This Boise-area city’s downtown was a ‘ghost town.’ Now you might want to live there

Nick Rosenberger
·7 min read
6

Many long-term residents of the Treasure Valley may remember what downtown Caldwell was like a few decades ago.

In the ‘90s and early 2000s, the center of the city had a decaying core that offered jagged industrial edges, crime and emptiness.

“Downtown Caldwell had been run down and had a poor reputation for a very long time,” said Travis Palmer, executive director of the Caldwell Chamber of Commerce. “People would warn people not to go there after dark … It was not a safe and pleasant place to be.”

But after a decades-long effort, the area surrounding Indian Creek Plaza is emerging from the dark days, attracting developers and breaking visitation records.

Construction equipment sits in an empty lot across the street from Indian Creek Plaza at Kimball Avenue and Arthur Street in Caldwell. The area has seen an influx of interest from investors and developers.
Construction equipment sits in an empty lot across the street from Indian Creek Plaza at Kimball Avenue and Arthur Street in Caldwell. The area has seen an influx of interest from investors and developers.

The city’s annual Winter Wonderland Festival — which offers a bevy of vendors, over 1 million Christmas lights, ice-skating and a chance to meet Santa — attracted about 36,000 people over the Nov. 17-19 weekend, according to Denae Warren, executive director for Destination Caldwell.

The Treasure Valley Night Light Parade on Dec. 2 also broke records, according to Palmer. Last year it had about 70 participants. This year it had over 90.

The transformation of the core, Warren said, has had an enormous impact on the community.

“It’s quite remarkable,” she told the Idaho Statesman by phone.

And developers are noticing.

Seattle-based property management company Avenue5 Residential opened Caldwell’s first modern four-story apartment building in downtown Caldwell on Dec. 1. Meanwhile, plans are in motion to build a new hotel, festival street and amphitheater.

“We’re really excited about the growth,” said Steven Jenkins, economic development director for the city of Caldwell.

Children ice skate at Indian Creek Plaza. The new, four-story apartment building called Tilian is northwest of the plaza.
Children ice skate at Indian Creek Plaza. The new, four-story apartment building called Tilian is northwest of the plaza.

Downtown declines after Karcher Mall opens

This is not the first time Caldwell has had an increasingly lively core.

“Caldwell downtown has a rich history,” Jenkins said by phone. “(It) started off being a pretty robust economic center for the Treasure Valley.”

Then came the Karcher Mall in northwestern Nampa. According to Jenkins, shoppers were more interested in the mall after it opened in 1965. It began pulling businesses and shoppers away from downtown Caldwell.

Nampa’s Karcher Mall was a popular destination for shoppers after it opened in 1965 but later faced declining sales. It has been undergoing redevelopment. This 2018 photo shows some shoppers visiting the mall in its waning days.
Nampa’s Karcher Mall was a popular destination for shoppers after it opened in 1965 but later faced declining sales. It has been undergoing redevelopment. This 2018 photo shows some shoppers visiting the mall in its waning days.

The area began to decay.

“It became a ghost town,” Jenkins said. “(There was) not a lot of optimism, not a lot of hope of what this community could be.”

As crime increased and vacancies rose, Indian Creek, which was covered by concrete at the time, began to cave in, and stores collapsed into the creek, according to Jenkins. A car wash was one such unlucky tenant.

“We were at a crossroads as a city,” Jenkins said.

The city could have simply buttoned the creek back up and continued down the same path it had chosen decades before, or it could try something new by uncovering the creek and building around it.

“We chose to go down the harder path,” Jenkins said.

Uncovering Indian Creek in 2008 and turning the former King’s Department Store into the Indian Creek Plaza in 2018 were critical to the area’s revitalization, Jenkins said.

According to Jenkins, they had to create a new identity for Caldwell and needed to recognize that the city would differ from others in the Treasure Valley.

“We had something special here,” Jenkins said. “We had to accept the fact that we were going to be unique.”

Indian Creek had been covered by concrete for years until the city decided to open it up in an attempt to revitalize the area.
Indian Creek had been covered by concrete for years until the city decided to open it up in an attempt to revitalize the area.

The Tilian: Apartments for rent near plaza

This approach has paid off as city and community leaders welcomed the addition of The Tilian — a 142-unit apartment building integrated into the Indian Creek Plaza — on Dec. 1. DeChase Miksis, a Eugene, Oregon, firm with an office in Boise, developed the apartments.

According to Jenkins, the apartments have seen at least 30 residents move in since it opened, despite the end of the year often being a slower time of the year for real estate.

“It’s been strong so far,” Jenkins said.

Studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments rent for $1,225 to $1,785 per month. The units range from about 430 square feet to 981 square feet.

Of the three retail pads on the first floor, two are still available for rent, according to Jenkins.

Avenue5 Residential and deChase Miksis did not respond to phone calls requesting comment.

The Tilian.
The Tilian.

And not everyone is sold on the idea of inviting a multistory building to a community that still identifies strongly with its rural roots. Some see the building as too big and tall for its surroundings, while others worry about parking and congestion.

But, Palmer said that without a bit of hustle and bustle, a city just feels dead. Adding it adds buzz.

And local business and community leaders are still pumped about the growth of downtown Caldwell and where it can go in the future.

“There’s a strong level of optimism here,” Jenkins said. “This has been a very refreshing approach to our community.”

According to Warren, bringing housing to the downtown core has knock-on effects. Residents who live downtown will frequent coffee shops, restaurants and help anchor local businesses year-round.

Warren said it seems like more and more shops are coming into downtown Caldwell and businesses usually fill any vacancies in the plaza area within about 30 days. Attracting more and more businesses means economic stability for folks who choose to make Caldwell their home, she said.

“It’s the living room of Caldwell,” Warren said. “It really is like a Hallmark movie.”

Shoppers walk along 7th Avenue at Indian Creek Plaza. Local leaders have made a concerted effort to bring back the downtown area. Their work is finally paying off.
Shoppers walk along 7th Avenue at Indian Creek Plaza. Local leaders have made a concerted effort to bring back the downtown area. Their work is finally paying off.

Caldwell plans jumbo screens, watch parties

Warren, Palmer and Jenkins have big dreams for Caldwell’s downtown core.

According to Warren, there are events at Indian Creek Plaza about 260 days out of the year, including about 15 “signature” events, including festivals, concerts and farmers’ markets. Warren hopes people could someday know Caldwell as “Idaho’s premiere gathering space.”

Palmer said there are several ideas for how to expand and enhance the plaza for community engagement, including talk about adding temporary jumbo screens for watch parties and sports events, such as the 100-year anniversary of the Caldwell Night Rodeo in August 2024.

Indian Creek Plaza was modeled after a project in Rapid City, South Dakota, and contains one of America’s few “ice skating ribbons,” according to Steven Jenkins, economic development director for the city of Caldwell.
Indian Creek Plaza was modeled after a project in Rapid City, South Dakota, and contains one of America’s few “ice skating ribbons,” according to Steven Jenkins, economic development director for the city of Caldwell.

And more developments are on the way as the city awaits construction of a new boutique hotel by the Eugene, Oregon, based Obie Hospitality Cos. The company also built the $27 million Inn at 500 Capitol in downtown Boise.

Developers would build the hotel over a surface parking lot on the corner of Blaine Street and 6th Avenue South and adjacent from the Nancolas Center, which is the future site of Caldwell’s City Hall, according to the city’s request for proposals. It would be located a block southwest from The Tilian across Indian Creek.

According to Obie Hospitality’s Aug. 11 proposal to the city, the hotel would include 75 to 100 rooms, over 2,000 square feet of meeting space, a restaurant, rooftop bar, fitness center, valet parking and other potential amenities such as a spa.

“To be successful requires much more than plunking down a hotel on the site,” according to the plan. “To be successful, the hotel must include and interact with other drivers on and off-site, including food, beverage, entertainment and retail.”

The city accepted Obie Hospitality’s proposal during a Sept. 5 council meeting.

“The ability to host a convention in downtown Caldwell will be a major economic game changer,” Council Member John McGee said then.

Old meets new as years of effort have brought new development to downtown Caldwell.
Old meets new as years of effort have brought new development to downtown Caldwell.

The city is also planning a third phase in the development of Indian Creek Plaza with a festival street.



And, while it wouldn’t be located in the downtown area, Jenkins said the city is also seeking proposals for the development of a new amphitheater.

Developers would build the proposed amphitheater where the current Griffith’s baseball and softball fields sit next to Wolfe Field, southeast of the Canyon County Fairgrounds.

The city is hoping to fill the 14.3-acre site with a “large-scale venue capable of hosting a wide range of musical and/or culturally relevant activities,” according to the request.

The project also aims to attract people to local breweries, restaurants, hotels, agriculture-related events and the Sunnyslope Wine Region along with offering opportunities to collaborate with the Caldwell Night Rodeo, Simplot Stadium and Canyon County Fair.

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