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River-Myrtle/Old Boise URD Projects Update

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News Update on CCDC Projects in the River-Myrtle/Old Boise URD

The city’s largest district, River-Myrtle/Old Boise is made up of two distinct zones: the areas adjacent to the Boise River, public parks, and the historic downtown section known as Old Boise.

5th & Front Streets – Hotel and Parking Garage – Participation Program (PP) Type 3, 5:  The parking garage portion of this project (540 total spaces) opened for customers in mid-March 2020, and the hotel and garage both now have their Certificate of Occupancy.  CCDC began leasing 200 spaces for public use the following May 1, specifically reserved for monthly parkers. The developer is planning a public art element on the stairwell wall facing Front Street and is working with the City of Boise Arts and History Department on the selection process. The CCDC Board approved an additional $90,000 in eligible expenses for public art at its December 2019 meeting.  The project received approval for its ‘Pale Blue Dot’ art piece at the December 2020 meeting and is scheduled to be installed in 2021. The Hotel and Garage components of the project are complete, and are under review by the Agency for Reimbursement.  Project Lead: Brady Shinn

200 W. Myrtle Street – Boise Caddis – PP Type 2:  Construction on the vertical core and shell portion of the Boise Caddis project continues. The project, scheduled to open in the summer of 2021, includes 160 rental units and 400 parking spaces. Ada County will purchase a number of the parking spaces for use by its nearby Courthouse complex workforce. The Type 2 Agreement includes approximately $1.2 million in eligible expenses for public improvements on 2nd, 3rd, and Myrtle Streets and a small portion of Broad Street. Reimbursement will come from tax increment revenue generated by the project. Project Lead: Alexandra Monjar

204 E. Myrtle Street – CDG Boise – PP Type 2: The Board designated this project for Type 2 funding at its November 2019 meeting. CDG Boise is building a 249-unit apartment building with 353 parking spaces, and has requested reimbursement for approximately $980,000 of public improvements including streetscapes and utility work. The Type 2 Agreement was approved at the December 2019 Board meeting. The project is finalizing permitting. Construction began January 2021, with an anticipated Certificate of Occupancy by Winter 2022.  Project Lead: Alexandra Monjar

406 W. Broad Street – Cartee Apartments – PP Type 2:  This project includes 160 apartment units and 176 structured parking spaces.  Construction continues on the vertical core and shell. The agreement between CCDC and the developer contemplates approximately $1.3 million in eligible expenses to be reimbursed from project-generated tax increment revenue.  Project Lead: Alexandra Monjar

512 W. Grove Street – 5th & Grove Mixed Use Residential – PP Type 2:  At its March 2020 meeting, the CCDC Board approved a Type 2 General Assistance Participation Agreement with 5th and Grove Investors, LLC. The project includes 114 for-rent apartments and 8,000 square feet of ground floor retail. Fifty of the apartment units will be dedicated to workforce housing, serving 120% AMI (area median income) and below. The project qualifies for Level A status and is eligible to receive 80% of the tax increment revenue it generates to reimburse Eligible Expenses. The project includes approximately $1 million in Eligible Expenses for public improvements along 5th Street, Grove Street and alley. It is estimated that tax increment revenue can reimburse approximately $700,000 of Eligible Expenses. CCDC will construct and pay for the already-planned Grove Street streetscape improvements currently in the Agency’s 5-year Capital Improvement Plan, accounting for approximately $347,000 in Eligible Expenses. If construction timelines do not align, CCDC will reimburse the developer for that work upon completion of the project and not through project-generated tax increment revenue. Those two sources will reimburse the developer for all of the project’s Eligible Expenses. Foundation work is complete, and the project is currently pouring its concrete floors as it progresses.  Project Lead: Alexandra Monjar

116 6th Street – 6th & Grove Mixed Used, Income Restricted Residential – PP Type 2: At its March 2020 meeting, the CCDC Board approved a Type 2 General Assistance Participation Agreement with the developers of the 6th & Grove project. This is a mixed-use residential and retail project being developed by Capital Partners, Galena Fund, and deChase Miksis. It will consist of 60 apartment units (income restricted and market rate), 5,000 square feet of retail and 9,000 square feet of office space. The project includes approximately $600,000 of Eligible Expenses for public improvements in the alley and streetscapes along Grove and 6th streets. CCDC will construct and pay for the already-planned Grove Street streetscape improvements currently in the Agency’s 5-year Capital Improvement Plan, accounting for approximately $130,000 in Eligible Expenses. Sixth Street improvements are included in CCDC’s current year CIP and will be reimbursed upon completion. The remainder of the Eligible Expenses will be reimbursed using tax increment revenue generated by the project between 2022 and 2025. These funding sources will reimburse the developer for all Eligible Expenses.  Footings, foundations, sitework, site prep, and mobilization began summer 2020, construction proceeding apace. An amendment to the Agreement is in-process to coordinate construction timing for overlapping, future CCDC Participation Program Streetscapes and CCDC Capital Improvement Plan projects. The Amendment will be presented to the Board upon completing coordination among the different projects. Construction has begun, with primary mass excavation complete and initial foundation work underway.  Project Lead: Alexandra Monjar

600 W. Front Street – The Vanguard – PP Type 2: Visum Development is constructing a 75-unit multi-family apartment building on the corner of 6th and Front streets (former Biz Print location). The CCDC Board designated this project for Type 2 funding at its November 2019 meeting. Visum has requested reimbursement for approximately $400,000 of public improvements, including streetscapes and utility work. The Type 2 Agreement was approved at the December 2019 Board meeting. Vertical construction continues with the core and shell in progress.  Project Lead: Alexandra Monjar

601 S. 8th Street – Mixed-Use with Public Parking – PP Type 3: Jordan-Wilcomb Construction is partnering with local developer Global Senior Housing on a mixed-use project that preliminarily includes office, retail, public parking and residential spaces. The residential portion will be Global Senior Housing’s specialty, an “Active Adult Community Platform” for 55+ year-old adults. Current use at the property is a vacant, one story building that previously housed the Foothills School for Arts and Sciences. CCDC is interested in potentially purchasing a parking condominium and providing public parking at the location. The project anticipates over 160 residential living spaces over 5 floors, 300 parking stalls, and over 20,000 sq ft of commercial and retail spaces. The project’s total development cost is estimated to be $53 million with construction expected to begin in 2021 and open by late 2022 or 2023. The project received Designation at the September 2020 Board Meeting. The Agency is negotiating the Letter of Intent as the Participant finalizes anticipated costs.  Project Lead: Doug Woodruff

5th St & Myrtle St – Signalized Crossing: This project seeks to install signal control on Myrtle Street at the 5th Street intersection to provide a safe crossing between Julia Davis Park and the Central Addition, and to extend the signal-coordinated calming of Myrtle Street. Kittelson & Associates has completed a preliminary traffic signal study and representatives of ACHD, City of Boise, CCDC, and ITD met in March 2020 to discuss next steps. CCDC and the City are working on a request to ITD outlining the rationale for a signal and how it will not set a precedent. Project Lead: Zach Piepmeyer

ParkBOI – Capitol & Myrtle Parking Garage – Agency Owned Property:  Fire pump tests are being performed the week of January 4, 2021.  Project Lead: Aaron Nelson 

505 W. Bannock St – 505 Bannock – T1 Designation: Local general contractor Visser Construction is building a three-story mixed-use property at the site of the former Wells Fargo bank branch. The project features over 11,000 sq ft of dining space between two restaurants, and 3,700 sq ft top floor office space. The project is an estimated $5.5 million in total development costs. The project requests reimbursement to replace the public improvements in its narrow storefront, as well as install a transformer on-site that will replace existing pole-mounted transformers in the alley right-of-way. Total anticipated reimbursement is over $80,000. Applicant is I M IRIE TWO LLC, the site owner’s controlling entity.  The project is under construction, with its exterior shell complete and interior finishing underway. The Agreement is on the February Board consent agenda for Approval.  Project Lead: Alexandra Monjar

ParkBOI – 11th & Front Parking Garage – Agency Owned Property:  Additional suicide prevention signs have been added to top levels of garage.  Project Lead: Aaron Nelson

Grove Street – Multi-Block Improvement Project:  The Old Boise Blocks on Grove Street between 3rd and 5th streets are ready for a catalytic, transformative project. With a few nearby projects already underway, CCDC conducted an inclusive community-driven visioning process to develop a place-making strategy for this site. The process began in June 2020 with a series of stakeholder visioning meetings to create a community-supported vision for the area. The public had several opportunities to engage in the visioning process through summer and fall. The visioning document was presented at the December 14 Board Meeting. An RFQ for a professional design team to further the project has been issued and received. Jensen Belts Associates was selected as the design professional and CCDC has been negotiating a schematic design contract with them.  The contract will be presented to the Board on February 8 for approval.  Project Leads: Karl Woods, Jordyn Neerdaels

Linen Blocks – W. Grove Street Improvements:  The Linen Blocks on Grove Street between 10th and 16th streets are being assessed for catalytic infrastructure improvements. CCDC kicked off an inclusive community-driven visioning process in September 2020 to develop a reinvestment strategy for that area. The process will include a series of stakeholder visioning meetings to create a community-supported vision for the area. The public will have several opportunities to engage in the visioning process before its projected April 2021 conclusion.  Project Lead:  Amy Fimbel

RMOB Public Art – City of Boise Broad Street Sculpture – PP Type 4:  The new design concept was approved in October by the city’s Arts & History Commission.  Installation of the sculpture is anticipated in Spring/Early Summer 2021.  Project Lead: Karl Woods