TWIN FALLS, Idaho — The six-story building project located on the corner of Shoshone St. N and Main Ave W hosted a ribbon cutting on Thursday.
The downtown addition adds residential space, offices, and opportunity for commerce in the historic district. Dozens gathered including Twin Falls Mayor Ruth Pierce to usher in the building's opening.
“We just wanted to follow on the inspiration that the urban renewal agency and the city worked so hard to create,” said Bill Truax, president of Galena Opportunity Inc.
The 50,000+ square foot building opens up residential opportunity right in the heart of downtown. Something that Twin Bean Coffee General Manager Samantha Buffalo says is something her team is in need of.
“I want to keep my team here and they need places to live if that’s going to be an option for them, so I am thrilled to see an increase in housing. So, I think it’s very positive,” she said.
Twin Falls recently crossed the 50,000 mark in population and this growth has lead to an issue in housing. Many moving to places like Twin Falls have struggled to find places to live and Buffalo feels making downtown a spot for residential living can not only help the area but keep up with the rapid expansion of the Magic Valley.
“We are growing so fast. That was before 2020 and since 2020 it has just increased. Downtown is a really really beautiful place and so I think it’s a great opportunity for people to live in this neighborhood,” she said.
Truax hopes this is the start of residential growth in the downtown district and sees his companies newest building as a starting point for others to join in on. “We think that this basically just sets the stage for continued investment in both retail and residential downtown,” he said.
