Boise Development Thread - Part II

[JustakidfromBoise]

At least they extended the street all the way through. Also is it possible to build on top of the parking garage in the future?

[JustakidfromBoise]

And that future parcel is so thin I can't see anything tall being built there, except maybe something similar to the Aspen Lofts.

[Urban Buff]

I completely agree with boisenative. That is a tremendous disappointment for such a visible parcel entering downtown. I get it, it needs to pencil out financially before a marquis project can be financed. Hopefully members of P & Z and Council review SSP and will agree that neither Gardner project should be permitted for Parcel B. Let it remain exposed mineral soil until the efficacy of a project we can be proud can be developed. We have an opportunity for a great first impression in a project adjacent to JUMP...

[jakor21]

I am excited about the new brewery in the Lusk area. That will be great for that little region.

[jakor21]

To Gardner Co.. Your design for Parcel B is pathetic and divergent to the suburbs for the gateway to Boise. Really?

Please sell your rights to this piece of land to a local developer that understands where Boise is headed.

[BoiseBMW]

That's pretty meh.

[OhGoodGlavin]

I agree it's totally meh. I guess the only hope now is that they have a really cool company lined up to occupy that building that will bring new jobs into downtown - preferably a tech company.

Anyone else think that that's an odd place for a 5000 sf retail establishment? For reference that's 1/3 the square footage of Trader Joe's (IIRC TJ's is 14k sf).

[BoiseBMW]

Originally Posted by OhGoodGlavin

I agree it's totally meh. I guess the only hope now is that they have a really cool company lined up to occupy that building that will bring new jobs into downtown - preferably a tech company.

Anyone else think that that's an odd place for a 5000 sf retail establishment? For reference that's 1/3 the square footage of Trader Joe's (IIRC TJ's is 14k sf).

It's very odd. I don't know what would be put there that would be useful besides maybe a restaurant.

[Cottonwood]

When 8th & Main was completed, a Gardner admitted the tower should have been taller:

http://www.spokesman.com/blogs/boise...s-been-filled/

Kem Gardner, chairman of the Gardner Company, developer of the tower, said, “We all knew that that hole in Boise was holding back the development of the community and that it needed to be filled.”

The new tower is scheduled to open in January of 2014, and so far it’s not only on schedule, on budget and free of serious mishaps, it’s already 81 percent leased, with all of its retail space now taken. “I blew it – I really should’ve done 25 floors on this building,” Gardner told the crowd. “I was scared to death of 18. … Now that I see where we are on this, I say let’s take this off and build another couple floors!”

And there is this recent article in the IBR:

Brokers: Surge of new office space won’t dampen demand

Read more: http://idahobusinessreview.com/2016/...#ixzz42S3TNnRy

...so why not make this proposed 6 floor office building at least 10 floors with a more interesting design?
That lot has been empty as long as I can remember. Adjacent JUMP and the under construction Simplot HQ are bold, modern, interesting and attractive designs. The buildings on Parcel B should be too.

[Architecture Buff]

What is going on at Gardner Company?

They keep changing their design, and say it's because of current market demand.
Their bid for the parcel was accepted, because of their announcement of a grand hotel.
They come up with a small hotel and a soccer field atop a one level parking structure.
Then a horrible design with two hotels squeezed next to each other with a ugly parking garage with maybe condos on top.
Now it's a 5 level office building, a tiny retail building they stuck on one corner.
Add a 4 level above ground parking garage across from the Simplot World Headquarters building.
Simplot must be biting their lips after they spent millions for a underground parking garage with a landscaped park, only to see their neighbor going to build one ugly 4 block design disaster.
Gardner it seems got caught telling everyone of their hotel plan, and three developers beat them to the gun with all three of their hotels under construction while they try to finish City Center.
People I have talked to about bringing conventions to Boise have said a large convention hotel is needed for them to come to town. Gardner has expanded the convention space, but it seems they got mired in all the other buildings they are doing.
Money is always a problem in big planned developments. Also a commitment of large hotel chains to come into a small medium sized city.
So at the moment only three of the six hotels planned have materialized.
Lets hope Gardner waits and builds something worthy of Parcel B, or sell it.

[Architecture Buff]

A short video of the Residence Inn Marriott, and The Inn at 500 Capitol.

https://youtu.be/EovF7iMURuE

[Boisebro]

i'm sure none of you will be surprised that i'm extremely disappointed with Gardner's proposal, as well.

that design is pathetic. a boring box that looks like a concrete parking garage slapped with windows. what a terrible design and horrible use of that gateway to the city. then again, this blurb from IBR might explain why:

“We build a whole lot of these in Utah,” said Geoff Wardle, Gardner’s general counsel and vice president of development. “Tech companies like large floor plates with open floor plans and big meeting spaces. We’re working with a potential user that would take a significant portion of the building.”

in other words, they're just repurposing an ugly corporate park building from Utah and plopping it in our downtown core. frankly, i wouldn't care if this was built in some suburban corporate park where it belongs. but here? downtown? on that lot that everyone sees coming into the city center? um, no. HELL no.

i've been very complimentary of Gardner in the past. they've given us two very nice buildings in the Zion and City Center, and they deserve a ton of credit for that. but i'd hate to think the city is giving them a free pass on this design because of their past contributions.

they can do better than this. much better.

[boisecynic]

Hold on everyone. It looks like a suburban office park because of, wait for it, zoning. The parking overlay is P2, not P1 of the downtown core. A bunch of parking is required for that lot, and many others outside the immediate core. Contact your councilors and tell them to cut the micro managing and let the free market decide. God, I can't believe I'm sounding like a libertarian, but...

Read this:

http://www.cityofboise.org/city_cler...06/parking.pdf

NOTE: This is dated 2006, I'm not sure if parking overlay zoning has been tweaked.



Edit: Research. Not directly relevant but 1109 W Main and 1201 W Grove were recently rezoned from P2 to P1 in Dec 2014. Source: http://pdsonline.cityofboise.org/pds...01270949198070

Edit 2: Jan 2016: CCDC has been working on the parking issue, I see a lot of discussion but no proposed solutions. Ahem, paralysis by analysis. Anyone want to read this whole thing? Here: http://www.ccdcboise.com/wp-content/...tegic-Plan.pdf

EDIT 3: Using this site: http://gismaps.cityofboise.org/Html5...licpropertymap It appears that parcel B is still zoned for P2 Parking Overlay.

EDIT 4: Here's the details for parking overlays: P1: No off-street parking is required within the P-1 district, as indicated in Table 11-07.1, Off-Street Parking Requirements. This provision does not provide exemption from off-street loading requirements. P2 and P3 = roughly 1/3rd to 1/2 the standard parking requirements respectively but it's complicated. There are many pages to study. Page 128 and pages 210 through 226 here:

http://cityclerk.cityofboise.org/med.../11-entire.pdf

[jakor21]

Anyone know when the next P&Z meeting is for Gardner or in general????

I'm literally going to go to voice my disappointment and exhaust the vital importance that parcel B be developed in a different matter..

I simply cannot believe the city would allow such failure to be developed to the gateway to the economic, cultural, and social core of the entire state. This may be why all the educated millennials are leaving the city, and for better architecture.. (I actually don't know that just ranting..)

[TVurban]

Originally Posted by jakor21

Anyone know when the next P&Z meeting is for Gardner or in general????

I'm literally going to go to voice my disappointment and exhaust the vital importance that parcel B be developed in a different matter..

I simply cannot believe the city would allow such failure to be developed to the gateway to the economic, cultural, and social core of the entire state. This may be why all the educated millennials are leaving the city, and for better architecture.. (I actually don't know that just ranting..)

Attached is a link to the City of Boise Meetings Calendar. It lists out Design Review, Planning/Zoning, City Council and Historic Preservation meetings. They post the Agenda and then the minutes for meetings. My guess is that Gardner's proposal will be heard next month.

http://boisecityid.iqm2.com/Citizens...?View=Calendar

[Cottonwood]

Per Boisebro's post on the previous page, regarding the blurb from the IBR, it looks like they have a potential tech company to utilize the new building and that is good news despite the looks of the building.

[Cottonwood]

The IBR has an update about Barber Station out on Parkcenter Boulevard. I've seen info about this in the past and it looks like it is moving forward. These would look great on Parcel B


Source: http://idahobusinessreview.com/files...eb-600x330.jpg

http://idahobusinessreview.com/2016/...barber-valley/

Office buildings planned for Barber Valley
Brighton Corp. plans to build three office buildings with 42,255 square feet of space and a 162-unit luxury apartment community on Barber Valley Drive, just across the Boise River from Bown Crossing

Read more: http://idahobusinessreview.com/2016/...#ixzz42bmnmnr9

[Architecture Buff]

Rendering and webcam photo from their website, www.innat500.com
Opening end of the year with Café Vicino moving from the north end as their restaurant.





Webcam photo showing the corner of the 10 story Marriott under construction across from The Inn at 500 Capitol

[Sawtooth]

a Blue Saturday morning

[FutureNorthEnder]

Cool photos, Sawtooth! Were those all Bernie fans?