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Nampa approves site for new public safety building
BY KRISTIN RODINE - krodine@idahostatesman.com
Published: 07/24/08
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
WHERE WILL THE MONEY COME FROM?
Nampa's urban renewal district had planned to issue bonds to buy the public safety building site and a separate downtown block for a new library. But efforts to get a judge's approval sparked opposition and delays, so the Nampa City Council voted in May to put up city reserve funds for the purchases. The estimated cost for both blocks is $4.4 million, and Nampa Economic Development Project Manager Beth Ineck said the renewal district will repay the city through future tax revenues.
Judge Linda Copple Trout is expected to rule later this summer on the district's plan to issue up to $18 million in bonds to move forward with the downtown projects. Several area residents have filed briefs in opposition to the plan, and the judge gave both sides a July 25 deadline for submitting information for her to consider.
Nampa's new public safety building, the keystone in the city's downtown revitalization plans, will be built at the site of the Desert Inn Motel.
In a special meeting Wednesday, the Nampa City Council unanimously approved buying the full-block property for $1.5 million from Sundowner Inc. The property sits across 9th Street South from the Nampa annex of the Canyon County Courthouse, stretching between 1st and 2nd avenues and 8th and 9th streets.
Mayor Tom Dale said there were several times when it appeared the city would have to opt for its second- or third-choice site for the $27 million project. Dale credited City Councilwoman Pam White for salvaging the deal.
Sundowner owners could not be reached for comment Wednesday, but co-owner Bettie Pilote issued a statement saying she looks forward to the police department's expansion. No information was available on whether the family-owned company will open a new motel.
The city's purchase is expected to close in early October, after which the current owners will have 45 days to clear all of their property from the Desert Inn, Nampa Economic Development Project Manager Beth Ineck said. Construction of the 60,000-square-foot public safety building is expected to start next spring.
Much of Nampa's downtown revitalization plan hinges on building a public safety building, freeing the city to sell the prime commercial block where the police station now sits. Private investment in downtown is essential to raise the tax revenue needed to make the city's revitalization plans achievable, officials said.
The project also will be a long-awaited boon for the Nampa Police Department, Deputy Chief Leroy Forsman said.
Kristin Rodine, 377-6447
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