‘Attainable’ condos on track for Broadway in Boise to meet a ‘severe need’

Three-and-a-half years after it was first proposed, a 40-unit housing development is close to completion on Broadway in Boise. Unlike many new projects near downtown, these offer residents a chance to own their own home.

Denver-based MVRK Development expects the first of Ivywild’s two condominium buildings to open to residents in late January or early February, with a second building seven or eight weeks behind. Once finished, the complex at 2312 S. Broadway Ave. will become one of the first new condo projects to open near downtown in the past 20 years, according to MVRK Principal Jordan Meylan.

Ivywild’s 29 one-bedroom units will start around $340,000, and its 11 two-bedroom units will start around $450,000. That’s about $100,000 less than the median price of a single-family home in Ada County this year, according to data from the Intermountain Multiple Listing Service.

MVRK’s original plan was to make the building entirely rental apartments, an idea first filed with the city during the summer of 2022. Interest rates made that harder to finance, Meylan said. Plus, his firm saw a “severe need” for lower-priced options to serve what Meylan called “the meat of the market.” Though based in Denver, MVRK does all of its work in Boise, Meylan said.

Smaller condos are historically a way for younger people and new families to buy into the real estate market, he said. So, the developer beefed up the walls and flooring to meet higher standards and applied to switch the project away from rentals.

“There has hardly been any condo development this millennium, really,” he said. “In the past 20 years, in Boise, most of it has been higher end. … It’s unfortunate, because ultimately the people who end up suffering are younger folks.”

Over the past two decades, condominium development nationwide has slowed to a trickle, he said, leaving the stock of condos older and more expensive to keep up. That, in turn, has led to higher homeowners association fees for residents at older developments — something MVRK is trying to avoid. Here, he said, “the location is really the amenity” — namely Ivywild Park, which has public open space and a summertime pool — eliminating the need to build expensive add-ons. They’re still setting the budget, but Meylan expects HOA fees to settle around $200 per month.

“What we’re trying to do is create that value proposition for younger folks,” he said. “We’re trying to create attainable housing for people, because there’s a big need for it, and there are very few other guys delivering at this price point outside of Harris Ranch.”

This story was originally published November 15, 2025 at 4:00 AM.