It was going to be a gas station. Now Boise may buy this land and turn it into housing.
Maverik Inc. is looking to sell its land at the corner of West Franklin Road and South Orchard Street — and the Boise City Council is looking to buy.
The council on Tuesday will consider a resolution to buy the 4.73-acre site where the historic Franklin School once stood. The price: $1.855 million.
“The property has great potential for housing,” said Mike Journee, communications director for Boise Mayor David Bieter.
He said it could also be used for mixed-use development, including retail or potentially subsidized housing. The property is across the street from a Fred Meyer store and on ValleyRide’s No. 6 Orchard bus route.
Maverik originally bought the land in 2015 and intended to use it as a location for a new gas station. The company shelved that plan after controversy about bringing a gas station and convenience store next to the three-acre Franklin Park, which was dedicated in June 2018 but remains primarily open space.
The city purchase would give the council “a lot more opportunity to shape the development” of it, Journee said. The council will collaborate with the Central Bench Neighborhood Association to ensure that what is built benefits both the neighborhood and the city, he said.
Randy Johnson, president of the Central Bench Neighborhood Association, said he’s excited to see what comes next for the property.
“We’ve already started the conversation about what we’d like to see there,” Johnson said.
Johnson would like to see a new library branch, as well as affordable housing.
Nic Miller, Boise’s director of economic development, said the effort to buy the property began in January after he saw that Maverik had it listed for sale. “It’s an important corner in our city,” Miller said.
If the purchase is approved, there will be a 90-day period while the city does due diligence to ensure it will go forward with the purchase. Tom Schofield, assistant general counsel for Maverik, said that is standard for a land deal.
The council will decide whether to approve the resolution at its noon meeting on Tuesday, March 26, at Boise City Hall.
This story was originally published March 22, 2019 at 12:00 PM.
.jpg)