Village at Meridian no longer plans ‘premium’ apartments. Here’s what’s in the works now
The Village at Meridian, the upscale shopping center, is still set to expand. But instead of adding hundreds of luxury apartments, as was previously planned, developers say they’ll add more of what shoppers know and love.
Hugh Crawford, vice president of property management for CenterCal, the development company responsible for the Village, told the Idaho Statesman that the expansion will be “a continuation of the retail, restaurant, entertainment that the Village is known for.”
Previously, CenterCal proposed adding 549 “premium” apartments and 34,000 square feet of ground-level retail space to its shopping center, which already boasts roughly 100 acres at Fairview Avenue and Eagle Road.
The development, called The Bridge, would have added the two six-story apartment buildings to the west side of the center on vacant land along Eagle Road. A sky bridge would have connected the buildings.
Despite being approved by the Meridian City Council in January 2023, The Bridge won’t come to fruition.
Crawford said CenterCal pivoted away from the apartments earlier this year, citing “market changes.”
“Market demand for multifamily ... construction costs, lending costs — all that played into, you know, we’re going to move away from the residential component,” Crawford said by phone.
Crawford explained that The Bridge was itself a shift from what was originally planned for the western part of the center, and now, CenterCal would be returning to what was first approved by the city for that land.
“We’re going to deliver all the way out to Eagle Road, creating a new grand entrance gateway into the Village, lined with shops and restaurants and great architecture,” Crawford said. In order words, CenterCal is sticking to “what CenterCal does best.”
Crawford said the expansion will be like a “third phase” of the original plans for the Village.
While Crawford said he does not yet have any announcements on what specific shops or restaurants will go in, he said designs are in the works that would then be filed as permit applications filed with the city.
“I’m kind of along for the ride as well,” he said.
This story was originally published December 9, 2024 at 2:35 PM.
