Iconic Boise water tower will stay after mall demolition. But how will it look?

An iconic water tower overlooking the former Boise Factory Outlets mall on the edge of the city will stay put despite the shopping center’s demolition — but with a permanent change to its longtime look.

The red-and-white water tower next to the mall and Interstate 84 has been a Boise landmark, known for its color, height and “Boise Factory Outlets” stamp. It is owned by United Water Idaho and sits on a separate plot of land from the mall.

As part of a planned refurbishment, the water tower is slated to lose those stripes in favor of a sand-yellow look that “blends in well with the landscape,” according to Madeline Wyatt, a spokesperson for French conglomerate Veolia, which owns United Water Idaho.

Wyatt said the water tower’s “Boise Factory Outlets” label also will be scrubbed, and the tank will have no wording on it. “The label was unique for the outlet mall, and will not be retained,” she wrote in an email.

The changes to the water tower come on the heels of the outlet mall’s recent closure.

Though the shopping center once held dozens of stores, its population of retailers steadily dwindled for years amid a string of new owners and a decaying exterior. The Boise Fire Department burned down most of the mall last winter. The shopping center’s last surviving store — a screenprinting business — departed in early June.

In place of the Boise Factory Outlets will come a massive $33 million dealership complex owned by Washington-based trucking company Kenworth. Construction is projected to be completed by late 2027, the Idaho Statesman previously reported.