Boise Development Thread - Page 331

Cottonwood · #**6601** Posted: **Dec 15, 2011, 5:18 PM**

http://www.idahostatesman.com/2011/1...ise-shows.html

Boise shows post-recession life
By Bill Roberts and Rocky Barker - broberts@idahostatesman.com,
Published: 12/15/11

Better jobs picture: Boise ranked 11th among the nation’s 100 largest metro areas in employment growth between the second and third quarters, according to a study by the Brookings Institution. The region’s employment grew by 1 percent, compared with 0.1 percent nationally.

More employment in the region: “Boise’s jobs recovery has been pretty broad-based across sectors,” said Mark Muro, a policy director Brookings. “All major segments of the economy except leisure and hospitality have added jobs since the region hit (its) trough — even construction.”

Output is on the rise, too: The region’s economic output rose by 0.6 percent, slightly behind the national average but enough to rank the region 34th among large metros, according to the Brookings’ Mountain Monitor, a quarterly look at the Intermountain West.

BoiseTran · #**6602** Posted: **Dec 16, 2011, 6:04 AM**

I really like reading the phrase "post-recession." So glad to hear Boise is showing signs of a particularly healthy recovery.

A bit off-topic, but I was looking through some old photos a friend had taken when we were out hiking around in the early-Summer of '08. I thought this one was really nice. Our skyline isn't big, but it's wonderful just the same. And I'm rooting for a 20-floor tower to spring up somewhere in the middle there.

Cottonwood · #**6603** Posted: **Dec 16, 2011, 5:22 PM**

Nice photo! I have always felt that even though our skyline isn't huge, we have more than enough beauty and nature in and around our city to make up for it. Try living in a city with a larger skyline but with a sick and polluted river and it is enough to make you sad

More open space protected in the Foothills!

http://www.idahostatesman.com/2011/1...eharrison.html

The Land Trust of the Treasure Valley raises the $580,000 needed to buy Harrison Hollow in the Boise Foothills
BY CYNTHIA SEWELL - csewell@idahostatesman.com
BY CYNTHIA SEWELL Idaho Statesman
Published: 12/16/11

Reachforthesky · #**6604** Posted: **Dec 16, 2011, 11:55 PM**

Heading to Boise tomorrow to go see Utah state play in the potato bowl! Any ideas for things to check out after the game?

Sawtooth · #**6605** Posted: **Dec 17, 2011, 6:15 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reachforthesky

Heading to Boise tomorrow to go see Utah state play in the potato bowl! Any ideas for things to check out after the game?

By the time the game is over it will be dark and cold. If we had more snow you could night ski up at Bogus but you could check out the Winter Garden Aglow at the Botanical gardens out Warm Springs Ave. http://www.idahobotanicalgarden.org/...&feature_id=40 The Boise Philharmonic will be performing Handel's Messiah tonight at the opposite end of campus from the stadium in the Morrison Center.

Downtown is always hopping Saturday nights, a large amount of restaurants, clubs/pubs, live music; when in Boise do as the Boiseans do on a cold winters night which also includes night skiing, but where's the damn snow!!

City Of Trees · #**6606** Posted: **Dec 18, 2011, 3:40 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sawtooth

By the time the game is over it will be dark and cold. If we had more snow you could night ski up at Bogus but you could check out the Winter Garden Aglow at the Botanical gardens out Warm Springs Ave. http://www.idahobotanicalgarden.org/...&feature_id=40 The Boise Philharmonic will be performing Handel's Messiah tonight at the opposite end of campus from the stadium in the Morrison Center.

Downtown is always hopping Saturday nights, a large amount of restaurants, clubs/pubs, live music; when in Boise do as the Boiseans do on a cold winters night which also includes night skiing, but where's the damn snow!!

Now that there is finally a quad on Chair 3, I'm curious if night skiing at Bogus will see an bigger uptick.

Visualize · #**6607** Posted: **Dec 19, 2011, 6:29 AM**

Investors sought for Boise condo project
BY SANDRA FORESTER - sforester@idahostatesman.com
Copyright: © 2011 Idaho Statesman
Published: 12/17/11

Read more: http://www.idahostatesman.com/2011/1...#ixzz1gxXvBVDC

Board members of Boise’s urban-renewal agency want to see potential financial partners soon for River 8.

Developer Steve Hosac told the Idaho Statesman that he’s working on the Capital City Development Corp.’s request.

River 8 is a mixed-use residential condo project on land the agency owns between 8th and 9th streets north of River Downtown. It would include about 130 condos in three towers, 180 parking spots on two levels and 6,000 square feet of retail on the ground floor.

The building schedule calls for financial commitments to be sealed by late summer and construction of the first phase to begin by June 2013. Two other phases would start in 2015 and 2017, with the project being completed in 2018.

Hosac, who developed the nearby CitySide Lofts at 13th and Myrtle streets, says the River 8 project could hit the market at just the right time for new Downtown condos. “There’s been quite a bit of improvement out there,” he said. “The economy is headed in a better direction. I think the bottom’s behind us.”

Cottonwood · #**6608** Posted: **Dec 21, 2011, 9:02 PM**

This would be a nice companion to our grand Morrison Center for the Performing Arts at BSU/downtown. The first question that popped into my head was, why not build at JUMP? The perfoming arts are huge in this town, so this is exciting news.

http://www.idahostatesman.com/2011/1...orylink=latest

Feasibility study will explore possibility of new Boise performing arts venue
Statesman staff - Idaho Statesman
Statesman staff Idaho Statesman
Published: 12/21/11

Esther Simplot, the city of Boise, the Greater Boise Auditorium District and Oppenheimer Development Corp. will collaborate on a study of the viability of a new mid-sized performing arts venue.

The study will explore the feasibility of an 800- to 1,000-seat facility by examining existing and potential future market conditions, including the number and size of local events, industry trends, comparable facilities, and market demand characteristics specific to the Boise area.

If the study concludes a venue of that size could be successful, a portion of the existing Boise Centre convention facility could be repurposed as a possible location, but only following the expansion of convention facilities.
Oppenheimer Development Corp. will assist Simplot, the city and the district in exploring this potential public-private partnership.

The cost of the proposed study will be split equally between Simplot, the City of Boise and the District.

Cottonwood · #**6609** Posted: **Dec 23, 2011, 4:19 PM**

A little of topic cause it is pretty quiet in the forum this week. Local and regional music lovers have a Xmas present to look forward to in March. Events like this go hand in hand with a growing and evolving city such as our beautiful little artistic spot on the map.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!

www.Treefortmusicfest.com

http://treefortmusicfest.com/idahoans-gone-wild/

IDAHO. With our vast wilderness areas and mountain ranges, clean rivers and lakes, open prairies and big skies, this big little state in the NW can often feel like living on the frontier of a young developing nation — and it’s exciting times on the frontier. Here in Boise, the capitol city, in the midst of a vibrant downtown scene of young professionals, mom-and-pop local businesses, bars and nightclubs, late night pizza joints, college town energy, and progressive minded city planning — there’s a music, dance, theater and arts scene with a fresh, vibrant outlook producing ever-growing excitement here in Boise as well as from eyes and ears outside of the Treasure Valley.

Boise has for years received accolades for being a great place to live and raise a family, but in recent years it’s been getting increased attention as a hot spot for young up-and-coming artists. It’s in this spirit, that we introduce you to the inaugural TREEFORT MUSIC FEST. Conceived as an extension of the current momentum in the Boise music scene and art scene at large, our vision is that Treefort will provide the opportunity for Boise to play host to the national and regional music scenes while showcasing a lot of our own up-and-coming talent as well.

Source: http://treefortmusicfest.com/wp-cont...daho-Trees.jpg

Blondearrow26 · #**6610** Posted: **Dec 23, 2011, 5:52 PM**

Does anyone have any idea how the Dona Larsen Park project is going? Some pictures would be nice. It should be a one of a kind sports facility that has two stadiums softball/football/track and field.

boisecynic · #**6611** Posted: **Dec 23, 2011, 6:41 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blondearrow26

Does anyone have any idea how the Dona Larsen Park project is going? Some pictures would be nice. It should be a one of a kind sports facility that has two stadiums softball/football/track and field.

Drove by there a couple of days ago, just site work-- grading and leveling and some footing work. Nothing worth taking pictures of yet.

Hawk · #**6612** Posted: **Dec 24, 2011, 1:52 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by boisecynic

Drove by there a couple of days ago, just site work-- grading and leveling and some footing work. Nothing worth taking pictures of yet.

That's the same story as the Whole Food's site. But they have got like 3 walls up now, and still working on them.

boisecynic · #**6613** Posted: **Dec 25, 2011, 4:04 PM**

JUMP to get jump started in January with demolition of what I call Esther's Warehouse. Historic preservationists unlikely to protest because the building isn't cute and cuddly.

More at the Statesman: http://www.idahostatesman.com/2011/1...ll-signal.html

isangpogi · #**6614** Posted: **Dec 25, 2011, 6:38 PM**

Merry Christmas! I'm wishing for JUMP and Zions Bank (the 20+ floor version) to get started this year!

Cottonwood · #**6615** Posted: **Dec 27, 2011, 5:02 PM**

http://www.boiseweekly.com/CityDesk/...to-get-smarter

Boise Parking Meters to Get Smarter
Posted by Andrew Crisp

Starting in March 2012, the Capital City Development Corporation, along with city officials, will launch a pilot program for Boise's next generation of parking meters. They're "modern meters," said Max Clark, CCDC's parking and facilities director.

“We want to get them out in the field for a three-month period of time, and try to make it as realistic as we can for the real product,” said Clark.

The new meters will allow for payment with debit, credit, gift and so-called "smart" parking cards, as well as the coins we're used to carrying by the dozen. The meters also sport battery packs, recharged by solar power. When there's not much sun, the meters will switch to their batteries.

Hawk · #**6616** Posted: **Dec 28, 2011, 1:35 AM**

I really like the idea, and hope they go through with the new parking meters. Plus, I hope they make it one parking meter per block like they have it in Portland.

GrandTeton · #**6617** Posted: **Dec 28, 2011, 3:23 AM**

Concerning the Treefort music festival, there was a little article in the Seattle Weekly speaking very highly of the developing Boise music scene.

"There's no question that Boise's putting out more than its share of exciting music these days. Youth Lagoon's The Year of Hibernation is topping year-end lists left and right, and Brother Dan's The Orb has been in heavy rotation in my space for months, just to name a couple. Earlier this year, our friend Eric Gilbert- a keyboardist and vocalist for another great Boise concern, Finn Riggins- put together a list, which ran in this space, of Boise bands that are creating quite a stir in southern Idaho and the great northwest."

Boise is becoming quite the hip city! Great for Boise.

eastidaho · #**6618** Posted: **Dec 28, 2011, 10:30 PM**

It looks like my March visit will miss Treefort by one week.

Photo request...construction update of the apartments on Lincoln.

Not the most exciting for many of you, but I lived where the parking structure now stands. At the time, you Boise forumers gave me flak for lamenting the loss of affordable apartments for parking. However, now that more of the long term residential plans are being realized, I am excited. IMO it is the ideal location for any 18-22 yr old Idaho native. No campus parking issues, free public transportation to downtown, access to the riverbelt, the stadium and arena, great university, the list goes on.

boiseaninexile · #**6619** Posted: **Dec 28, 2011, 10:45 PM**

A little slow on this board lately. Anyway, I haven't seen anything posted re: Zonda USA lately. Here is a video from KTVB back in November saying that Zonda will locate headquarters and manufacturing in the valley ASAP:

http://www.ktvb.com/home/Chinese-bus...134432258.html

Also, parent company in China, Zhongda, is huge (7,000 employees and billions in sales) and they signed agreements to expand their US and global ops further. Zonda USA (to be headquartered in the Boise MSA along with manufacturing facilities) was also given exclusive rights for all global sales, service, and manufacturing. These were signed on December 19th.

http://zondausa.com/Zonda_USA/News/E..._in_China.html

This could be huge for the Boise area, especially with the economy already gaining traction.

Hope you all have a Happy New Year!

BoiseAirport · #**6620** Posted: **Dec 29, 2011, 2:15 AM**

The potential is certainly huge. It's really exciting to think about what might become of this. It's great to not just have a HQ here, but also manufacturing as well.

As an unrelated side note, I really want to see some more ethnic diversity here, particularly in the Asian population. I frequently go to Vancouver, BC, and it's so cool being in a place with so much ethnic diversity -- the cultures all interacting with each other, the amazing authentic restaurants with exotic items you've never tried before, it's just all really cool to have, IMO. It's why I think the large Basque population is one of the neatest things about Boise.