Boise Development Thread - Part II

[TVurban]

Afton Phase 2
Phase 2 of the Afton has reappeared back for Design Review. They've add the mix-use space on the corner of the building, though its not that large and they have removed the townhomes along the alley as a result. It looked like the storage that was at the front of the building was shifted to the side and the townhomes were placed on the 2nd level.
http://pdsonline.cityofboise.org/pds...id=DRH17-00569

"Renderings"

[Cottonwood]

http://www.idahostatesman.com/news/l...189437649.html

Don’t like that building proposed near you? This Boise ordinance may help.

Prodded by projects they don’t like, neighborhood groups are dusting off a little-known Boise ordinance to preserve the character of the places they live.

In the East End, a plan for a home on Mobley Drive off Warm Springs Avenue spurred a group of neighbors to start organizing what the city calls a conservation district. The house would have been two stories and narrow, while most nearby homes are single-level ranch-style structures built in the 1950s.

Across town, a September proposal to build a CVS Pharmacy at the corner of State and 17th streets prompted residents to step up a year-old effort to establish a conservation district there.

Conservation districts, or conservation overlays, are similar to historic districts. They restrict development by regulating architectural styles, height, massing and uses of buildings, as well as parking and other uses. Unlike historic districts, they don’t restrict less obvious features such as materials and window sill depths.

Read more here: http://www.idahostatesman.com/news/l...#storylink=cpy

[Sawtooth]

5th & IdaHo






City Hall Plaza renovations are moving along


Grass and Trees




Paint it Green!









Northend crane spotting

[Visualize]

Nice pictures. Good thing I have a recent tetanus shot in case I bump into the Ground Zero memorial. Sad to see the 1980's-90's time piece fountain removed in favor of a large strip of dog toilet and sidewalks too narrow and obstructed for smooth passage. But it's new, so yay.

The protected bike lane is great, way too often bike-lanes just turn into turn lanes for cars or parking for delivery vehicles. Legit kudos for that.

[Cottonwood]

Thanks for the photos. The new apartments going up on 5th Street are going to be a great addition to that area of downtown.

BTW, that grove of Cottonwoods is looking good. Per the plans there is to be a new water feature to replace that dated worn out fountain, did you see any indication of that?

Here is a time lapse of their installation:

• Video Link

[kidboise]

The cottonwoods installation is looking good!

[TVurban]

Two concepts have emerged for the new main library. These were presented last week at the City Council Work Session.

Option 1 is a remodel/rebuild and seems to be the preferred option. The 4 story original building would be kept, and the 1 story portion demolished and replaced. A theater would be added on the corner of River and Capitol. Parking would be in an off property parking garage. They mentioned that they were in the process of negotiating for a garage access/new garage somewhere close. This would place back of house operations in the original building.

Option 2 is replaces all of the building and has on-site parking on River above the Arts and History portion of the building. This is the more expensive out of the two options.

Both library concepts are oriented towards the river. The plan is to include the Arts and History department along River street, ground level, to activate 8th street/river street. From the work session last week, it sounds like the theater would be a flat theater with movable seating. This would allow it the greatest freedom in configuration and allow different types of groups to utilize it.

Two concepts emerge for a new Boise main library
https://idahobusinessreview.com/2017...-main-library/

he architectural team that will be hired later in December to design a new Boise main library will have two basic concepts as a jumping off point. Both concepts propose a 114,000-square-foot library oriented to face the Boise River with a theater space suggested for the corner of Capitol Boulevard and River Street.

Option 1:

Option 1 Massing:

Option 2:

Option 2 Massing:

[Visualize]

I think many parents who frequent the library with kids would really appreciate the on-site parking in the second option.

Glad to see the removal of the cabin. That's a really interesting location which could serve a much greater use.

Likely unpopular opinion: Remove or re-design the Anne Frank Memorial. It's dangerous. Coming north from the pedestrian train bridge requires a jog in the path to continue onto 8th street, and crossing in front of other riders on a curved hill that I have seen a lot of people struggle with. The memorial also completely turned its back to the River, with a dangerous wall protruding right onto the greenbelt path at an already narrow and blind corner underneath the train bridge and 9th street. For those that can remember, the section in-between the bridges used to be open, and hippies used to play bongo drums there on grassed setbacks. Overall, sure.. good and nobel message, but absolutely horrible design for a pedestrian junction.

I'd also caution the library against putting a drop-off on 8th. After winding your bike through the Anne Frank maze, now a rider has to navigate a rotating line of cars before breaking free onto 8th. This area should be open and invite pedestrians onto 8th from this natural funnel point, but instead is being designed to completely obstruct and resist them.

[Cottonwood]

Originally Posted by TVurban

Two concepts have emerged for the new main library. These were presented last week at the City Council Work Session.

Option 1 is a remodel/rebuild and seems to be the preferred option. The 4 story original building would be kept, and the 1 story portion demolished and replaced. A theater would be added on the corner of River and Capitol. Parking would be in an off property parking garage. They mentioned that they were in the process of negotiating for a garage access/new garage somewhere close. This would place back of house operations in the original building.

Option 2 is replaces all of the building and has on-site parking on River above the Arts and History portion of the building. This is the more expensive out of the two options.

Both library concepts are oriented towards the river. The plan is to include
the Arts and History department along River street, ground level, to activate 8th street/river street. From the work session last week, it sounds like the theater would be a flat theater with movable seating. This would allow it the greatest freedom in configuration and allow different types of groups to utilize it.

Two concepts emerge for a new Boise main library
https://idahobusinessreview.com/2017...-main-library/


Option 1:

Option 1 Massing:

Option 2:

Option 2 Massing:

Thanks for this info. Is there a timeline for construction yet?

[TVurban]

Seems like everybody is jumping on the library news today. Here's an article from the Statesman this afternoon:

What will it take to make Boise's downtown library a 'crown jewel' instead of a 'depressing' disappointment?
http://www.idahostatesman.com/news/l...190562909.html

A reading room with windows facing the Boise River. A welcoming coffee shop. A rooftop garden and room to store and additional 100,000 volumes.
And four times as many parking spaces.
A new downtown Boise Public Library may include these. The building is still years away. It doesn't have an architect yet, or a budget either. But city leaders want it to be contemporary. Spacious. Impressive.

[Urban Buff]

I hope the City elects to preserve our history and repurposes the old brick and mortar structure that was once a hardware store in the warehouse district. From my perspective, one of the visually interesting components of a built up urban area is the architectural diversity of the buildings. The various styles and materials used in different eras are a reflection of that city's history. Unfortunately, our wonderful city has had much of it's history erased including it's former China town (Largely the Grove Plaza blocks today).

Don't follow the Boise School District's disappointing example of erasing our history based solely on economics. Cole Elementary School Est. 1888 was razed a few years ago in lieu of a beautiful weed infested vacant lot. Apparently, that made the property more marketable... The same can be said about the demolition of Franklin Elementary School.

Please save our city's history and integrate the existing 4 story building into an exciting new design. I am thrilled to hear the entry and focal point will be oriented towards 8th St completing one of the neatest corridors in the Pacific Northwest.

[Cottonwood]

Originally Posted by TVurban

Seems like everybody is jumping on the library news today. Here's an article from the Statesman this afternoon:

I hope Kathryn Svilar from Cheyenne can find some peace lol.

[Cottonwood]

Today's Boise Weekly has some development news:

https://www.boiseweekly.com/boise/bo...nt?oid=8296995
Boise Entrepreneur Creates Shipping Container Business Park on the Bench
The Yard will be an “incubation space” for small businesses

https://media2.fdncms.com/boiseweekl...6d6085eb_z.jpg

The shipping container park Pop Box Brixton in London was an inspiration for Lee's Boise project, The Yard.

Hilary Lee is on a mission to bring a sense of community to what she said feels like a forgotten section of Boise. The 29-year-old entrepreneur behind the Gluten Free Galaxy food truck is building a shipping container business park on the Bench.

Dubbed The Yard, the park will be an “incubation space” and a community hub for gathering, shopping, eating and working. Lee plans to rent 20- and 40-foot shipping containers kitted out with walls, floors, doors, windows, power, insulation and even equipment to small businesses, and she hopes to eventually have 40 renters thriving on the half-acre lot at the corner or Alpine and Garden streets. The Gluten Free Galaxy bakery, which will be housed in a 40-foot container, is set to open in February 2018 and will be the first. The rest of the park is scheduled to open in June.

https://www.boiseweekly.com/boise/in...nt?oid=8366576
Indian Creek Plaza will give Downtown Caldwell a Boost

https://media2.fdncms.com/boiseweekl...creek_gglo.jpg

The $7 million plaza, currently under construction at the corner of Arthur Street and S. Kimball Avenue, is scheduled to open in the spring of 2018 and could attract thousands for concerts, ice skating, farmers markets and more. Currently, the city is planning to host about 200 events in the plaza each year. More people means more customers, a prospect local business are eagerly anticipating.

https://www.destinationcaldwell.com/indian-creek-plaza

[TVurban]

On the note of Downtown Caldwell, the Hotel developer they were working with pull out. They had already demolished a solid block of buildings for the future hotel. More in the article:

Caldwell leaders open to other options for hotel site
https://www.idahopress.com/news/loca...9ee36ec6c.html

CALDWELL — City leaders are looking into more flexible options moving forward with a downtown hotel site.

The site is bordered on the northeast by Main Street and the southeast by South Seventh Avenue. In July 2016, Caldwell’s urban renewal agency released a request for proposals seeking developers who wanted to build a “premier hotel” and “gathering site.”

For nearly a century, the land was occupied by Saratoga hotel and restaurant, a vibrant gathering place.

Ever since the hotel burned down in 1990, downtown Caldwell hasn’t had a hotel like it in its downtown core, according to a 2016 report by the Idaho Press-Tribune.

Caldwell Hospitality Group LLC, which owns the Best Western Plus Caldwell Inn and Suites, submitted a response to the proposal in 2016.

At a November urban renewal meeting, Keri Smith-Sigman, economic development specialist for the city of Caldwell, announced the group will not be building in Caldwell anymore.

[TVurban]

Downtown could get a huge boost if this project moves forward. The developer is considering two options, one that would include 16,00 sqft of retail/office space and 103 residential units and another that would have 6,000 retail, 21,000 sqft of office and 119 residential units. This could be the project that jump starts Meridian. I remember an article in the Statesman awhile back saying that several developers have land and potential projects there but none of them wanted to be the first. This could be that push.

Developer shares new plan for downtown block at Main and Broadway
https://www.mymeridianpress.com/news...470fe7024.html

A new development proposed for downtown Meridian would bring more than 100 units of housing with a goal of creating a live-work environment in the city center.

Josh Evarts, who owns buildings and a business in downtown Meridian, has been working on the so-called Main and Broadway project, which is at the corner of Main Street and Broadway Avenue.

Evarts and developer Caleb Roope with the Pacific Companies want to develop most of the block of North Main Street between East Broadway and East Idaho avenues into a mix of office, retail and residential space.

[Cottonwood]

Good news for the metro area. A major plus our "suburban" cities have going for them is that they all have their own historic city cores to build upon and they are not relying on fake lifestyle centers to create a faux downtown as in other areas. The Village at Meridian may give that impression, but Meridian at least has a historic downtown in tact.

http://www.idahostatesman.com/outdoo...190961334.html

‘High thrill and low skill’: Bogus Basin’s new mountain coaster will leave you smiling

There’s a new way to speed down the mountain at Bogus Basin Mountain Recreation Area — and you don’t need a lesson, gear or athleticism.

The Glade Runner mountain coaster opens Friday. Its 4,330-foot track will pull you 800 vertical feet up the mountain from Simplot Lodge toward Pioneer Lodge, then send you on a joyride of twists, turns, dips and 360s on more than a half-mile of track.

http://bogusbasin.org/

[Sawtooth]

Capitol Boulevard
Center for Fine Arts

I have moved the skyline shots to my fall thread

[Sawtooth]

Merry Christmas Boise
and to the Wild Boiseans
and the rest of the Mountain West

[Northernlad]

Beautiful! Your photos are worth a million words.
The pristine natural superiority of Boise is what makes it such a unique city.

[Cottonwood]

http://www.idahostatesman.com/news/b...191199884.html

At 40, success and longevity of Boise’s iconic Record Exchange ‘a pretty remarkable thing’

There’s no other place like The Record Exchange in the Treasure Valley — and very few spots like it in the country — that can match its mix of retro cool, contemporary swagger and business savvy.