KUNA, Idaho — A passion project of a late Kuna city leader is nearing completion.
Crews are working to have the Kuna Market Village ready by late June.
“This was a vision from Lisa Holland. She was our economic development director. We, unfortunately, lost her recently in a car accident and we are coming in, our staff , crew, leadership, and our Mayor Stear to get this finished up, to bring this opportunity of an incubator for retail shop in Kuna,” said city clerk Chris Engels.
The 12-unit retail space aims to give small businesses a place to get off the ground. City staff says that's something Holland believed in.
“She led the way with economic development, not only for large projects but recognizing that there are small businesses that need that opportunity to grow and expand. Her vision and her goal for this was to create a community space that is hosted by a local business that wants a retail front but aren’t quite ready for the brick-and-mortar piece of it yet. This is the step to determine, 'how do I grow, can I grow, and what tools do I need to grow,'” Engels said.
The city hopes to open the market to the public in late June or early July. They're currently accepting applications from prospective tenants.
“There are a couple of different opportunities they can utilize. They can come in as a seasonal tenant which is having the same unit for the entire season. They get a sign up on it. They’re locked in that it’s their space. The other is to have a pop-up retail phase. You select a few weekends, three days at a time, and you can come in and load up your goods,” Engels said.
Phase two of the project could include adding more units and providing local producers space to sell their fruits and vegetables at the village.
“Continue to build it as a hub and as a center,” she said.
Engels said there has been discussion on naming the market in memory of Holland.
“Mayor Stear has talked to the directors and talked to the council and also talked to Lisa's family. Right now, we hear that, the mayor hears that, but most important to him right now is what does the family want to see. We know they want to see this come into fruition and to life for Lisa, and as far as naming or changing the name, we’ll be working with her family and we’ll be following their wishes on that," Engels said.
Once the market opens up, it will run until October on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
City staff says all small business owners across the Treasure Valley are welcome to apply for a unit by calling 208-387-7726 or visiting the city's website here.
