Idaho Statewide Development, News and Miscellaneous Thread

[Cottonwood]

http://www.mtexpress.com/news/busine...9a03208a1.html

Auberge Sun Valley developers get 7-month extension to tweak project

Project backers may buy additional property, want to swap hotel space for rental

The developers of the planned Auberge Resort Sun Valley at the south end of Main Street will get an extension from the city of Ketchum to provide time to tweak some aspects of the project.

[N2I.F.]

I have a question about redevelopment. Does anyone know what the issue (s) are that are making the Legislature look at the laws? I know whatever the reason (s) are, they were suppose to be addressed this last year. Obviously they weren't. Some feel they will be revisited in 2916.

Otherwise, I have no clue what is being reviewed.

TIA for your ideas.

[N2I.F.]

Thanks to Cottonwood for posting about the 500 apartments the Idaho Falls Redevelopment Agency (RDA) is planning in downtown I.F. RFPS for the Bonneville Hotel Restoration/Development and an empty lot on the corner of Broadway and Memorial Dr., across the street from the river, should get posted fairly soon. I hope at least one of those projects will get completed by an Idaho contractor/developer/builder. Other RDA and regular development in Snake River Landing and elsewhere are in the Idaho Falls thread.

I have a question and I figured this would be the thread to post it. What is happening with the Idaho Legislature and Redevelopment? I know they were suppose to make decisions in 2015, but didn't. The I.F. RDA checks with the state redevelopment organization monthly, as it sounds like Idaho is probably going to join other states and maybe not have redevelopment agencies, or they will end by the end of fiscal 2018.

Better stated, this seems to have started with Gov. Jerry Brown outlawing RD in CA. A couple of them sued and lost. I know the Idaho Redevelopment Association met again recently. They anticipate the Legislature to address this in 2016. Can anyone clarify or add more of how come RFA's are going to be ending in Idaho? The Legislature could probably change that decision.

What is/are the force(s) wanting to shut down the RDA throughout the state?

I know ground will soon be broken in Idaho Falls south of the Residence Inn for another Marriott property nextra to the river. RDA is helping, but not like they normally would. They are calculating what can get done by 2018.

TIA for any information anyone can provide. This will change a lot for many of us.

[boisecynic]

Start with this: http://www.governing.com/columns/eco...alifornia.html

But comparing CAs version to Idaho's is apples to oranges and Prop 13 was a pile of monkey wrenches thrown in the middle of the apples and oranges. And even comparing different districts within a state is apples to oranges. In my opinion, Boise's CCDC is doing a fair job. The old Boise one, BRA got fixated on a downtown mall. It seems this is the achilles heel of tax increment financing--- fixation and grandiosity. I'm not the expert here, and maybe someone from CCDC could offer some input, but CCDC does things quite differently than BRA used to.

Boiseguardian argues that everyone else is making up the difference in lost tax revenue. I say not so fast, that revenue would never have been created, or not for a long time. It's like claiming putting a pump in a dry tributary in August will lower the flow in the Boise River. Crazy talk.

Many seem to miss the point that blighted areas like Fairview/Main got that way due to a slew of regulations from the City (P&Z) and partly from the Feds (storm water). Boiseguardian types would probably argue vehemently against regulatory takings but that's exactly what happened to Fairview/Main. This is an oversimplification, but the cut up lots are too small to be redeveloped under current P&Z rules which were written AFTER those lots had long been established.

There are other issues like the Broadway/Chinden Connector and the demise of railroads which contributed to the downtown blight but benefitted thousands of people in the suburbs, and trucking companies. The connector was paid for by the taxpayers and environmental impact studies were mandated, but there was no mandate to study the impact on the neighborhood. What's up with that?

Getting rid of URDs is like throwing the baby out with the dirty bath water. If more oversight is needed, and I would agree to that, then the legislature should quit being lazy (knee-jerk ban of URDs) and figure out how to improve oversight rules.

Besides, there are other bigger more questionable distributions of tax money. Like how ITD has to fund roads.

[N2I.F.]

Originally Posted by boisecynic

Start with this: http://www.governing.com/columns/eco...alifornia.html

But comparing CAs version to Idaho's is apples to oranges and Prop 13 was a pile of monkey wrenches thrown in the middle of the apples and oranges. And even comparing different districts within a state is apples to oranges. In my opinion, Boise's CCDC is doing a fair job. The old Boise one, BRA got fixated on a downtown mall. It seems this is the achilles heel of tax increment financing--- fixation and grandiosity. I'm not the expert here, and maybe someone from CCDC could offer some input, but CCDC does things quite differently than BRA used to.

Boiseguardian argues that everyone else is making up the difference in lost tax revenue. I say not so fast, that revenue would never have been created, or not for a long time. It's like claiming putting a pump in a dry tributary in August will lower the flow in the Boise River. Crazy talk.

Many seem to miss the point that blighted areas like Fairview/Main got that way due to a slew of regulations from the City (P&Z) and partly from the Feds (storm water). Boiseguardian types would probably argue vehemently against regulatory takings but that's exactly what happened to Fairview/Main. This is an oversimplification, but the cut up lots are too small to be redeveloped under current P&Z rules which were written AFTER those lots had long been established.

There are other issues like the Broadway/Chinden Connector and the demise of railroads which contributed to the downtown blight but benefitted thousands of people in the suburbs, and trucking companies. The connector was paid for by the taxpayers and environmental impact studies were mandated, but there was no mandate to study the impact on the neighborhood. What's up with that?

Getting rid of URDs is like throwing the baby out with the dirty bath water. If more oversight is needed, and I would agree to that, then the legislature should quit being lazy (knee-jerk ban of URDs) and figure out how to improve oversight rules.

Besides, there are other bigger more questionable distributions of tax money. Like how ITD has to fund roads.

TY so much boisesync ! I'very been searching and searching unable to find anything. I look ford to reading this. I'm with you, I think it is vital to keep these going. Oversight, especially in some locations, would be a plus. Pocatello/Chubbuck just declared the entire Pine Ridge mall in an UR district. Their thought process, compared to what I've seen elsewhere is very different. I don't know if they realize THEY would pay the entire balance if a company or several couldn't come through. Pine Ridge Mall has had many tenants leave. It seems to me getting new mgt. would be a great start.

Maybe because both Boise and Idaho Falls have a river in town I think about this differently than some. Thanks again 4 UR help

[boisecynic]

I did a little more research, I checked the wiki page on tax increment financing, what a mess. We should go raid that page, that graphic especially needs to go. It definitely needs a considerable rewrite.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tax_increment_financing

Perhaps the very phrase "tax increment financing" was poorly chosen. A word count for "subsidy" returned 25 results on that wiki page. But one man's tax is always another man's subsidy. Look at Ten Mile Road at I-84 and at Overland. If that's not a subsidy for those landowners out there then I don't what is.

[N2I.F.]

Originally Posted by boisecynic

I did a little more research, I checked the wiki page on tax increment financing, what a mess. We should go raid that page, that graphic especially needs to go. It definitely needs a considerable rewrite.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tax_increment_financing

Perhaps the very phrase "tax increment financing" was poorly chosen. A word count for "subsidy" returned 25 results on that wiki page. But one man's tax is always another man's subsidy. Look at Ten Mile Road at I-84 and at Overland. If that's not a subsidy for those landowners out there then I don't what is.

Thanks boisesync. Maybe this should be moved to the general Idaho development thread, but I couldn't get anyone to answer me. I suspect next to Boise, Idaho Falls has used RDA longer than other cities. Mostly by the river where gravel pits use to be and hotels etc. are now built. They hope they are wrong but with what some Legislatures are planning, I.F. RDA is planning on it all ending by 2018.

Then there is Chubbuck who just last night had the City Council pass a proposal for TID for the Pine Ridge Mall. It is a 20 year TID. I've never heard of a city council doing that. RDA have always been separate wherever I've lived in any state. Maybe the Legislature could focus on City Council's not making those decisions Here's a link: http://www.localnews8.com/news/chubb...-mall/35971030

[boisecynic]

Originally Posted by N2I.F.

I have a question about redevelopment. Does anyone know what the issue (s) are that are making the Legislature look at the laws? I know whatever the reason (s) are, they were suppose to be addressed this last year. Obviously they weren't. Some feel they will be revisited in 2916.

Otherwise, I have no clue what is being reviewed.

TIA for your ideas.

Ok, since this thread is a bit slow, hopefully no one will mind if we redevelop it as a discussion of Urban Renewal Agencies and the use of Tax Increment Financing. Don't worry Cottonwood, we'll give it back in 20 years and it will be a much more active thread.

According to KURA, Ketchum Urban Renewal Agency, there are 42 URAs in the State of Idaho. Link: http://ketchumura.org/facts/rai/

I think this is the crux of the problem. Taxophobes and the ID State Legislature see this as absurd or an abuse of the system. Frankly, they're not totally wrong. Ketchum needs a URA? Seriously? And who are the other 41? Are there really 42 blighted urban areas in the State of Idaho?

California had 400 of them. How is that even possible? I haven't done a survey, but I find it hard to believe there are 400 large to midsize cities in CA which have core urban blight. Anyway, CA with 30 times the population only had 10x the number of URDs. So it's easy to see how some Idaho lawmakers think the system is being abused. We're worse than CA.

So like I said in the Boise thread, rules on the creation and use of URAs need to be clarified. But you know what's going to happen, the legislature will react with a knee jerk and ban them all in a classic case of throwing the baby out with the bath water.

This doesn't really address your statement--- " I have no clue what is being reviewed." I don't either but I think it's a worthy cause to keep track of it. And other SSPers should too because a large portion of downtown Boise development which shows up in photos every week, has been the result, at least partly, of CCDC efforts.

[boisecynic]

Additionally, this very forum which is arguably pro-development was split 50/50 when I polled in May 2007--- "Is Fairview/Main blighted?"

Link: http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=131406

So, I'm thinking, we the people and our legislature need to better define blight. Or at least we the people who support URAs and TIF.

I'm totally unfamiliar with Pocatello/Chubbuck and the Pine Ridge Mall. Can you give me a quick synopsis of what's wrong with that area? And is Chubbuck Pocatello's Garden City? I've never been to Pocatello and only driven through Idaho Falls once on the way to Yellowstone. Are there any pics of Pine Ridge Mall and its surrounding area?

[boisecynic]

One more thing, here's what the law says:


From Idaho Code 50-2018 (10) "'Urban renewal project' may include undertakings and activities of a municipality in an urban renewal area for the elimination of deteriorated or deteriorating areas and for the prevention of the development or spread of slums and blight, and may involve slum clearance and redevelopment in an urban renewal area, or rehabilitation or conservation in an urban renewal area, or any combination or part thereof in accordance with an urban renewal plan."

Credit that to Sharon Ullman who added that to the 2007 Fairview/Main poll thread.

Full text of Idaho 50-2018 which is just definitions: Link: https://legislature.idaho.gov/idstat...ECT50-2018.htm

Full Urban Renewal Law Link: http://legislature.idaho.gov/idstat/Title50/T50CH20.htm

50-2008 spells out preparation and approval: http://legislature.idaho.gov/idstat/...ECT50-2008.htm

Finally, it seems the majority of this law was enacted in 1965. It's unclear to me how much of it as been amended. Like I said, the legislature is being lazy if they resort to ban them all. That law in its entirety is pretty lengthy and takes a long time just to read, let alone figure out how to improve it.

[N2I.F.]

Originally Posted by boisecynic

Additionally, this very forum which is arguably pro-development was split 50/50 when I polled in May 2007--- "Is Fairview/Main blighted?"

Link: http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=131406

So, I'm thinking, we the people and our legislature need to better define blight. Or at least we the people who support URAs and TIF.

I'm totally unfamiliar with Pocatello/Chubbuck and the Pine Ridge Mall. Can you give me a quick synopsis of what's wrong with that area? And is Chubbuck Pocatello's Garden City? I've never been to Pocatello and only driven through Idaho Falls once on the way to Yellowstone. Are there any pics of Pine Ridge Mall and its surrounding area?

Thanks for moving this discussion here, boisecynic. Hopefully those from around the state can give more info. I was surprised at how many Urban Renewal Districts there are in Idaho! In the NID area, my understanding is C'dA, Sandpoint and Post Falls all have separate URD. C'dA received a letter about theirs approximately a month ago. I'll search for it later.

In eastern Idaho the Idaho Falls RDA is probably the oldest. It has been involved in many projects and the most recent one is to acquire downtown properties to be converted to 500 downtown apartments. More clearly stated, the one empty, coveted, and extremely over-priced area (which isn't quite an acre) is on a busy corner of downtown directly across from the river and greenbelt. The other property is a former five or six story hotel which will have to be *-gutted* and rebuilt. These two properties are to seed the way for other private development to come in and build the remainder of the 500 initial apartments. Downtown IF is going to get Urbanized.

Ammon seems to be forming a UR. Ammon literally begins on the east side of 25th East, across the street from Idaho Falls. It is ~ 15K and has the fastest growing school district in the state.

Blackfoot probably has one, Rexburg (home to the ever-growing BYU-Idaho) has one. I believe the Rexburg one might have been involved in a lawsuit at one time. I'll try to search for that as well.

Pocatello is 50 miles south of Idaho Falls and the home to Idaho State University. It has a city to the north that is contiguous on Yellowstone. It'-s hard to know when driving Yellowstone if one is in Poky or Chubbuck. Poky has had a lot of bigger employers leave. It is an *old town* in many ways. It was a railroad town. It has about 54K residents, with an increase in residents for the first time for about six or more years. Bonneville County (home to I.F. at 60 K and Ammon at 15K) has 25,000 more residents. Fifteen years ago the census in Bannock and the census of Bonneville Counties would have been within 1-3K of each other.

Chubbuck use to be the cheaper alternative to living in Poky. A new resident to that area pointed out how many trailer parks were in both cities. I'm not knocking mobile homes, rather, I'm saying these areas, except for two, are in terrible shape and need major updates. Chubbuck is kind of rebuilding itself from the inside out. The problems include: no attention to truly blighted or areas that really need help, a very ambitious mayor, IMO, and a population of ~ 14K that doesn'-t function as a city alone. Some services come from Poky and some from Bannock and Power Counties.

I think you are very correct that the Legislature needs to define terms including blight. Somehow the RDA in I.F. and their Boise-based attorney know something is coming up for a vote in the Legislature. RDA has been extremely active getting a wonderful greenbelt, new hotels and the 420 acre, Snake River Landing all launched with using UR districts. This is a link to SRL, though it's outdated http://mobile.dudamobile.com/site/sn...%3DMBDPSB#2816

I include that as I.F. has been working with Redevelopment for decades, since the 70s. However, whatever is going on with the Legislature, they check on updates monthly, are lining up developers and politicians to testify and are essentially planning on being *out of business* by the end of 2018. I don't know what has been said, threatened by the Legislature etc. for them to plan on nothing past 2018. It concerns me!

I'll post this now then write separately about Chubbuck as this is long.

[N2I.F.]

Here are some links to the Pine Ridge Mall, which opened in 1981.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pine_Ridge_Mall -original.

The current day mall: http://www.pineridgemall.com

The story is they lost good anchors and the same anchors flourished in Idaho Falls so the Grand Teton Mall expanded. The Grand Teton Mall opened in 1984. Both were developed by the same Salt Lake City developer and both were originally GGP properties. Pine Ridge got sold and has continued to lose tenants. If replacements open, they are selling cheaper brand or selling entirely different products. CAL RANCH is primarily stocked with agricultural products, some western wear and in some ways is like an outdoor store. It's not Jackson Hole level western wear.

They can't get the companies they want to locate there. Consequently, there is tremendous leakage to Idaho Falls, Salt Lake City and Boise for shopping. Obviously, Bannock County would like to keep that $ local.

So instead of cleaning up these almost rotting mobile home parks or other houses in Chubbuck, the Mayor decided to put all of Pine Ridge Mall in a TID. The City Council approved the move just two nights ago. There is no separate UR or RDA, the City Council is making the decisions. I'd not want the City Council doing that vs. an agency who only does redevelopment. I think there are conflicts of interest.

While I guess it is true to say the public will benefit from this 20 year TID, the mobile home parks will probably be condemned by then. Not all, just the worst ones. I honestly didn't realize how bad some of the Chubbuck housing was until I drove through certain areas in the summer. The bad areas aren't visible from the Interstates.

It's true that Block Grants can be used for the neighborhoods, but with 14K population, I don't know that Chubbuck receives much.

Obviously, the mayor can select his priorities and if residents don't agree they can vote him out of office. I've never seen an entire mall, which is owned and managed by an outside company, placed in a TIN. When IF uses the $ to help pay for costs to drill through the lava, or old cement from when Monroe occupied the space, as well as help with utility lines, curb and roads I'm confused! Pine Ridge Mall is getting the word out they can do new curbs and gutters too, but their main focus is in attracting businesses they would like to have in that mall. When I hear that and know how TID have been used in every other state I've lived in and the seeming difference of interpretation between Idaho Falls and Chubbuck, I'm really baffled!
As far as I know there are no major repairs to be made at Pine Ridge.

I hope that helps some. I have to stop for now.

[N2I.F.]

Sorry this has taken me a while to get to. This is a link some might want to save. They have been meeting monthly. My understanding is they will be addressing definitions, what UR $ can be used for and more.

The challenge case that seems to have gotten enough attention the state decided the Legislature needed to address came from Rexburg developing a $6 Million Splash Park and at best generating $50K annually. A local resident challenged the use of the funds. The court apparently found in favor of Rexburg. This was appealed to a higher court after then. I will post a link.

While I've not found the specific project yet, the Rexburg case is often compared to one in Nampa. If anyone knows what that is please post it.

Here 's the link. Check out some of the minutes.

http://www.legislature.idaho.gov/ses...erim/urban.htm

[N2I.F.]

Here is one of the better links to the Rexburg case that drew attention of lawmakers and many others. Clearly, there is a lack of oversite or laws that ensure the terminology is the same everywhere in Idaho, instead of each organization pursuing *redevelopment* in their own ways.

http://www.boiseweekly.com/boise/cit...ent?oid=937807

[N2I.F.]

Come over and visit the Idaho Falls thread. First pics and info about the upscale apartments in Snake River Landing.

Also, just curious if anyone has seen the IF Redevelopment's RFPs for the two projects downtown. I'd be interested to know more what the RFPS say as two main designs are being discussed. Apparently, there are local and/or regional developers interested. I don't know if that means Boise area or SLC.

Finally, rights for Rita's Italian Ice have been purchased by an I.F. couple. The first in the NW will be built in Ammon. But I'd expect these owners to start building some of their other cities before summer. Not the biggest news, but not the worst news. Those who grew up with this franchise state it's a plus to have one close by

[Cottonwood]

http://www.mtexpress.com/news/hailey...f707cac8c.html

Hailey approves new brewery facility

P&Z gives green light to 7,890-square-foot business

The Sawtooth Brewery’s 7,890-square-foot facility will have the capacity to produce 2,200 barrels annually, and will contain corporate offices and a 460-square-foot tasting room. The company also plans to install a 24-foot-tall grain silo on the property.

[Cottonwood]

http://www.mtexpress.com/news/hailey...521ff2254.html

Hailey gets preview of possible changes to Main Street

‘Pop-up’ cafe spots and parks could appear this spring


http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townn...5dca.image.jpg
The city of Hailey will soon try out some temporary changes to street use that could become permanent, such as the narrowing of Main Street and development of small parks and seating areas.

The city of Hailey will take baby steps in coming months to test out some ideas gathered during public workshops last month to redevelop Main Street. The Planning Department could soon build temporary “pop-up” parks, artistic street crossings, roundabouts and seating areas at various spots in the city.

[N2I.F.]

This is kind of long, but I suspect many in the state aren't aware taxes can still be collected from past years. Redevelopment or building of municipal buildings etc. are among the many uses counties and cities can collect forgone taxes. Ada County residents paid an extra $4.3 million this year. The amount not collected, throughout the state, is fairly impressive.

http://www.idahostatesman.com/news/s...e56336985.html

[N2I.F.]

The source for this information is Idaho Falls Mayor Rebecca Casper. No link is available.

I finally learned what the Legislature is going to attempt to change in Urban Renewal or Redevelopment Districts.

1. The tax base for all Redevelopment/Urban Renewal Districts will be re-set. IDK if that is higher or lower.

2. Public Elections to fill the boards of each agency overseeing these efforts.

3. Amendments to the Rules each Urban Renewal District currently has.

The prevailing concern in the state is this will delay and slow UR in the municipalities that use them. This Legislative committee has been meeting monthly since Aug, 2015 to make sure they are prepared for the Legislature discussion.

MSR

[Sawtooth]

It's exciting to see all of the development going on in the Wood River Valley.