Condos planned on site of old Baird’s store in the North End

Developer David Southers said he’s preparing to apply for permits to build a four-story project with some 30 condominiums and ground-floor retail space on the northeast corner of Fort and 8th streets in Boise’s North End neighborhood.

The project would replace the building that once housed Baird’s Dry Cleaners. In addition to condos and shops, it would include underground parking space. It’s meant to take advantage of a top-notch urban location — a few blocks from the heart of Downtown, next to the Boise Co-op and a short bike ride from the Foothills.

Southers said this project will be similar to his first project, Hyde Park Place, which he built in 2003. Located on Fort Street between 12th and 13th streets, Hyde Park Place is made up of 40 condominiums.

The new condos’ sizes will range from 800 to 850 square feet for one-bedroom units, and 1,250 to 1,300 square feet for two-bedroom units, Southers said.

Southers hasn’t submitted any paperwork to the city of Boise yet, but he’s already fielding calls. He said he’s received eight or nine calls from people interested in the project since hanging a banner Wednesday morning announcing his plans.

Southers said he hopes to get through the project’s permitting phase this year and build it next year.

He declined to comment on the particulars of his agreement to buy the property.

This story was originally published June 1, 2017 at 11:06 AM with the headline "Condos planned on site of old Baird’s store in the North End."