100s of acres, 1,000s of homes could join this Meridian hot spot. What’s planned
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- The Fields would transform 480 acres into homes, industrial land and commercial space.
- First up, Eagle developer seeks approvals to build 900 homes on 200 acres of land.
- The proposed development heads to Meridian Planning and Zoning on May 7.
A large master-planned development is taking a step forward in northwest Meridian.
The proposed development, called The Fields, would transform 480 acres of undeveloped land in the fast-growing corner of the city into a subdivision with over 1,000 residential units, 50 acres of industrial land, and more than a dozen commercial buildings.
In preliminary application filings dating back to March 2024, firms affiliated with Eagle real estate agent Mark Bottles hinted at early plans for the property at the southwest corner of McMillan Road and Owyhee Storm Avenue.
Now, Bottles’ company Idaho Holdings LLC has filed an application to annex and zone the land for development — and get the city’s OK on plans for the first 200 acres of the project. The application kicks off a city approvals process that is scheduled to make its first stop at the Planning and Zoning Commission on Thursday, May 7.
If approved, the project would join hundreds of acres of land on the path to development in northwest Meridian, including developments adding 700 homes along Ustick Road, a 400-home subdivision along Idaho 16, and a 70-acre Bottles development that got the city’s green light on April 14.
Here’s what the latest plans show.
First up: 100s of homes, town houses west of Owyhee Storm
Bottles’ team seeks approvals to turn 200 acres on the east side of the development into an 899-home subdivision, application documents filed with the city show.
Called Westveil, the subdivision would line the west side of Owyhee Storm Avenue, across from Owyhee High School. It would include 602 traditional single-family homes clustered together, with 297 town houses around them, according to a project narrative letter.
The home styles and lot sizes would vary, and the letter touted a “variety of housing types aimed at serving Meridian’s growing population.”
The subdivision, like the broader development, would have a “modern rural” theme, drawing inspiration from the city’s plan guiding the region.
It would have a little over 43 acres of open space.
2 commercial hubs with grocery store, ‘family-wage jobs’
Plans also show two commercial hubs comprising 42 acres of the development.
A larger one, called the Owyhee Center, would be located in the southeast corner of the development, at the intersection of Ustick and Owyhee Storm. It would include a large commercial building surrounded by nine smaller buildings, plus parking, a conceptual elevation shows. Preliminary application materials filed a year ago indicated that the center would include a total of 234,000 square feet of commercial space, though newer plans do not include square footage.
“Owyhee Center provides a mix of needed community services such as fast casual restaurants, professional office space, and other retail along with an anchor grocery tenant,” the project letter said.
The smaller commercial center is slated for the southeast corner of Star and McMillan roads, in the development’s north. Called McMillan Marketplace, it would be organized around a “pedestrian-first main street” with extended sidewalks, and would focus on “neighborhood-serving commercial uses,” the letter said.
Those could include restaurants, shops, banks, small offices or daycares. McMillan Marketplace is also planned to include plazas, pathways and open space. It would be walking distance from nearby single- and multifamily homes.
Both commercial centers are intended to “(reduce) regional traffic impacts” and, in line with the city’s plan, “ensure a local supply of family-wage jobs,” the letter said. They would cater to the new residents of The Fields and existing residents in northwest Meridian, where services are still catching up.
A 40-acre city park to fill a need
Developers plan to partner with the city’s Parks and Recreation Department on a 41-acre city park in the development’s northwest. Designs are still in the works, but possible amenities include a sports field, basketball and pickleball courts, and pathways.
“The park will focus on amenities that accommodate larger groups and community events, while also supporting local residents,” the letter said. It “is a key component in ensuring that residents west of Highway 16 have access to public recreation opportunities.”
City parks are scarce in northwest Meridian. A few miles east of the development, off of Ten Mile Road, Heroes Park is one of the few larger parks that serve residents in northern Meridian.
Bottles’ team is requesting a comprehensive plan map amendment, to allow for the park to be built on land previously intended for industrial uses, like warehouses and manufacturing space.
50 acres of industrial land
Not all of the land in the development intended for industrial use would go toward the park. Developers plan to carve out 52 acres west of the park, east of Can Ada Road, for “light” industrial uses. Those uses and tenants haven’t been determined, and developers would submit later plans to the city for approval prior to building.
According to the narrative letter, industrial businesses there would be “clean and quiet” and would offer “convenient employment options for area residents.”
Hundreds more homes, apartments to come
Later phases of development would include more housing beyond the Westveil subdivision, though exact numbers of units are not clear.
“Garden-style” apartments in two- and three-story buildings are planned north of the Owyhee Center, as well as along McMillan. Additional town houses and single-family homes would also line parts of McMillan.
Preliminary plans and a letter from the Ada County Highway District filed with the city indicate that The Fields would have more than 2,300 residential units, including the initial 900-home subdivision. Those figures include: 890 single-family homes, 405 town houses and 1,072 apartments. But unit counts were not included in the latest application filings.
Impacts to schools, roads in fast-growing area
Still, nearby agencies are preparing for impacts that the influx of residents could have.
In its letter, the highway district noted that the development would generate an estimated 37,600 vehicle trips per day, including more than 3,000 trips during the peak afternoon hour. The district noted that improvements are coming on nearby roads, thanks to the Idaho 16 extension. Those include widening Ustick to five lanes from the Phyllis Canal to Owyhee Storm.
Developers say they would build new public roads and would comply with improvements required by the highway district and Idaho Transportation Department. The development’s traffic-impact study is under review.
By the West Ada School District’s count, the initial subdivision would add roughly 442 school-aged children to schools in the area, while the overall development could bring that number to more than 700 children.
Nearby schools are already over capacity, data from the school district showed. Pleasant View Elementary School enrolled nearly 100 students over its capacity this school year, while Star Middle School and Owyhee High School are over capacity by a dozen or more students.
That’s as nearby developments are adding residents and students, too. In the past five years, the school district said, more than 1,600 residential units have been approved within a one-mile radius of the project. That translates to more than 900 school-aged children.
A long build-out
If plans are approved, Bottles’ team hopes to break ground on the Westveil subdivision in spring 2027, according to the project letter. That initial piece of the development would be built in seven phases, with the final phase of construction expected to start in 2033, though dates are market-driven and subject to change.
It’s unclear what piece of the development would follow. Developers say they plan to return to the city with at least four more development plans, called preliminary plats, for different parts of the project.
The highway district’s letter said the development is anticipated to be fully built out by 2040.
But first, the initial plans will go before the city’s planning and zoning commission for consideration in a public hearing, where members of the public can weigh in. That’s scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday, May 7, at Meridian City Hall.
