A ‘jewel’ of Boise’s East End could be redeveloped. Here’s what’s planned for the armory
Residents of Boise’s East End have long pondered how the Idaho National Guard Armory building could be used. It has sat vacant, or as a storage building, for decades.
After previous plans fell through years ago, another developer is eyeing a future apartment complex with retail and office space.
Bryce Baker, a principal at Utah’s Alpha Development Group, called the armory a “jewel” of the East End. While still early in the process, Alpha Development’s plans call for more than 200 apartments and townhouses.
While specifics have not yet been decided, the armory building itself could include office space, a restaurant or coffee shop and public space for neighborhood gatherings.
Alpha Development Group is scheduled to host a neighborhood meeting at 6 p.m. Monday at North Junior High School to present ideas and address neighbors’ questions. The East End Neighborhood Association plans to stream the meeting via Zoom.
The armory at 801 Reserve St. is near the base of the Military Reserve trails, a popular spot for recreationists.
“We want to create a sense of ‘place’ for all who live in this neighborhood,” Baker said in an email to the Idaho Statesman. “Our vision is one of engagement and excitement from people who want to live on the property, who will ultimately work in the armory, and those in the neighborhood who will benefit from an enhanced connection and amenity in the area.”
Historic building could become ‘destination’
Originally used by the National Guard, ownership changed first to the state, then to the city, then to a private company, and then to another one. The drill hall was built in the 1930s and is on the National Register of Historic Places.
The architecture firm Tourtelotte and Hummel designed the building, which is made of concrete in an art deco style. It resembles other depression-era designs that emphasized simplicity and inexpensive construction techniques.
Baker said Alpha Development has worked on adaptive reuse and revitalization projects in other places.
“We know how hard it is to re-create great, historic buildings,” Baker said. “We are attracted to the armory, because we feel like there is great energy around this beautiful building. Both the inside and outside are so cool. With this inherent energy, we want it to draw businesses, residents, and visitors to the location in an inviting way that truly creates a benefit for the neighborhood.”
Alpha’s plans include keeping the armory intact “with some cosmetic cleanup of the exterior,” Baker said. On the adjacent parking lot to the east, there’d be 175 apartments above a new parking structure, 25 ground-level apartments and 11 townhouses, all offered at market rates. The sizes would range from studio apartments to three-bedroom townhouses.
Initial estimates indicate the project would cost more than $75 million, Baker said.
The plan features open space where food trucks could park and music events could take place.
“We want to make it a neighborhood destination,” Baker said. “When someone from the East End suggests that they meet at the armory, we want everyone in the greater Boise area to know what that means. When someone says they live or work at the armory, we want that to elicit a positive response.”
Armory redevelopment years in the making
In 2007, the East End Neighborhood Association formed a subcommittee to focus on the armory. The group has weighed options of how the empty building and surrounding area could be used.
In the neighborhood plan and the city of Boise’s comprehensive plan, the armory is identified as a neighborhood activity center. The comprehensive plan calls for the armory to be a mixed-use development with commercial, office, open space and residential uses, including workforce housing.
Diane Ronayne, a member of the armory subcommittee, said she’s delighted by the plans. As of now it’s the site of some occasional graffiti, Ronayne said. She thinks having activity there would improve the neighborhood. At the same time, she recognizes some neighbors’ concerns: increased traffic, taller buildings and the preservation of a historic location.
Ronayne said she endorses workforce housing there, with St. Luke’s Boise Medical Center and Boise State University not far away. Housing, combined with retail options, could be a good fit, she said.
“That would be ideal,” Ronayne said. “That’s the neighborhood vision.”
Construction of the armory building began in the 1930s but only the rear part of the building was completed in 1931, because of the onset of the Great Depression, according to the building’s application for the National Register of Historic Places. The drill hall, the first floor of the front unit and the central section of the second floor of the front unit were completed in 1937.
The building served as the headquarters for the Idaho National Guard for the next few decades. In 1956, the armory was expanded again to accommodate an increased need for National Guard office space. It remained in use by the National Guard through the 1970s.
Then the state of Idaho purchased the building and used it for storage. The city of Boise bought it in 1996. It remained in the city’s hands until 2012, when a private owner took over.
J&M Land LLC was required to quickly rehabilitate the building as part of the sale. The company painted the building and replaced windows in 2013. But the building remained empty.
Neighbors tossed around various ideas for what the historic building could become. In the late 2000s, the East End Neighborhood Association’s subcommittee came to the consensus of preferring a mix of uses of the property.
More than a decade later, that’s what Alpha Development Group has in the works.
This story was originally published January 28, 2022 at 4:00 AM.
