West End Water Renewal
About the Project
The 30th Street District, home to the West End Neighborhood, Esther Simplot Park, Quinn’s Pond, and the Whitewater Park, has experienced tremendous revitalization in the nearly 10 years since it was established. Envisioned as a premier urban neighborhood celebrating its unique location between the Boise River Corridor and downtown, the 30th Street area is positioned to welcome an even broader range of housing options, employment, as well as neighborhood services and amenities. The large tracts of empty commercial lots along Main and Whitewater Streets and Fairview Avenue hold great potential to redevelop into active neighborhoods.
Unfortunately, the existing sewer in the area is in poor condition and not built to the specification to serve the potential growth. The existing wastewater infrastructure, built in the 1950s for car lots, repair shops, and small-scale commercial uses, is shallow and insufficient for the potential residential units.
A May 2022 City of Boise Public Works sewer study identified that current zoning regulations allow for, and property owners aim to deliver, 2,500 units of residential housing on their properties. This requires that a new regional lift station, a 530-foot pressurized discharge pipe, and approximately one mile of new or replaced gravity sewer lines, all sized to serve 2,500 units, must be built – at a cost of over $6 million. In response, the Agency brought together the City of Boise Public Works Department and the developers in a collaborative effort and devised a joint-project water renewal infrastructure investment plan (see West End Water Renewal Infographic above) that orchestrates the construction of the needed sewer upgrades. Public Works will build the lift station and pressurized discharge pipe, and each development will install segments of updated and upsized piping. CCDC will reimburse each party, through separate reimbursement agreements, for eligible public expenses.
This multi-agency public-private partnership will result in the efficiency of public funds and limit the disruptions related to construction. Once complete, the new infrastructure will provide the catalyst for a reawakening of some of the most prominent properties in the district, supporting developments, which will welcome more housing options and spaces for new businesses to thrive.
Housing Partnerships
LOCAL Fairview – Subtext – 271 units/8,000 square feet of commercial
27th & Fairview – Kal Pacific & Associates – 369 units/80,000 square feet of commercial and office
Public Works Partnership
On August 3, 2022, the Boise Public Works Commission approved $3.2 million in funding for the lift station and pressurized discharge pipe. On September 27, Public Works requested financial assistance from CCDC, suggesting a 50/50 cost-share agreement. The City will manage the design, construction, and initial payments, with CCDC reimbursing upon project completion.
Contact
For specific project questions, please contact CCDC Project Manager Corrie Brending.
Frequently Asked Questions
Water Renewal Services is the city’s utility responsible for renewing more than 10 billion gallons of used water (commonly known as wastewater) per year. From the shower to the kitchen sink and toilet, from homes to businesses, large industry to hospitals and schools, every drop of used water travels through some of the more than 900 miles of underground pipes to one of two water renewal facilities.
The Department of Public Works and Agency staff have been collaborating closely on the wastewater needs of the 30th Street area over the last year. A recent study of the Whitewater Area Sewer was updated to reflect the future wastewater needs of the area. Preliminary designs for wastewater facilities have been initiated. As the efforts continue, this project page will be updated regularly.
Below our city is nearly 900 miles of pipe connecting our homes and businesses to the Boise sewer system. Many of the pipes work via gravity, carrying wastewater away from our homes to treatment facilities. In some areas that are lower though, the pipes cannot be placed deep enough to rely on gravity alone, so a pump or lift station in necessary to continue pushing the wastewater on to the treatment facility.
Below are links to two YouTube videos that describe this process more in-depth.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHAsuPVBwYM