Ready-to-eat cookie dough. A Hot Pot restaurant. Lawn care app. Coming near you
The latest proposed developments, housing and other construction projects, and new businesses around Idaho’s Treasure Valley:
Boise
LEAP Housing broke ground on a new affordable homeownership project in West Boise.
The community, called Whitney Commons, will consist of 11 homes to be sold to families earning no more than 80% of the area’s median income. In Boise, that’s $53,900 for a two-person household, $60,650 for a three-person household and $67,350 for a four-person household.
Each home will have three beds and two baths, according to a news release from LEAP Housing.
Interested buyers can submit their information on an eligibility questionnaire. Filling out the form and being qualified based on income does not guarantee a home, the nonprofit noted.
“Preference will be given to households with a member that meets the broad definition of special needs according to the Federal Home Loan Bank, which includes provisions for elderly household members,” the news release said.
The new community, part of the LEAP Housing Trust, is planned near the site of a park the city intends to build on Shamrock Street.
The Whitney Foundation donated $200,000 to purchase the land the homes will sit on. Construction is slated to finish by the end of this summer.
“The Boise housing market, with median home prices well over $500,000, has narrowed opportunities for income-limited households to renter-ship only,” LEAP Housing CEO Bart Cochran said at a groundbreaking ceremony for the homes. “The Whitney Foundation is helping us stand in the gap.”
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Micron has plans to annex a large chunk of land south of its Boise campus.
The memory-chip manufacturer proposed annexing and rezoning 517 acres in Southeast Boise, according to a permit application filed with the city. When reached by an Idaho Statesman reporter on Friday, a spokesperson for Micron could not immediately confirm whether the land will become the site of its planned fab, or plant, for memory manufacturing.
The company announced in September that it would invest $15 billion through 2030 in a major expansion of its headquarters. It held a groundbreaking ceremony later that month.
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CATCH, or Charitable Assistance to Community’s Homeless, held a ribbon cutting ceremony for its newly renovated building next to Rhodes Skate Park.
Boise Mayor Lauren McLean spoke at the event.
Construction on the space lasted several months and was funded by the city. CATCH is a Boise nonprofit that works to help people find stable housing and become financially independent.
The nonprofit’s staff moved back into the office at 503 S. Americana Blvd. in April.
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An app that connects local homeowners with vetted lawn care professionals has launched in Boise.
The app, called GreenPal, lets homeowners list their lawns along with a service date and its needs. Pre-screened lawn care vendors bid on the properties using Google Street View and other details provided by the homeowner.
The homeowner selects who they want to work with based on the vendor’s ratings, reviews and price, according to an email from Gene Caballero, co-founder of the Nashville-based app. When the service is completed, the landscaper sends a time-stamped photo of the work.
The homeowner can then pay and set up additional appointments through the app.
“After successfully launching in 250 other markets, we are excited to help homeowners in Boise find reliable, safe and local lawn care,” Caballero said.
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Glancey Rockwell & Associates has filed a request for permit for the construction of the Jackson Jet Hanger, a “39,000-square-foot of planned aircraft hanger located at Boise Airport between old FAA office building and Firehawk helicopter facility,” according to the application.
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Katie Butler with CSHQA has filed a request for permit for the ACHD Traffic Operation Center at 12590 W. Franklin Road at Five Mile Road.
The project would consist of four buildings — a traffic operations building with traffic operations, meeting spaces, offices and labs; a shop building; a warehouse building; and a small warehouse building, according to the application.
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Glenn Walker with ADP Architects has filed a request for permit for a Hot Pot restaurant to occupy an existing 3,658-square-foot space located at 3035 N. Cole Road, south of West Ustick Road.
Work would include removing and replacing existing windows and doors, along with constructing new walls for new restrooms, kitchen and dining area, according to the application.
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Scott Meikle with Riya LLC has filed a request for permit for the design of Greenscale at 7050 S. Federal Way, south of East Gowen Road.
Greenscale “would be a combined recirculating aquaculture, hydroponics indoor agriculture facility that will produce fish and leafy vegetable produce for the local Boise market,” according to the application. “It will be self-contained, featuring extremely low water usage and minimal waste by recycling water between the aquaculture and hydroponics components.”
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Jeremiah’s Toy Box leased 15,505 square feet of industrial space at 5452 W. State St., according to Colliers.
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Boise’s urban renewal agency is expected to fund two new art projects downtown.
The first would be artwork in a new public space at 521 W. Grove St. that “celebrates the history of the Old Boise Neighborhood,” according to a memorandum from the city’s Department of Finance and Administration. The urban renewal agency, Capital City Development Corp., is also converting a nearby parking lot to a public space. On Tuesday, the Boise City Council approved $400,000 for the project, which will later be reimbursed by CCDC, according to the memo.
The second item would be “new public artwork that will act as both art and a barrier between the waterwheel and the sidewalk” at C.W. Moore Park, according to the memo. A second part of the project is to design a concrete stamp to “provide a unifying identity.” The City Council approved $165,000 for those two projects, which will also be reimbursed by CCDC.
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The City Council also approved $655,000 is funding for renovations at the Boise Library main branch.
The library plans to remodel the building’s front entrance, expand its youth area and remodel a fourth-floor storage room to provide extra staffing space, according to a memorandum from the city’s Department of Finance and Administration. The funds would also pay for a study of how space is used in the library.
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The City Council approved a transfer of $1 million for the Parks and Recreation Department to begin planning its remodel of the Warm Springs Golf Course clubhouse. The funds come from a $3.5 million donation made by a local resident to expand and redo the current clubhouse, which has been around for 50 years.
The entire project is expected to cost $9.6 million.
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The development of an affordable housing project on State Street is underway.
On Tuesday, the City Council approved moving $2.2 million in city funds for a project at the corner of State Street and Arthur that will provide designated affordable housing and some units for people experiencing homelessness.
In 2020, the city purchased a 1-acre property at 3912 W. State St. with the intent of developing it for affordable housing as part of its Housing Land Trust program. Over 100 units are planned for the site, which will be rented to people making 80% of area median income — about $42,200 for a single person — or less. Ten of the units will be for people experiencing homelessness and administered by the Our Path Home public-private partnership aiming to end local homelessness.
Some of the funding for the development comes from a federal block grant, plus $1 million in city funds, according to the memo.
The project also takes advantage of federal tax incentives for affordable housing, and the developers, Pacific Companies, are using the city’s housing bonus ordinance, which aims to incentivize affordable housing development.
“A great example of long-term solutions made possible by the policies and budget decisions that this council has made,” Mayor Lauren McLean said about the project on Tuesday. She added that construction is expected to be completed in a year and a half.
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After the Boise Planning and Zoning Commissions voted to recommend approval of an overhaul of Boise’s zoning code, the Boise City Council is scheduled to consider the changes the week of June 12, according to a news release.
On Monday, June 12, hearings are set to begin at 4 p.m. with presentations from staff and testimony from neighborhood associations.
Starting at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, public testimony will begin. Further public testimony is expected from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, with final deliberations on Thursday, according to the news release.
If passed, the zoning code rewrite would allow more density in many parts of the city, aim to incentivize affordable housing and allow certain businesses — like small markets — in neighborhoods.
The zoning code changes have gotten mixed reactions from the public. Opponents have argued that it would change the character of some Boise neighborhoods by allowing small apartment buildings.
Meridian
Mark Kelley, of Hailey, wants to build 30 townhouses and single-family homes and 90 apartments on the southeast corner of Fariview Avenue and Third Street.
The Promenade Cottages, would be located on 7.6 acres, according to the application.
The apartments would include a mix of one- and two-bedroom units.
The “cottage residential buildings” would make up the townhouses and single-family homes. The homes would have two car garages and be built as a craftsman style home.
The Meridian City Council is scheduled to hear the application at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, May 23 at City Hall.
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Cookie Dough Bliss leased 1,150 square feet at 3223 E. Louse Dr., according to Cushman and Wakefield. The company sells “premium, small batch, ready-to-eat cookie dough” that is safe to eat without baking. With 10 locations across eight states, this will be the first to open in Idaho.
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Mariya and Vasiliy Melnik leased 1,440 square feet of retail space at 750 S. Progress Ave, according to Colliers.
Plans for the space have not yet been announced, but the Melniks previously opened stores in Alaska that sold Eastern European food. The husband and wife moved to the United States from Russia in 2009, according to CLIA Alaska.
Ada County
On Wednesday, the Ada County commission is scheduled to discuss whether to allow a traffic light to be installed at the intersection of Dry Creek Road and Highway 55. The hearing is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Wednesday, May 10, at the Ada County Courthouse. The county’s Planning and Zoning Commission has recommended approval of the traffic light.
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Ada County commissioners are also scheduled to finalize whether to allow the Dry Creek Ranch subdivision to build a charter school at a school site located in the subdivision.
Last fall, the commission voted to allow the subdivision to have a charter school built, instead of a West Ada public school.
The commission will take up the matter at its 6 p.m. public hearing on Wednesday.
Eagle
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Thomas Coleman, of KB Home Idaho LLC, wants to build 613 homes and an elementary school at the southeast corner of West Beacon Light Road and North Palmer Lane, between West Beacon Light Road and West Floating Feather Road.
The subdivision, called Torrente Secco, would have 391 single-family homes and 222 townhouses, according to the application.
The subdivision would be located on 276 acres at 6397 W. Beacon Light Road and 6868 W. Floating Feather Road.
The Eagle City Council was scheduled to hear the proposal at 5:30 on Tuesday, May 9, at City Hall.
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Vehicle dealer Martin Motorsports leased 1,440 square feet of industrial space at 1788 E. State Street, according to TOK Commercial.
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Sprouted Therapy, which offers speech and language therapy for children, leased 834 square feet of office space at 533 E. Riverside Dr., according to TOK Commercial.
Nampa
KB Home Idaho LLC, a Boise-based developer, wants to build 291 homes on the southeast corner of U.S. Highway 20/26 and Franklin Road.
The subdivision, called Resting Rock and located at 19628 Franklin Road, according to the application, would be on nearly 70 acres and include six parks for “relaxation, play and gathering.”
KB Homes plans to build its homes in Resting Rock for first-time homebuyers.
“Our largest customer segment is first-time homebuyers,” the application said. “The homes we build address the significant affordable housing needed in many of our markets, such as the Treasure Valley.”
The Nampa Planning and Zoning Commission is scheduled to hear the proposal at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, May 23, at City Hall.
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The Housing Co., a nonprofit affordable housing developer created by the Idaho Housing and Finance Department, wants to build 74 apartments near 12th and Florida avenues.
The apartment complex would be one three-story building. It would include one-, two- and three-bedroom units, the application said.
There would be an outdoor space with a playground and park.
The property “will provide housing that is affordable for people at 60% of the county median income and less, which is desperately needed in Nampa,” the application said.
The Nampa Planning and Zoning Commission is scheduled to hear the proposal at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, May 23, at City Hall.
