For Immediate Release: Downtown developments garner Grow Smart Awards
Date: 11-14-07
Contact: Scot Oliver , CCDC, 384-4264
Deanna Smith, Idaho Smart Growth, 333-8066.
Boise - Two developments in downtown Boise will receive 2007 Grow Smart awards at the annual event presented by Idaho Smart Growth. The Linen District will receive the award in the Commercial category and CitySide Lofts Phase I will receive the award in the Attached Residential category. The awards presentation and reception will take place on Thursday, November 15, from 5-7 p.m. in the Rose Room , 718 Idaho Street in downtown Boise .
Capital City Development Corporation, Boise 's redevelopment agency, played an advocacy role in both projects and a significant partnership role in CitySide Lofts Phase I, which CCDC nominated for an award. CitySide Lofts, a 77-unit condominium at the southeast corner of 13 th and Myrtle streets, is the first major owner-occupied multiunit residential development to be built in downtown Boise in two decades. This location, the primary gateway into downtown from the west, was owned by CCDC and held for use as leverage assistance to bring new living opportunities into downtown as part of the agency's Downtown Housing Initiative. Boise , like many other cities, has experienced a rise in the number of people interested in living downtown, but in Boise 's case the supply was far below the demand. CCDC partnered with local developers The Hosac Company to create the CitySide Lofts to help meet that need.
CitySide Lofts represents other Smart Growth tenants, including pedestrian-friendly design, full use of the site, underground parking and urban brownfield infill redevelopment. The site was considered a brownfield and CCDC requested a targeted brownfield property assessment from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that resulted in a clean bill of health.
CitySide Lofts is the first use in Boise of a new building code amendment allowing five floors (an increase of one floor) of Type V-A wood-frame construction above concrete parking. This allows builders to achieve an urban density at a lower cost per unit, ultimately encouraging the development of more downtown housing options.
CCDC also was an early advocate of the Linen District project, developer David Hale's leading-edge urban redevelopment along Grove Street in Boise 's Westside Downtown Urban Renewal District. Hale's leadership and vision has led to a remarkable turnaround in the commercial sector in that area, and his plans include further commercial redevelopment as well as new multiunit residential projects. The cornerstone of the Linen District, the American Linen Building , a former dry-cleaning business, had been for sale for years before CCDC sponsored a targeted brownfield assessment from the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality at Hale's request. That assessment returned a no-action finding, allowing Hale to close on the building and begin work.
The public is encouraged to attend the awards reception. Appetizers and no-host bar will be provided. Tickets are $10. For more information on the reception, contact Idaho Smart Growth at 333-8066.