Is ‘a wave of redevelopment’ coming to Boise’s West End? This developer hopes so
A developer hopes a new project on seven acres west of downtown Boise, at the site of a once-planned sports stadium, will reinvigorate an area marked for decades by vacant lots and aging commercial buildings with housing and child care.
The developer, Roundhouse, has filed plans with the city to construct two buildings that would include a combined 169 apartments, a parking garage and child care center at 2750 W. Fairview Ave. These would be the first of what the Idaho developer expects eventually to be more than 500 apartments accompanied by new businesses.
“We think that this first phase will be one of the initial pieces that will start a wave of redevelopment in this part of the city,” said Casey Lynch, Roundhouse’s CEO.
Plans for the project include 11 dedicated affordable-housing units, modular construction, and an energy-efficient designation. Lynch described those features plus the potential child care center as key benefits.
Roundhouse has plans for 89 studio units and 80 one-bedroom units. Six units are planned for people making low incomes, and five are planned for people making very low incomes. The rest will be rented at market rates.
The project, named Whitewater for now, is likely to feature space for retail, hospitality or offices and 400 to 500 more apartments in the second phase of construction.
The first-phase apartments are being planned with high-end finishes and quartz countertops, balconies, in-unit washers and dryers, and energy efficient stainless steel appliances. The project also features a fitness center, rooftop sports courts, a parking garage and bike storage. It’s within walking distance of Esther Simplot Park and Quinn’s Pond. There are plans for an open plaza, benches and trees outside the buildings. The exterior design uses striated brick, textural stucco and bronze metal.
The city of Boise is requiring Roundhouse to build a road that connects Main Street and West Fairview Avenue as an extension of 28th Street.
Roundhouse hopes to break ground on the project toward the end of next year with a possible opening in 2024.
“There’s some great opportunity to do some transformative projects that would really enhance the vibrancy of that part of the city,” Lynch said.
Boise sports stadium plans nixed
Roundhouse bought most of the property from the city in 2016. Lynch said Boise officials had aimed to spur redevelopment in the area. The city then approached Roundhouse about using the site for a potential stadium, causing Roundhouse to suspend its plans for housing.
The stadium plan fell apart, though when city voters passed an ordinance in 2019 requiring a citywide election on it. Then Roundhouse returned to its initial idea.
Early in 2020, Roundhouse bought the former U.S. Bank building on 27th Street and Fairview Avenue, adding land to the project and making it possible to extend 28th Street by connecting Main to Fairview. Lynch said Roundhouse plans to build a “nice, pedestrian-oriented street.”
This project follows St. Luke’s Health System’s construction of a still-unfinished orthopedic hospital on the south side of Fairview between 26th and 27th streets and the 2019 opening of the Adare rent-subsidized apartments across 26th to the east.
The location is across West Fairview Avenue, where a four-story office building and two seven-story buildings with 358 apartment units are planned. It’s also diagonally across from a vacant property owned by College of Western Idaho at the northwest corner of Main Street and Whitewater Park Boulevard. A potential CWI Boise campus has been stalled by voters.
“We’re looking to create a true urban mixed-use environment there, which means higher density,” Lynch said. “It’s really important to us to have a mix of uses so it’s not all housing, to create a more vibrant community.”
Roundhouse is pursuing a Passive House designation for the buildings, a strict certification focused on reducing energy use and carbon emissions. Lynch called this “the most exciting thing about the project” and said he hopes it sets a precedent for other buildings in Boise. The building is planned to have airtight construction to prevent air leaks that lead to energy loss, and continuous fresh air provided by high-efficiency heat recovery systems.
By using modular construction from Autovol in Nampa and having individual apartment units built in a factory, Lynch said that could save up to six months of construction time. It’s more environmentally friendly, he said, because there’s less waste of construction materials when units are built inside. Autovol uses robotics to build walls, floors and ceilings and assemble apartment units before shipping them to where buildings are constructed.
The 10,000 square feet of commercial space is on track to be used as a child care center to meet the need in the area.
The project is scheduled for a Boise Design Review Committee hearing at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 12, at City Hall. It won’t require approval from the Planning and Zoning Commission or City Council, Lynch said, since the existing zoning allows for the types of buildings he plans.
“This part of town is very undeveloped right now,” Lynch said. “The city’s matured to a point where we can actually deliver high-quality product here and have market demand for it. We’re thrilled to be getting it going.”
