and his new management team. Oursel took the helm in June.

At least for now it has only been "suspended". I still hold optimism this will be built, hopefully still get underway sometime in 2012. Crossing my fingers.

[eastidaho]

I always use the -never have my camera- excuse to pass on posting photos. Today, I decided cell phone quality would have to do. I wanted to show the brick hidden by an awful 60's/70's cladding job. To my knowledge, this brick is seeing daylight for the first time in over 4 decades.

The hideous beast...



...losing its skin.



Why anybody would tack on this bracing to hang that junk is beyond me.



Cell phone doesn't give good detail of the brick, but there is a lot of promise.



I applaud the owner for taking the first step in returning this building to its proper form. I hope he/she doesn't bail out half way and use stucco to finish it.


Bonus Shot of ARTI. Another project in historic downtown that is awakening from a 60's/70's cladding stupor. They still have a fair amount of exterior work to go, but its great to see the brick and tasteful paint job.

[GrandTeton]

That is such an improvement! Wouldn't it be great if they remodeled it into a mixed-use residential building?

As for the Rio, I heard that it was to be an extension of the hotel next door. Is this true?

[eastidaho]

I agree on the m/u residential second floor. A couple of buildings downtown have added residential to the second floor after an exterior resurrection. Most notably the building on the NW corner of Broadway and Park Ave. IMO, there are a few more that need to follow the trend, including the building above.

As for the Rio, I heard that it was to be an extension of the hotel next door. Is this true?

I understood the Rio was converting into a youth theatre/recital hall/interactive arts center. Speaking of the ARTI and the Rio. I decided to add two photos from ARTI's website to show the transformation.

Before (ARTI photo)


Removing the skirting to go au naturel. (ARTI photo)


After with the Rio still to come...


IMO, a fun poll question would be a before/after photo on ten buildings in that compact historical downtown area and have people rate them. The problem would be finding the before photos. Many of those buildings were so ugly in their 60's/70's glam cladding that no person would dare take a photo of them. Let's hope the momentum of the last 5 years continues in that area. I see a for sale sign on the Ferrells building. You know there is a beauty hidden under that sheeting.

[VelvetElvis]

The Rio quietly began demolition a few months ago. It will open in the summer of 2012 as an interactive visual arts experience. There will also be a black box theater on the 2nd floor and a future recording studio. I'm not sure what the facade will look like. At one point it was planned to be irridescent metal sheeting.

[IFguy]

I'm glad that Idaho Falls has decided that renovating downtown is by far one of the best economic development tools in the shed. Everytime I am downtown and I see the progress being made on renovating these historic buildings it makes me want to spend more time downtown. It is only a matter of time I belive until someone makes the investment to totally restore the Bonneville. The ground floor has had a lot of work done...it's the next four above that, that need attention. Either restore it as a hotel or mixed use office/residential. The Bonneville, IMHO, is going jumpstart redevelopment on the north end of downtown.

[StevenF]

I am hearing a 20% layoff at INL this year.

[Cottonwood]

Originally Posted by StevenF

I am hearing a 20% layoff at INL this year.

Source? or just hearsay...

[StevenF]

Originally Posted by Cottonwood

Source? or just hearsay...

Its come from multiple people that have worked and do work out at the site. A good friend of mine got told to be prepared in case his job is one of them. The US government is cutting a lot of jobs all over the country and it just happens that 36% of Idaho Falls jobs happen to be Government jobs. This will definitly not be good for the local economy.

[isangpogi]

Originally Posted by N2I.F.

GrandTeton,

I don't have a lot of trust for Horizon given how they were not honest about the profits they were making between IDA - BOI route.

What's the story on Horizon? Did they claim the route was unprofitable when it really was or vice versa?

[eastidaho]

A few random photos from today's jaunt around town.

[Sawtooth]

It is about time you posted some photos of downtown Idaho Falls.

I.F. really has an impressive historic downtown area and imo one of the finest along the entire stretch of I-15. There is so much potential there.

[isangpogi]

Hey great pictures! Are they resuming work on the Marriot?

[eastidaho]

Yes, I will try and snag a photo of the front entrance. It gives you a better idea of how much the finish work has progressed after the long delay. It is great to see the Marriott moving again.

Sawtooth, better late than never.

[VelvetElvis]

Mostly just a bump for this thread... Although there is a possibility that the Savings Center will get an extensive remodel this year and be converted into office space. At any rate, with the Greenbelt expansion, somebody will do something with that property!