More downtown Boise construction could be on the way. What’s coming next & when?
Thought there was a lot of construction happening in downtown Boise? You might want to buckle up — there could be more on the way.
Decades since moving into its home a city block northeast of the Idaho Capitol, the Idaho Farm Bureau Federation is hoping to jump into Boise’s shifting, churning mix of downtown construction, too.
The nonprofit plans to demolish its building at 500 W. Washington St. and a second building on the lot, and rebuild the half-block with a four-story building. Development plans show parking on the first and second floors, along with space on the first floor for businesses.
The top two floors would be dedicated to office space, one floor of which would likely be used by the Farm Bureau and the other going to Meridian-based developer Ahlquist, which is helping develop the property, said Bryan Searle, the Farm Bureau’s president.
“(Our purpose) is not to build the Taj Mahal,” Searle said by phone. “It’s to meet the needs of our members and build relationships.”
The Farm Bureau is an independent, nongovernmental organization made up of farm and ranch families that focuses on educational improvement, economic opportunity, social advancement and promoting “the national well-being,” according to its website.
“We spend a lot of time in the Capitol during the legislative session,” Searle said. “Our overall goal is representing our members interests and needs and being that voice for agriculture.”
The development has been a long time coming. When Searle first joined the board over 30 years ago, he said they’d talked about someday building a nicer space. When the old bank building across the lot went up for sale several years ago, they snagged it with the last bid, he said.
“The building we’ve got — it’s old,” Searle said. “It’s old and worn out and it’s time we did something where we can hold meetings and conduct some business.”
The old Idaho Farm Bureau building destined for demolition.
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Searle estimated development costs at $25 million to $30 million, to be split between the Farm Bureau and Ahlquist. The Farm Bureau’s share will come from membership dues, he said.
He said he hoped the two old buildings could come down in July or August, with construction wrapping up around December 2026 so they could have the office ready for the 2027 legislative session.
“This will be a great building,” Searle said. “We’re looking forward to having it there and providing an opportunity for people to come and work together.”
Construction makeover in Downtown Boise
The new building would be the latest in a myriad of developments within a quarter-mile radius, on the north side of Downtown Boise.
These projects include the new Seventh & Franklin development that saw crews demolish the 1903-built J.W. McLean House and Terraces for “the first and only luxury brownstone enclave in the heart of downtown Boise.”
That project from Georgia-based CK Property Group, which is about a block from the Farm Bureau at 601 N. 7th St., is under construction and includes a two-story building with a third-floor penthouse and two connected brownstone homes.
Boise’s Standard Properties also proposed a six-story residential building on a vacant lot at 622 N. 8th St., on the same block as Seventh & Franklin. The building would include 12 flats, two town houses and ground-floor amenities.
Business records lists orthopedic surgeon Michael Coughlin as the governor of Standard Properties. Coughlin was the founder of the Coughlin Clinic at Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center and was a past president of the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Surgery Society.
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The Farm Bureau would join another agriculture-centered, political nonprofit with plans to redevelop its downtown headquarters: The Idaho Wheat Commission.
The commission demolished its headquarters in December and is building a four-story building with space for ground-floor businesses. The Wheat Commission’s headquarters are less than 500 feet from the western steps of the Capitol on State Street and about three blocks southwest of the Farm Bureau’s property.
The commission is a self-governing state agency focused on increasing profits, research and education for wheat growers, according to its website. The commission comprises an emeritus commissioner and five others appointed by the Idaho governor for five-year terms.
Britany Hurst Marchant, the organization’s executive director, told the Idaho Statesman in September that the development was projected to cost around $14 million and finish construction in spring 2026.
About a quarter-mile to the southeast of the Farm Bureau’s building, Ahlquist — the Farm Bureau’s development partner — is also building the two-tower Idaho Central Credit Union Plaza, with an 11-story residential tower and 13-story office tower.
This story was originally published April 22, 2025 at 4:00 AM.
