An Improved Grove Plaza Experience
November 11, 2014“We’ve started a process with our neighbors to consider upgrades to the user experience that has been there for 30 years, but we want to enhance that going forward.”
It’s called Grove Plaza 2.0, and anyone who has gone anywhere near the Grove Plaza recently can attest to the reboot–the massive City Center Plaza project is digging deeper and wider with every passing day as it prepares for four major elements: a renovated U.S. Bank Plaza; the nine-story Clearwater Building, to be anchored by Clearwater Analytics and Boise State University; expansion of the Boise Centre; and a subterranean transit facility, recently dubbed “Main Street Station.”
“With the new building coming on-line adjacent to the Grove Plaza, it will have a new feel,” said Capital City Development Corporation Executive Director John Brunelle. “So, we’ve started a process with our neighbors to consider upgrades to the user experience that has been there for 30 years, but we want to enhance that going forward.”
To date, preliminary meetings have been held with property owners on the blocks around the plaza to discuss potential improvements.
“We’re including Gardner Co., the Oppenheimer Companies, the convention center and the city of Boise,” said Brunelle. “We’re bringing in ZGF Architects out of Portland [Ore.], the original designer of the Grove, and they’ll be our design consultants on the next iteration.”
Brunelle wants everyone to know that CCDC is not looking for change as much as enhancement.
“We asked the neighbors and every one of them enjoys Alive After Five and the Saturday market and want to see them continue,” he said. “Maybe we can make Alive After Five better than ever, perhaps with a new sound system or stage. Possibly we can improve the lighting on the Grove or provide some better shade to make the user experience more pleasant.”
CCDC is looking to time any improvements with the completion of the City Center, coinciding with the completion of the entire plaza expected to be in June 2016.