CCDC Housing Project Recognized at 2021 ULI Fall Meeting in Chicago
October 14, 2021
BOISE, Idaho – Thursday, October 14, 2021 – This week in Chicago at the Urban Land Institute’s (ULI) Fall Meeting, a housing project led by Capital City Development Corp. was named a winner of their prestigious Jack Kemp Excellence in Affordable and Workforce Housing Awards. The Ash+River Townhomes in downtown Boise joins six other winning projects for one of the nation’s top residential awards. The award is given annually by ULI’s Terwilliger Center for Housing to workforce housing projects that highlight achievements in multiple areas. Criteria includes affordability, innovative financing, quality of design, proximity to employment centers and transportation hubs, and involvement of public/private partnerships.
“Winning this award is an endorsement of CCDC’s approach to collaboration and teamwork in real estate development,” said John Brunelle, executive director of the agency. “ULI sets the standard of excellence in development and land use nationally, so being among the winners is a significant honor. We’re grateful to all the partners involved in Ash and River and all CCDC housing efforts in Downtown Boise.”
Located in downtown’s historic River Street Neighborhood, Ash+River includes 34 units in a three-story mix of townhouses and flats, generous open space, and commercial space for a locally-owned coffee shop. The adjacent Pioneer Pathway, also designed and constructed by CCDC, provides residents with easy access to the Boise River and the city’s 26-mile greenbelt recreation area. The design of Ash+River pays homage to the important history of the neighborhood, a working-class section of the city that was home to many immigrants including Asian, Greek, and Basque. By the 1930s, the neighborhood housed about 80 African American families. The Hayman family arrived there in the 1930s, and Erma Hayman lived in the house until her death in 2009. CCDC acquired the property at that time and carefully maintained the site and preserving the home. It has been gifted to the City’s cultural sites program.
Local developer deChase Miksis partnered with CCDC to create Ash+River following a competitive public process. CCDC issued a Request for Qualifications/Proposals (RFQ/P) in 2016 for a workforce housing development that integrated well with the surrounding neighborhood. CCDC’s Board of Commissioners selected deChase Miksis and a development plan was successfully negotiated in 2017. Final construction was completed in 2019. Ash+River has been near capacity since shortly after its opening, providing an important rental opportunity for Boise’s workforce during a challenging period in the housing market.
CCDC remains focused on advancing residential development in downtown Boise for its growing workforce. Recently, CCDC received three proposals for the Block 68 Catalytic Redevelopment RFP, which seeks to provide a minimum of 225 housing units for a mix of income levels. This is the fourth time CCDC has employed the public disposition and development agreement process since 2014.
The Jack Kemp Excellence in Affordable and Workforce Housing Awards were established in 2008 in memory of Jack Kemp, former secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and a ULI Terwilliger Center national advisory board member. This is the second time CCDC has received national-level recognition. In 2018, CCDC was honored with the Gold Award from the International Economic Development Council for the nation’s top Public Private Partnership. The award recognized the collaborative effort between Gardner Company, the Greater Boise Auditorium District, and CCDC to renovate and modernize The Grove Plaza and expand the convention center.
About Capital City Development Corporation:
Capital City Development Corporation (CCDC) is the redevelopment and urban renewal agency for Boise, Idaho, founded by the City of Boise in 1965. Today, CCDC is a public redevelopment agency serving as a catalyst for quality private development through urban design, economic development and infrastructure investment with a goal of igniting diverse economic growth, building attractive urban centers, and promoting healthy community design. www.ccdcboise.com.
Contact:
Jordyn Neerdaels, Capital City Development Corporation
208-319-1220, jneerdaels@ccdcboise.com