Big changes are coming to Boise area in 2020. Here’s what you will (and won’t) see
New mayors in Boise, Meridian and Eagle. A big new office building and several apartment buildings in downtown Boise. A once-every-five-years Basque festival. One of the highest-profile home football games in Boise State University history.
All that and more will come to the Treasure Valley in 2020.
Two things you won’t see: A new Boise public library and a new sports stadium. Both projects were set back when Boise voters overwhelmingly approved two measures to require citywide referendums before they’re built, and when they sent 16-year Mayor David Bieter — who championed both projects — packing.
Here’s a quarter-by-quarter guide to what’s coming:
—
JANUARY - FEBRUARY - MARCH
New Boise mayor: For the first time ever, Boise will have an elected woman mayor. City Council President Lauren McLean, who beat Bieter in a December runoff, will take over on Jan. 7. She says she’ll work to improve transparency at City Hall and build new relationships with other government agencies.
Meridian and Eagle will get new mayors, too. Robert Simison, who served as chief of staff for Meridian Mayor Tammy de Weerd, who served for 16 years, succeeds his boss. In Eagle, salesman Jason Pierce defeated one-term Mayor Stan Ridgeway.
Legislature meets: The Legislature convenes Jan. 6. Hot topics expected to be discussed include property taxes, prison and jail overcrowding, regulatory reform, state budget tightening, hemp and criminal justice.
Eagle annexation: The Avimor planned community off Highway 55 north of Boise is expected to seek annexation into Eagle. A new mayor and city council members friendly to the housing development are expected to approve the annexation.
River Street Lofts: Ten three-level condominiums are expected to be finished in February in two buildings at the northwest corner of 15th and River streets. Most of the units, with three bedrooms, two bathrooms and 1,411 square feet, are selling for between $380,000 and $420,000.
Downtown Meridian apartments: Developer Josh Evarts plans to break ground in March on two four-story buildings at 703 and 713 Main St. with 103 apartments and 17,000 square feet of retail space on the ground floor. The apartments are expected to rent for $900 to $1,000 a month.
Ten Mile Road widening: The Ada County Highway District will begin widening Ten Mile from Ustick to McMillan to two lanes in each direction along with a center turn lane. Curbs, gutters, bike lanes, sidewalks and better lighting will also be added.
Stabbing trial: Ruben Diaz, accused of stabbing and slashing 76-year-old Gary Vinsonhaler in November 2018, is set to go to trial in March. Vinsonhaler, who was doing yard work and raking leaves when he was approached and eventually attacked by a stranger at his Boise home, was seriously injured but survived the attack.
Treefort brings bands: Treefort Music Fest returns March 25-29 with hundreds of bands scheduled to perform on the main stage and at several smaller Downtown venues. In its ninth year, Treefort plans to feature more than 400 acts, including Calexico, Grouplove, Xiu Xiu, Peter Bjorn and John and Boise groups Built to Spill and Magic Sword. Passes for all five days are $210 for adults and $125 for those under 21. Treefort also showcases arts-related programs: Storyfort, Filmfort, Foodfort, Comedyfort, YogaFort and more.
BSU baseball returns: The Boise State University baseball team opens the season Feb. 21 for a three-game series in Austin, Texas, against the University of Texas. The Broncos have not fielded a team since 1980. The team played in two home scrimmages in October against Northwest Nazarene University and Montana State. The Broncos will play their home games this season at Memorial Stadium, the home of the Boise Hawks. An on-campus stadium is planned to open in March 2021.
State high school tournaments: The Idaho High School Activities Association state wrestling tournament will be held Feb. 28 and 29 at the Idaho Center in Nampa. The same venue will also host the girls basketball tournament (Feb. 20 to 22) and the boys basketball tournament (March 5 to 7).
—
APRIL- MAY- JUNE
Ballot initiatives: Three voter initiatives — minimum wage, medical marijuana and education funding — could be headed for the November ballot. Proponents have until April 30 to gather the required signatures.
Kathryn Albertson Park: The park is receiving upgrades that began in September and are scheduled to be finished before summer. Some open turf areas are being converted to meadows that will have varieties of grass and annual and perennial flowers. That may encourage some of the park’s geese to move elsewhere, as meadows are not their preferred habitat. A boardwalk and scenic overlooks will be built.
Ten Mile Crossing: Two new buildings are scheduled to open at Ten Mile Crossing at Interstate 84 and Ten Mile Road in Meridian: the La Salle, with medical office and commercial space, and the AmeriBen building for employees of the third-party administrator for employee-sponsored health benefits. Perspecta, a government services provider will occupy 65,000 feet of the La Salle building. Brighton Corp. is developing the site with Ball Ventures Alhquist.
Eagle View Landing: Americor, a California-based financial tech company, is set to move into a three-story office building at the former site of the Farmstead corn maze at Eagle and Overland Roads. Idaho Central Credit Union will move into a five-story building at the same location. Its building will house a training center, call center and back office support. Ball Ventures Ahlquist is building both buildings.
Chinden Boulevard widening: The Idaho Transportation Department will begin widening Chinden from Linder to Meridian roads to two lanes in each direction and a center turn lane. Continued construction will take place from Eagle Road to Locust Grove and from Linder west to Highway 16.
Murder trial: Eric Steiner, accused of fatally shooting his wife, Christine Steiner, 41, at their Meridian home on March 5, is set to go to trial in April. Christine Steiner died March 5 of a gunshot wound to her head, police said. Her husband turned himself in by calling 911.
Andrade’s restaurant: Javier Andrade, who has operated his popular Mexican restaurant Andrade’s at 4903 W. Overland Road since 2007, plans to move a few blocks east to 4620 W. Overland. The eatery ran out of room and is building a larger restaurant near the Country Club Reel Theatre. This will be his second move. Andrade’s, which opened in 2001, was first located on Broadway Avenue.
—
JULY- AUGUST- SEPTEMBER
Basque Jaialdi: Every five years, Boise’s Basque population holds a giant gathering that celebrates Basque culture, its unique cuisine, music, dancing and sports games. This year’s Jaialdi celebration will take place from Tuesday, July 28, to Sunday, Aug. 2. There’s a Saturday evening mass at St. Mark’s Catholic Church, 7960 Northview St., and a concluding Sunday night street dance at the Basque Block, 601 Grove St. An estimated 35,000 people are expected to attend.
Professional golf tournament: The Boise Open is back for the 31st year from Aug. 22 through 25. Matthew NeSmith sank a 15-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to finish at 19-under and a one-stroke victory over Viktor Hovland and Brandon Hagy at the 2019 tournament at Hillcrest Country Club.
BSU-Florida State football: Boise State hosts Florida State in a football game tentatively scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 19, at Albertsons Stadium. Former Memphis coach Mike Norvell takes over the Seminoles following the firing of Willie Taggart after two years. The Broncos came back to beat Florida State 36-31 in the first game of the series on Aug. 31. The 2020 game is viewed as one of the highest-profile home games in Boise State football history.
—
OCTOBER - NOVEMBER- DECEMBER
Big election year: All 105 Idaho Legislature seats will be contested, along with congressional seats held by U.S. Sen. Jim Risch and U.S. Reps. Mike Simpson and Russ Fulcher. Ada County offices, including commissioner, sheriff, prosecuting attorney and magistrate judges, are up for election. The Ada County Highway District and College of Western Idaho also have board positions on the ballot. Voter initiatives on a higher minimum wage, medical marijuana and education funding could be on the ballot if backers collect enough signatures.
Gene Harris Bandshell: The historic musical venue in Julia Davis Park caught fire in April 2018 and sustained significant damage. Preliminary repairs were made that year, but other work was delayed. Improved backstage space for performers and shade for audience members are being added. The bandshell has been located in Julia Davis Park since the 1930s, and repairs are scheduled to be completed by the end of the year.
Meridian Road widening: The Ada County Highway District will begin widening Meridian Road from Cherry Lane to Ustick to two lanes in each direction with a center turn lane. Curbs, gutters, bike lanes, sidewalks and better lighting will also be added.
New downtown hotel: A 138-room Home2Suites by Hilton is expected to open on the north side of Front Street between 5th and 6th streets before the end of the year. The hotel has seven stories, while an adjacent parking garage with 550 spaces has eight stories. Raymond Management Co. of Middleton, Wisconsin, will own and operate the hotel. Boise Developer Clay Carley will own and operate the garage.
11th & Idaho building: Rafanelli & Nahas began work in summer 2019 on a 10-story, 190,000-square-foot office building across Idaho Street from the Boise Plaza, which the Boise development company owns. The $40 million building will feature a ground-floor food court that opens to a 25,000-square-foot park. The company hopes to allow tenants to move in by Thanksgiving.
Hospital construction: St. Luke’s Boise Medical Center is building a five-story shipping and receiving building and a six-story central plant and parking garage as part of its continuing, multiyear campus expansion. Both buildings on the hospital’s main campus downtown are expected to be completed by the end of the year. Both buildings have floors underground, one for the shipping and receiving building and two for the central plant and parking garage.
Medical complex: The Treasure Valley’s first 24-hour urgent care clinic is scheduled to open before the end of the year. Ball Ventures Ahlquist is building the clinic for Saltzer Health at Ten Mile Crossing off Interstate 84 at Meridian. It will include doctor’s offices, an outpatient surgery center, a gastroenterology suite, rehab and physical therapy, skilled nursing, medical imaging like X-rays, laboratory services and a pharmacy.
—
NO SPECIFIED MONTHS
Homeless veterans apartments: Valor Pointe at 4203 W. State St. will have 27 one-bedroom, one bathroom apartments. Two of the apartments will be fully accessible for disabled residents and the others can be adapted for those with disabilities or mobility issues. The $6 million in funding comes primarily from low-income housing tax credits from the Idaho Housing and Finance Association, which will also provide ongoing funding.
Trapper’s Island condominiums: The Boise City Council in September turned back an appeal and cleared the way for Boise developer Jayo Holdings to build 304 residential units next to the Greenbelt on Americana Terrace. The buildings would be 6 stories high and would feature shops and perhaps a coffee shop on the bottom floor. Plans show five buildings with 5,600 square feet of commercial space, 134 one-bedroom condos and 167 two-bedroom condos.
Amazon warehouse: Amazon announced plans last fall for a $130 million fulfillment center at the southwest corner of Star and Franklin roads, kitty-corner from the Lactalis cheese factory, formerly Swiss Village. Amazon’s name appeared on an invoice for filing fees back in June 2018, but the company had initially been mum about its “Project Bronco” plans. The center, the company’s first in Idaho, will employ more than 1,000 workers earning at least $15 an hour.
The company is also working to open a smaller delivery station in Boise, at the site of a former FedEx ground delivery warehouse east of the Boise Airport. A delivery station serves as the final point between a fulfillment center and a fleet of company delivery vans that rush packages to homes and businesses. A delivery station that opened last year outside Denver employs about 300 workers.
Torture death case: David L. Randall, 56, is accused of torturing ex-wife Darla Fletcher, 56, bludgeoning her with a ceramic object and stabbing her to death in December. Prosecutors have not yet decided whether to seek the death penalty, and a trial date has not yet been set. (He’s scheduled to appear in Ada County Magistrate Court on Monday.
Cole Road widening: Cole Road from Victory to McGlochlin roads will be widened to two lanes each way plus a center turn lane and will include gutters, sidewalks and bike lanes.
Linder Road widening: Linder from Pine Avenue to Franklin Road will be widened to five lanes and will include gutters, sidewalks and bike lanes. ACHD will also upgrade rail crossings.
—
ONGOING CONSTRUCTION
Surgery center: St. Luke’s Boise Medical Center is building a five-story surgery center, outpatient services clinic and programs for musculoskeletal care (muscles, bones and joints) at 27th and Fairview roads west of downtown. The 230,000-square-foot building, which was originally planned as an orthopedic hospital, is expected to be completed in 2021. The project includes an adjacent parking garage.
Downtown Boise apartments: The Cartee apartments at 4th and Broad streets, Boise Caddis at 3rd and Myrtle, Boise Myrtle Apartments at 270 E. Myrtle St. and the Park Place Apartments at 749 E. Park Blvd. have begun construction but are not expected to be finished until at least 2021.
▪ The Cartee, from Los Angeles developer Roundhouse, formerly LocalConstruct, will have 160 apartments in an eight-story building that will also have ground-floor retail. Apartments, with one, two or three bedrooms, will rent from around $1,100 a month to around $2,100. Three of the eight floors will be dedicated to a 170-space parking garage.
▪ Boise Caddis, from River Caddis Development Corp. of East Lansing, Michigan, will have about 173 apartments in an eight-story building. It will also have ground-floor retail.
▪ The Boise Myrtle Apartments, developed by Collegiate Development Group of St. Louis, will have 258 apartments in a seven-story building. There will be six floors of parking inside the building and ground-floor retail.
▪ The Park Place Apartments, developed by Gardner Co., with offices in Boise and Salt Lake City, will have 236 apartments. The six-story building will have apartments on the first five stories and parking on all six floors.
▪ Another eight-story apartment building, The Vanguard at 600 Front St., is expected to begin construction in 2020. It will have 75 apartments in the space where BizPrint operated. The new building will also have ground-floor businesses.
Meridian swimming pool: The Treasure Valley YMCA is building a swimming pool at its South Meridian location. The YMCA, attached to Hillsdale Elementary School, opened in spring 2018. The YMCA organized a fundraising drive to pay for a pool after a November 2016 ballot measure by the West Ada Recreation District failed to win the two-thirds majority for a $20 million request for two pools. The new pool is expected to open in spring 2021.
—
POSSIBLE PROJECTS
5th and Grove: Boise developer Clay Carley is seeking a permit for a six-story apartment building at 512 W. Grove St. with 114 apartments, including up to 50 workforce housing units. The ground floor would be used for retail.
5th and Broad: Boise lawyer and part-time developer Scot Ludwig, who is leaving the Boise City Council, had planned to start work in 2019 on the first of two towers linked by a sky bridge at two corners of 5th and Broad streets in downtown’s Central Addition neighborhood. It was planned with nine stories, ground-floor retail, five parking levels, and three floors of condos. Work never began, and Ludwig sold the property at 406 S. 5th St., while retaining ownership of 314 S. 5th. He maintains an option on the first project and said he still plans to develop it.
The Statesman’s Hayley Harding, Chadd Cripe, Rachel Roberts, Kate Talerico, Ruth Brown, Cynthia Sewell and David Staats contributed.
This story was originally published December 29, 2019 at 5:00 AM.
