Boise Development Thread - Part II

[Boisebro]

It's funny you posted those Marriott renderings. They just installed the renderings on the site in the last few days, and the first time I drove by I thought "Wow! They changed the colors from tan to steel blue! They actually listened to us!!!"

But now I realize it's still the ugly boring tan, and the rendering that's up is the nighttime shot.

Imagine my disappointment.

[Boisebro]

for those of you NOT lucky enough to live in Boise, here are some webcams of various construction sites throughout the city:


Boise State Honors College:

https://app.oxblue.com/open/EDR/Boise


Boise State Alumni Center:

http://www.earthcam.net/projects/boisestate/university/


Broadway Bridge:

http://ibeamsystems.com/private/idbroadway/


Marriott Downtown (via KTVB webcam):

http://www.ktvb.com/traffic/cams/capitol-at-myrtle


Simplot HQ:

http://www.dwpwebcams.com/jump/


if anyone knows of any others, please feel free to add to the list.

[Architecture Buff]

According to the Boise downtown market survey of June 2015, we still need a hotel with at least 350 to 500 rooms to bring convention business to Boise. Conventions like to block 300 to 400 rooms in one large hotel according to this survey. With Gardner Company pulling their full service hotel out of parcel B at 300 rooms, some other developer is needed to bring a brand hotel near the convention center.
With the three new hotels opening late 2016 or 2017 they will still be too small. Boise is still a small city with a great reputation, but without a large hotel the business community will pass us bye.
Check out the pdf 7209 on the City of Boise web site.

Of the three largest hotels downtown I would rate by design:
Residence Inn by Marriott first, Hampton Inn & Suites second and the Grove last. Hopefully someday we will get a large full service brand hotel that will have a design to knock our socks off.

Left to right: Hampton, Marriott and the Grove.

Pennbridge Lodging rendering

[Cottonwood]

http://www.boiseweekly.com/boise/how...nt?oid=3806648

How to Build a Better Bench: Neighbors Weigh In On Boise's Newest Park
By George Prentice

On a particularly warm evening June 1, dozens of Boise Bench residents wedged into a standing room-only conference room at the Hillcrest branch of the Boise Library to have a say in how they'll be spending a lot more summer evenings: in a neighborhood park they can call their own.

http://media2.fdncms.com/boiseweekly...?cb=1464882441
Concept No. 1: A scaled-down park featuring a significant amount of green space, restrooms, picnic shelter and swings.





http://media1.fdncms.com/boiseweekly...?cb=1464882441
Concept No. 2: All of the amenities above with a few more extras, including a larger plaza area and a 1/4-mile perimeter walking path framing the park.





http://media1.fdncms.com/boiseweekly...?cb=1464882441
Concept No. 3: Most of the amenities would be placed near the center of the park, creating four quadrants of green space in each corner of the site. The layout would also afford the opportunity for a small splash pad water feature.





http://media2.fdncms.com/boiseweekly...?cb=1464882441
Concept No. 4: A lot more amenities, including a space for a small farmer's market or food trucks, a 1/4-acre community garden, a larger splash pad water feature, more but smaller picnic shelters spread around the park, an exercise pavilion where yoga classes or athletic programs could be held, and some shorter walking paths.

[el conquistador]

Looks like demolition will be starting soon on the Watercooler building at 14th and Idaho. Fence is up and the contractor trailer is set up kitty-corner in the vacant lot off 15th.

[Architecture Buff]

Downtown 6-3-2016
Skyline

Simplot lanscaping

Marriott working on third level pool area

8th&Main City Center

Clearwater sign

Boise Hyatt Place 4th floor work of five

[Sawtooth]

The last of the Jumplot cranes is coming down today.














but there is still the Marriott crane.


T
h
e
1
1
9







Something new is opening up in The Idanha

[DonDay]

Off we go! After wrangling with the city, building permit applications are in for the 5th & Idaho project finally.

Five stories, 67 feet tall, 81 apartment units, retail and a plaza - plus parking. 101,000 square feet. It's a $12 million project.

[jakor21]

Originally Posted by DonDay

Off we go! After wrangling with the city, building permit applications are in for the 5th & Idaho project finally.

Five stories, 67 feet tall, 81 apartment units, retail and a plaza - plus parking. 101,000 square feet. It's a $12 million project.

Finally a project that doesn't look dirt cheap! I have been wondering where this project went. Look forward to it. Also looking forward to the Local Construct project at the watercooler..

[Boisebro]

Originally Posted by jakor21

Finally a project that doesn't look dirt cheap! I have been wondering where this project went.

i'm glad this is getting underway. i just hope the city didn't screw up the design--it's one of the nicer designs of all the recent developments.

hope it ends up looking as good as the rendering.

[jthomps4]

Yeah, it's a good looking design, except for the boxed in balconies on the left.

[boisenative]

Visit Boise posted an interesting angle of Downtown to their Instagram account that you don't see often.



Also, in regards to that rendering. I echo what has already been said. I really like it. It looks nice and should be a great asset to downtown.

[Architecture Buff]

Don't forget tonight ( June 8th ) at 5 pm. Design Review work session on Gardner Company's proposal.

Gardner Company rendering:

[Architecture Buff]

Went to the Design Review work session, and at least two members said parking garage needed more screening. One did not like a one story retail building on this parcel.
Before the meeting started I was talking to the architect, and someone behind the Gardner group said he owned parking garages, and retail in them is a loss of money.
Strange the Chamber of Commerce is one of the tenants in the garage at 11th and Front corner. Capitol City Terrace and 8th&Main have retail under and surrounding their parking garages. Marriott Hotel will hide their cars with a great design downtown.
Also there was discussion of the Simplot garage and Gardner's garage having entrances across each other on 11th. Can't wait to see the connector backed up with 1,100 cars trying to turn on 11th. Then the evening rush with cars trying to merge into the traffic on Front.
Back to the screening and retail in parking garages. Here is a parking garage retail design from Adamson & Associates Architects ( JUMP / Simplot World headquarters). The building has 17 floors of condos, with a total 25 levels, on top with a pool over part of garage like our Residence Inn by Marriott on Capitol Blvd. in Los Angeles:

http://www.adamson-associates.com/project/ten50







http://ten50.la/

[Boiseguy]

that 17 story building is what gardner should have put on the corner of Parcel B instead of just that shitty parking garage

[Cottonwood]

Originally Posted by Cottonwood

http://www.idahostatesman.com/news/b...e82377672.html

50 apartments in the works for Whitewater Park area

http://www.ktvb.com/news/local/neigh...plex/237705087

Neighbors upset over plans to build affordable apartments in Boise

"I think that people who sometimes can be in those apartments don't have maybe the best interest of the whole neighborhood at heart," one neighbor, Shawn Moak, said.

Neighbors say the area is a beautiful wooded pocket that provides open space to walk and play.

Are these NIMBY's justified? I'm all for infill, but that wooded natural area is kind of nice....

[Visualize]

Originally Posted by Cottonwood

http://www.ktvb.com/news/local/neigh...plex/237705087

Neighbors upset over plans to build affordable apartments in Boise

Are these NIMBY's justified? I'm all for infill, but that wooded natural area is kind of nice....

I'm completely against development that isn't market driven or uses other peoples money to foot the bill for the subsidy. That entire area is going to develop into a very highly desirable neighborhood, which it already is to some degree, and should be filled with the hard working people that have sacrificed personally and professionally to get there.

On the other side of the development coin, hard for me to petition against that many residential units.

[boisenative]

While I am generally supportive of affordable housing, especially in the current market, I echo the sentiment that Cottonwood stated which is that I don't know if that is the best place to put affordable housing. Part of the reason Boise is such a great city is because of open space, parks, etc. Maybe that wooded area would be best utilized the way that it currently is...

[Architecture Buff]

Another poor design is approved.

"The Committee, at their work session of June 8, 2016, voted to approve your request. Based on the findings included in the Project Report, the Committee concluded your project complies with Section 11-03-04.12 C (7)(d) of the Zoning Ordinance, the Design Review Guidelines and the goals and policies of the Boise City Comprehensive Plan."

http://pdsonline.cityofboise.org/pds...06091627414900

[Architecture Buff]

http://www.u-a-lab.com/ontheboard-deluxe

Here is a seven story 254 apartment building design with (21 affordable) and 4,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space that would fit onto the future space of Parcel B. I think they need at least some residential in their horrible plan.