BOISE, Idaho — If there's one thing we've learned during Covid-19, it's that we can work from home, eliminating the need to head to the office in the morning.
With a large business building losing a large portion of their tenants, it begs the question, what is the future of large downtown commercial projects? Don Nelson spoke with Don Day from BoiseDev.com about that and other growth issues in the Treasure Valley.
BoiseDev has kept a close eye on the comings and goings of Boise all year, and coming up on October 7 at noon, they'll host an interactive forum on the future of downtown Boise.
Still, the question remains: will Covid-19 have long-lasting effects on our growth?
"You know it's a key question. I don't know the answer, I don't have a crystal ball. BoiseDev is going to have an event in October to look at the future of downtown, and that's one of the key questions, is what's it going to look like. How is it going to be and what does it mean for the impact on our economy," says Day.
Not too far from downtown, between Capitol and 9th, is a proposed new 12-story senior apartment project.
"This is going to have a couple of components to it. One would be some parking, one would be some office space on the ground floor, and a significant number of housing units target seniors. And that's a project we haven't seen in a high rise in Boise in many decades, one other example, but it's from thirty years ago," Day explains.
Out at the airport, it'll soon be faster for travelers landing in Boise to get a ride to their destination.
"They're going to add a new place for Uber and Lyft drop-offs. Right now, those drivers are waiting in the cell phone parking lots, but the airport is working where they will have parking nearby."
And let's not forget about the valley's newest Costco, giving Meridian shoppers a new option while also serving so many others outside of the Treasure Valley.
"We've known about it for a while. The news is they have announced an opening day on October 15, which is a Thursday, and that gives a new option to not only people living in Meridian. But boy, if you live in Horseshoe Bend or Cascade, maybe you make that trip down to the Treasure Valley. It's going to make getting to Costco easier and shorter trip."
And that's a bonus for all the surrounding businesses as well.
