Idaho Falls/Pocatello Development Thread

[N2I.F.]

Originally Posted by IFtowner

So what is the deal with Marriott Residence Inn?

Is it a go?

I've noticed digging equipment by Smitty's.

I really hope Land Rover still decides to build in I.F. Last time I contacted them, they said it was likely. If we get a dealership, I won't have to get one fixed in SLC. That was the only thing holding me back from getting one in the past.

IFtowner, I haven't heard that Land Rover has filed a building permit yet. However, there was a major rezoning for annexation for the huge Toyota dealership going in at the Sunnyside exit. I suspect once some of those last issues are wored out it won't be long.

What do you think or know about the Marriott Residence Inn? Is there enough equipment for 13 stories? Have you heard anyone confirm that indeed it will be a Marriott or not? For now, I'd better just read and listen about this project. But, please share what you know or have observed in the way of what is physically taking place. Maybe eastidaho could get us some updated pics sometimes of the Hilton Garden Inn and then the "before" picture of the hotel to be built.

[N2I.F.]

From the Mercury News:

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Staffing shortage holds up world's first cellulose ethanol plant
By Michele Heller

McClatchy Newspapers

(MCT)

WASHINGTON - All that's standing between the United States and the world's first cellulose ethanol plant is an obscure Washington office staffed by one federal contractor.

The office in the U.S. Department of Energy opened last summer to provide federal loan guarantees for producing clean energy and innovative technologies.

However, its sole employee hasn't been able to do more than literally open the mail. More than 100 so-called pre-applications for loan guarantees have arrived, only to be shelved because the Department of Energy hasn't had the money to hire more staff to assess them.

Among the applications is one from Iogen, a Canadian biotechnology company incorporated in Idaho that wants to open a $500 million plant near Idaho Falls. It would be the first in the world to produce cellulose ethanol, which can be used in today's cars, on a large commercial level.

The company expects to turn out annually 20 million to 50 million gallons of the renewal biofuel, which is made from switch grass and such crop waste as corn stalks and barley, oats and wheat straw. Iogen already has contracted with 320 farmers in southeastern Idaho, who could collectively reap $25 million to $35 million a year, according to some estimates.

Though it's more complicated and expensive to make ethanol from tough cellulose fibers than from corn, the Department of Energy has said that more ethanol, at a ratio of 2 to 1, will have to come from cellulose to achieve President Bush's goal of increasing the renewable fuels supply by 35 billion gallons in 10 years.

Yet Iogen can't start building its Idaho cellulose ethanol plant until it gets the federal loan guarantee it applied for last year.

Congress authorized the Department of Energy to back loans for new energy technologies "a year and a half ago," said Jeff Passmore, Iogen's executive vice president, "and we still don't have a loan guarantee initiative up and running. That's disappointing."

The company has everything in place to break ground in Shelley, about 10 miles from Idaho Falls, including equity from such investors as Shell Oil. But it can't close on an approximately $200 million loan without a government-backed loan guarantee.

"We want to get the shovel in the ground and build the plant," Passmore said. "The technology is ready to go. The equity is there. But on the debt side, you can't borrow money from ... lenders for new technology. They will not take a technology risk unless that debt is guaranteed by a strong credit rating, such as from a government."

Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, said there's "significant" frustration in Congress with the Department of Energy's pace in implementing the loan guarantees.

"There just has been an awful lot of foot dragging over there," he said. "We talk about climate change, but we have not been able to muster up whatever it takes ... to take research that is nearly complete and move it to the market with financing through the process of loan guarantees."

Department of Energy spokesman Craig Stevens said the slow rollout wasn't on purpose. "We've done all we can with the authority and appropriation we were given," he said.

He said the Department of Energy last year asked Congress for authority to transfer $1 million within the department to staff the loan guarantee office and start making decisions on the pre-applications. But lawmakers denied the request.

The outlook is brightening this week as Congress is poised to finalize a government-funding bill for the current fiscal year that includes $7.3 million for the loan guarantee office and authorizes it to back up to $4 billion in loans this year.

For 2008, Bush requested $8.4 million for the office and authorization to guarantee up to $9 billion in loans for a variety of clean-energy projects. However, the White House funding request doesn't ask for money for a section of the program that makes loans specifically for cellulose ethanol plants, according to the Renewal Fuels Association, which represents the ethanol industry.

Stevens said there are other funding sources for cellulose ethanol, such as grants.

Even with the funding situation close to being resolved, many expect the Department of Energy to continue its deliberative pace rolling out the loan guarantees.

The funding "is certainly a very important step, but just because there's money there doesn't mean the Department of Energy is making loans," said Craig's spokesman, Dan Whiting. "There's some concern they aren't going to implement it in as timely a manner as we want to see. ... We want them to be cautious, but there's a point where you can be too cautious."

Stevens said the department might be able to approve the first loan guarantee by Sept. 30.

That isn't any too soon for Iogen.

"What we want is speed of decision-making. It's a race between Canada, Germany and the U.S." to host the plant, Passmore said.

[IFBoiseJunky]

Just wanted to say hello. I stumbled onto this site while Googling for the "Boise Place" project planned for Boise. I was pleasantly surprised to find information and a thread discussing projects in the I.F. area as I'm currently living in Ammon. Great information here. I've always been interested in new developments in the area (and Boise as well) and have had a difficult time, till now, in finding updated info.

Thanks for the posts guys. I plan on checking in on a regular basis.

[N2I.F.]

Originally Posted by IFBoiseJunky

Just wanted to say hello. I stumbled onto this site while Googling for the "Boise Place" project planned for Boise. I was pleasantly surprised to find information and a thread discussing projects in the I.F. area as I'm currently living in Ammon. Great information here. I've always been interested in new developments in the area (and Boise as well) and have had a difficult time, till now, in finding updated info.

Thanks for the posts guys. I plan on checking in on a regular basis.

Welcome, IFBoiseJunky. It's good to have another person interested in the fast-paced growth, expanding businesses and hopefully some high rises being built in the Idaho Falls metro area. Don't just check in, tell us anything you know. Living in Ammon, you may have access to infornation some of us don't.

[IFtowner]

Welcome! It's good to have an Ammon forumer on the forum, like it was said earlier, you might know things us Idaho Falls people don't.

[N2I.F.]

The Post Register, in Idaho Falls, adds more to the Iogen information last week. Apparently, Congress has approved $7.3 Million to staff the office of approval to review the applications.

Despite the increase of money, given today's newspaper version about Iogen, a spokeperson for Senator Craig says the very slow pace of this funding office may not be fast enough for Iogen's 9/30/07 deadline.

Per the Post Register, everything is ready in eastern Idaho for this business to be backed. Jeff Passmore, the Executive VP for Iogen is very clear that eastern ID (the Idaho Falls plant near Shelley) is his company's first choice, given the quality of cellulose available. However, Germany is offering a competing package, let alone Canadians who want to keep this new plant in CAnada.

What do you think? Do you think the bureacracy in D.C. can get this approved, now that it has been proposed, announced and planned for over 18 months, or lose this potential huge industry and technology to Germany?

[IFguy]

Well, good news yesterday! Sunnyside will start it's last leg of construction next month and the Center for Advanced Energy Studies broke ground. Now hopefully we'll start hearing some good news about Iogen.

[IFguy]

I ran across a few nuggets of info today about a few new businesses locating near the new Sunnyside Interchange. It seems an outlet mall dubbed Crossroads Outlet Mall will be commencing construction soon as well as a restaraunt and a convenience store. Add to that the new Toyota dealership and a rumored Land Rover dealership, this area is going to fill in very quickly.

Anyone heard anything else?

Sorry guys, I haven't checked this thread in a little while.

The equipment by Smitty's is taking boring samples so that construction on the Marriott Residence Inn, yes that is what it going there, and hopefully consctruction will begin soon.

I'll get a rendering of it on here soon.

[IFguy]

Originally Posted by TCguy

Sorry guys, I haven't checked this thread in a little while.

The equipment by Smitty's is taking boring samples so that construction on the Marriott Residence Inn, yes that is what it going there, and hopefully consctruction will begin soon.

I'll get a rendering of it on here soon.

So I have to ask... Is it going to be the 13 stories as first told or an alright size of 6-7 stories? If it is the latter, what about all of the promised condos and housing down at the TC? And also, last year there was supposed to be construction of the reception center, what's the word on that? And finally, when are the new restaraunts being built?

[N2I.F.]

Quote:
Originally Posted by TCguy
Sorry guys, I haven't checked this thread in a little while.

The equipment by Smitty's is taking boring samples so that construction on the Marriott Residence Inn, yes that is what it going there, and hopefully consctruction will begin soon.

I'll get a rendering of it on here soon. "


IFGuy wrote, "So I have to ask... Is it going to be the 13 stories as first told or an alright size of 6-7 stories? If it is the latter, what about all of the promised condos and housing down at the TC? And also, last year there was supposed to be construction of the reception center, what's the word on that? And finally, when are the new restaraunts being built?"

Thanks for the posts, TC Guy and IFGuy. TC Guy, I join IFGuy in asking the same questions. PLease let us know how many towers as soon as you can (even before you can get a photo, drawing etc. here). I think solid information could put some rumors to rest. I'm also interested in the reception center that can can show the events to others, in real time, who can't attend, be they 5, 500 or 3,000 miles away (if I understood that part correctly from the original info released).

Perhaps when you can, TCGuy, could we just get a general update on the projects on all the pending and proposed projects at TC? If that wasn't clear, what I'm asking, is would you give us the first priority, 2nd etc. of buildings to be built?

Finally, how can we convince you to check in here more often? Or, was it more a matter of letting certain matters be resolved?

We like having you post, TC GUy, and as you may have noticed, the following on this site has increased in numbers. It seems to me that there is a lot of interest about TC and I think even more people will become energized again about TC, if we can have some more solid info.

[N2I.F.]

Hey, we've reached our first 5K posts. That is a milestone, given when IFGuy started this thread.

If CAES, TC projects, announced and soon-to-be-announced projects near the Sunnyside exit and another on Hitt Road, we might reach the second set of 5,000 posts in a shorter amount of time.

Surpassing 5,000 posts just confirms the growth in the Idaho Falls area.

[N2I.F.]

I'm hoping all the resouceful visitors who check in here can answer a couple of questions that I have discusse in various circles. TC GUy, as well as everyone else, please feel free to answer.

1. I've heard that a 6 story hotel will go in the south -of-Broadway location where the 13 Story Marriott Residence Inn/Condo was proposed. Do you know more about this? If so, will the six story building being the Marriott Residence Inn, or will it be a different hotel?

2. I've heard the proposed 13 Story Marriott Residence Inn/Condo building hasn't been scraped; however, it will be farther south on the river. I don't know how far south, but I'm guessing it' in the original T. C. development.

3. There have been a lot of discussions and poposals about a larger convention center, including an arena that could hold 10-12K people so concerts and other activities could be held locally. The last I heard abut this proposal, it was going to go in the area where Ball Ventures is stating their development. Is this still correct, or is the Convention Center a "go" or not?

4. Would a Conventon Center with an arena for conerts, other shows and entertainment yearly, be feasible for private investors to build? Or oes the City of County need to get invoved somewhere wth this process?

Thanks in advance for the info. I don't want to be telling others inaccurate information.

[IFguy]

Federal funding for the ethanol plant between IF and Shelly has FINALLY been approved! From what I have heard previously, the project has it's location and everything is in place. Now as soon as the funding is secured, construction can begin.

[sunB6]

Originally Posted by N2I.F.

The Post Register, in Idaho Falls, adds more to the Iogen information last week. Apparently, Congress has approved $7.3 Million to staff the office of approval to review the applications.

Despite the increase of money, given today's newspaper version about Iogen, a spokeperson for Senator Craig says the very slow pace of this funding office may not be fast enough for Iogen's 9/30/07 deadline.

Per the Post Register, everything is ready in eastern Idaho for this business to be backed. Jeff Passmore, the Executive VP for Iogen is very clear that eastern ID (the Idaho Falls plant near Shelley) is his company's first choice, given the quality of cellulose available. However, Germany is offering a competing package, let alone Canadians who want to keep this new plant in CAnada.

What do you think? Do you think the bureacracy in D.C. can get this approved, now that it has been proposed, announced and planned for over 18 months, or lose this potential huge industry and technology to Germany?

http://www.iogen.ca/news_events/pres...ss_release.pdf

Check out this link for news out of Washington from the DOE. $80million. Iogen joins a half dozen who get a thumbs-up as part of Bush's 2010 Initiative.

You are quick IFguy. Good job.

[IFBoiseJunky]

That's great news about the Iogen plant.

In looking at today's Public Notices, there is going to be a public hearing on Mar. 6th regarding property adjacent to the Ball Packaging Plant/former King B packaging plant for a rezone to commercial. This could be good news related to previos threads regarding a possible hotel at this location.

The notices also mention hearings for two proposed restaurants within the Taylor Crossing development.

Thought this might be of interest to others who might not be aware.

http://id.mypublicnotices.com/Public...ce&AdId=416165

[N2I.F.]

From IFBoise Junky

"That's great news about the Iogen plant.

In looking at today's Public Notices, there is going to be a public hearing on Mar. 6th regarding property adjacent to the Ball Packaging Plant/former King B packaging plant for a rezone to commercial. This could be good news related to previos threads regarding a possible hotel at this location.

The notices also mention hearings for two proposed restaurants within the Taylor Crossing development.

Thought this might be of interest to others who might not be aware.

[url]http://id.mypublicnotices.com/PublicNotice.asp?Page=PublicNotice&AdId=416165"

Yes, IFBoisyJunky, the public notices are places that at least one other user and I scan for information. It will be interesting to watch what happens with the proposed Ball project. Especially if any of that land gets rezoned for a hotel, or whatever zoning might be needed for a convention center.

I believe the Post Register mentioned the two restaurants to be discussed at the meeting. Not by name of course, as the deals aren't totally done, although most of us are in agreement who the one will be.

Seems to me that when T.C. gets these restaurants built, plus that south building on Pancheri, plus the reception center and finally a HOTEL, or possibly two, then it should be time to start building the condos so we can truly see mixed use in the area.

Keep posting IFBoiseJunky. You'll probably find more and more resources, or know people who know information about upcoming projects. Anyway, it is good to have you here.

[N2I.F.]

Originally Posted by IFguy

Federal funding for the ethanol plant between IF and Shelly has FINALLY been approved! From what I have heard previously, the project has it's location and everything is in place. Now as soon as the funding is secured, construction can begin.

IF GUy, You and I have been following this for how many years now? Can you believe this big step forward FINALLY!

Of course Sen. Craig's office is saying it isn't totally a done deal yet, but enough that Jeff Passmore, Iogen's VP for new market and business development, is feeling "encouraged and optomistic."

Both the Iaho Satesman and the Post Register are running this story today, so it must be close to being a done deal. Passmore wants the plant completed by 2008. It is also interesting to me that now Shelley is reported as being "5 miles south of Idaho Falls." Talk about annexation!

I found it interesting that the Post Register reported Iogen already has contracts with 320 farmers for 400,000 tons of barley straw, since Iogen states eatern ID is the best location in the U.S. for a commerica ceulosic ethanol plant.
But, what is most interesting to me, is once again INL will be involved in another major alternative fuels project. Last week, the $17 Million CAES had dirt broken by Gov. Otter and others. The collaborations for CAES are suppose to be International and we already know England has joined the cause sending even a project manager to live and work in Idaho Falls with CAES. CAES is suppose to be a joint INL/ISU venture, with the group of U.S. universities, including MIT, invoved.

Conversely, while INL will be involved with Iogen, it will be the University of ID that it teams up with on this project, not ISU. It seems a little odd to me,that each university is invovled with one INL alternative energy project instead of the focus of alternative fuels becoming a mission of one university in Idaho.

It boggles my mind that INL is involved with CAES and the Iogen projects, with ISU and U. of Idaho respectively. Yet, a formal community colege, or better yet a larger presence of one or both Idaho universities in Idaho Falls in return for "sharing" what INL landed, still hasn't been announced.

Both ISU and U of I are glad to have the press and count these projects as part of what they have accomplished this last year. Yet, neither is offering more college classes for the Idaho Falls area students in such basic subjects like English and other clases that don't require special labs and facilities to teach the subject. This isn't fair to the local residents.

So how about it Idaho Legislature? INL brings in the goods, the contracts, and the universities benefit. How about giving the residents something back in return like more classes in Idaho Falls. Much like other larger states, such as TX, CA and AL etc., I can easily see either U. of I, or ISU, having a larger enrollment at the Idaho Falls campus than the original campus.

Maybe it is time for University Place to start to have some missions of its own as the univesity for alternative energies. If either ISU or U. of I. steps up to provide the local training and added classes local students need, then fine, that university should be be acknowledged as X University in Idaho Falls, as working on these national projects. Both ISU and U. of I. have decreasing enrollments overall. Yet, University Place is bursting at it's seams with students. Why not focus on building facilities and increasing enrollment in Idaho Falls?

Some may know that in Utah and ID currently, private universities are moving in and opening community colleges and colleges that award advanced degrees. I am suggesting the State of Idaho, and especially ISU and U of I can no longer afford to look at Idaho Falls as competition, but perhaps a successful branch of their own university that increases the grants, the missions, the programs offered and the students served in Idaho Falls.

Maybe someone else has also arrived at the same conclusion as me. Maybe that is why no additional classes have been added at the Univesity Place. While that tactic will work for a while, so each respective university can still have its largest campus in it's home city presently, I think we will see patterns change. I don't know if Pocatello or Moscow will still have more students attending their campus than their Idaho Falls branch, in 5-10 years.


Absolutely awesome news about Iogen!

[eastidaho]

There have been a lot of discussions and poposals about a larger convention center, including an arena that could hold 10-12K people so concerts and other activities could be held locally. The last I heard abut this proposal, it was going to go in the area where Ball Ventures is stating their development. Is this still correct, or is the Convention Center a "go" or not?

I know of two buildings in Ball's development: A McDonalds at the Sunnyside exit, and a building southwest of the structure they are putting up right now, that will house two Idaho Falls business.

When I first heard of this project, the rumor was PUD with a park and some retail highlighted by a community center/ small convention center. Any information since has been strip malls, business park type offices, and below average retail structures. IMO, it will be a suburban commercial area ala 17th. Hopefully I will be eating crow in a year or two, because presently nothing excites me about this project.

[N2I.F.]

Originally Posted by eastidaho

I know of two buildings in Ball's development: A McDonalds at the Sunnyside exit, and a building southwest of the structure they are putting up right now, that will house two Idaho Falls business.

When I first heard of this project, the rumor was PUD with a park and some retail highlighted by a community center/ small convention center. Any information since has been strip malls, business park type offices, and below average retail structures. IMO, it will be a suburban commercial area ala 17th. Hopefully I will be eating crow in a year or two, because presently nothing excites me about this project.

What, eastidaho, you're not overwhelmed with the proposal of another McDonald's restaurant?

It sounds like the tenants [("Idaho Falls' businesses") may already be selected?] So instead of bringing in new businesses, it is sounds like Ball Ventures is just relocating established companies. Boo hoo! Well, maybe those companies are in crummy buildings and they will get flattened so new building can occur at their present location?

I'm not sure whether to be encouraged or dscouraged about the proposed convention center. It is good to have another center and meeting faciity and perhaps that is where the 13 story Marriott Residence Inn is now going to locate. But, I'm discouraged because this sounds like the arena type seating or other design, would only hold, at best,1-2K peope, if that many

Thanks for the info, eastidaho, let us know if you hear of anything else about "Ball Mall" as you like to call it.