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River Street–Myrtle StreetMaster Plan

Prepared by Capital City Development Corporation Boise, IdahoAdopted by Boise City Council

November 30, 2004

Approved by the Boise City Council(with supplemental changes to the August 23, 2004 versionapproved by the CCDC Board of Commissioners – see Appendix C)Ordinance #6362Adopted: November 30, 2004Effective Date: December 6, 2004

David Bieter, MayorJerome Mapp, Council PresidentMaryanne Jordan, Council Pro-TemVernon BisterfeldtElaine CleggDavid EberleAlan Shealy

Approved by theCCDC Board of CommissionersDate: August 23, 2004Resolution #1002

Kevin McKee, ChairmanDale Krick, Vice ChairmanCheryl Larabee, Secretary/TreasurerPaula ForneyChuck HedemarkJerome MappJohn MayPhil Reberger

CCDC Staff & Consultant TeamPhil Kushlan, Executive DirectorPamela Sheldon, Project ManagerMichael HallAnne ClappertonScot OliverDennis ClarkJudy SargentSterling IngramEmily Udy

Zimmer Gunsul Frasca PartnershipLeland Consulting GroupKeyser Marston AssociatesHarlan W. Mann ConsultantJensen-BeltsQuadrant Consulting

RIVER STREET–MYRTLE STREET MASTER PLAN Table of Contents i

1: IntroductionHistory of the River Street–Myrtle Street AreaCreation of the River Street–Myrtle Street Urban Renewal DistrictOld Boise–Eastside as Part of the River Street–Myrtle Street District

2: Eligibility for Urban Renewal Activities

3: Planning & Policy Context

4: Market Context

5: Preferred Development ConceptExisting Character of River–Myrtle Planning AreaKey ElementsDesired Character for River–Myrtle Planning Area – 2025Achieving the Concept

6: Overall Plans, Guidelines & Action Steps1.0 Preferred Development Concept2.0 Preservation, Revitalization & Renewal3.0 Building & Site Design4.0 Street Character, Civic Spaces & Pedestrian Ways5.0 Transportation & Parking

7: Subdistrict Plans, Guidelines & Action StepsWest Connector (Former Rail Yards)River Street NeighborhoodWarehouse/Cultural DistrictEast Connector/ParksideCourthouse CorridorOld Boise–Eastside

Table of Contents114

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RIVER STREET–MYRTLE STREET MASTER PLANTable of Contentsii

FIGURES

1: Additions to the River Street–Myrtle Street District 3 2: Downtown Boise Plan (1993) – Land Use 7 3: Downtown Boise Mobility Study Area &

Urban Renewal (UR) Districts 9 4: Key Elements 27 5: Preferred Development Concept 35 6: Designation of Historic Resources 39 7: Built Form 43 8: Streetscape Character 47 9: Civic Spaces 4910: Public Parking Garages 5711: River Myrtle–Old Boise Subdistricts 63

A: West Connector (Former Rail Yards) 65B: River Street Neighborhood 69C: Warehouse/Cultural District 77D: East Connector/Parkside 83E: Courthouse Corridor 87

APPENDICES

A: River Street–Myrtle Street Urban Design Plan - Excerpts 101B: Zoning Map 103C: Supplemental Changes Approved by the Boise City Council to the 105

August 23, 2004 Draft Adopted by the CCDC Board of Commissioners

8: ImplementationResources for Public InvestmentRiver Street–Myrtle Street Financial PlanRiver Street–Myrtle Street Master Plan as part of Boise City Comprehensive PlanZoning Revisions

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RIVER STREET–MYRTLE STREET MASTER PLAN Introduction 1

1: IntroductionSituated on the BoiseRiver and nestled againstthe foothills, Boisebecame a town in 1863with the platting of ten cityblocks. Boise and itssurrounding cities havegrown to be the largestmetropolitan area in theregion and downtownBoise is the center forbusiness, government,education and culture.

The River Street–Myrtle Street Urban Renewal Districtwas formed in December 1994 and consisted of 242acres more or less bounded by Grove and Front streets,Broadway Avenue and River and 16th streets. The districtparallels the Boise River along its entire southern edge,and is bisected by Capitol Boulevard, which runs northfrom the Boise Depot on the bench to the Idaho StateCapitol building. Figure 1 shows the boundaries of theexisting River Street–Myrtle Street district along withparcels added as part of this master planning process.

History of the River Street–MyrtleStreet Area

This area has a rich history from early settlement throughthe railroad era to the present day. The place that wouldbecome Boise began as a gathering place for Shoshoniand Bannock tribes to barter goods. Trappers seekingfurs arrived on the scene in the early 1800s. The first FortBoise was built at the mouth of the Boise River by theHudson Bay Company in 1834, approximately 45 miles

RIVER STREET–MYRTLE STREET MASTER PLANIntroduction2

1 Source: Arthur H. Hart, Historic Boise, Historic Idaho, Inc. (1993), p. 10.2 Source: Barbara Herrick, Boise: A Global Community in the West, Community Communications, Inc. (1996), P. 17.3 Source: Arthur H. Hart, Historic Boise, Historic Idaho, Inc. (1993), p. 30.

west of Boise’s present-day location. It served as atrading post and later a way station for the first immi-grants on the Oregon Trail. The discovery of gold in theBoise River Basin in 1862 brought thousands ofadventurers to the area, some of whom became settlers.On July 4, 1863, Major Pinckney Lugenbeel chose the sitefor the second Fort Boise. The new fort was to beagainst the Boise foothills just west of CottonwoodCreek one-half mile from what became the Boise Citytown site. “A few settlers already had crops growingwithout irrigation along the (Boise) river. There wasadequate grazing for livestock, and an abundant supplyof sandstone for building purposes.”1 “On July 7,1863, Boise held its first town meeting and, the next day,platted 10 city blocks between the river and the foot-hills.”2

Much of the land in what became the River Street–MyrtleStreet Urban Renewal District was in the floodplain ofthe Boise River, so it was used for farming and orchardsin the early days. At the time, this area was considered tobe on the outskirts of town. Changes began in the1880s with the coming of the railroad. First, a branch ofthe Oregon Short Line railroad was built from Nampa toBoise in 1887, which terminated at a modest shack onthe bench east of the Boise Depot’s current location.Then in 1894, “trains came downtown along FrontStreet to a handsome new station” located between 9th

and 10th streets.3 The blocks between Front and Myrtlestreets became rail yards and the area between CapitolBoulevard and 9th Street south of Front Street filled withwarehouses that are still evident today.

At the turn of the century, a middle class neighborhoodappeared in the west end of the district and becameknown as the River Street neighborhood. A significantfeature was Riverside Park, on the northeast corner of11th and River streets. The park included a baseball field,with covered seating for one thousand; a coveredoutdoor theater, with 700 seats; and a two-story dancepavilion, with dining on the second floor. The park wasa major entertainment center in the early 1900s, offeringopera, musicales, vaudeville, dancing and popularbaseball games.

In 1907, Thomas Jefferson Davis donated 87 acres alongthe Boise River for parkland, in honor of his wife, Julia.Julia Davis Park now adjoins the east end of the RiverStreet–Myrtle Street district and has become the locationof many cultural and educational institutions ofstatewide importance. These include the Boise ArtMuseum, Idaho State Historical Museum, Idaho BlackHistory Museum, Discovery Center of Idaho and ZooBoise. A second neighborhood of modest homesdeveloped between the park and Front Street, nowreferred to as the Parkside neighborhood.

Disintegration of the River Street and Parkside neighbor-hoods was brought on by economic downturns; anincrease in rail traffic that put these neighborhoods onthe wrong side of the tracks; and a perceived need formore industrial space that led to a 1928 zoning changeallowing industrial and commercial uses in theseneighborhoods. The migration of the more prosperousfamilies to Boise’s East End and elsewhere added to thedecline of these older neighborhoods.


Figure 1: Additions to the River Street–Myrtle Street District


World War II brought the construction of Gowen Field,a B-24 bomber-training site south of Boise, and with itan enormous influx of servicemen and their families totown. The well-worn housing stock in the River Streetand Parkside neighborhoods offered cheap rentals forthese newcomers, including for the first time blackresidents. The River Street neighborhood has remainedintegrated to the present.

Lucky Peak Dam was completed in 1955, reducing thearea subject to flooding in the River Street–Myrtle Streetdistrict and making more intensive developmentpossible. By the end of the 1970s the North BankProject brought $1.4 million in federal CommunityDevelopment Block Grant Funds to the River Streetneighborhood. The funds were used to extend theBoise River Greenbelt, paint the 8th Street Bridge, build afootbridge to Ann Morrison Park and construct thePioneer Walkway.

Creation of the River Street–MyrtleStreet Urban Renewal District

The Boise City Council created the River Street–MyrtleStreet Urban Renewal District in 1994 to respond to thefollowing issues:

Construction of the Broadway–ChindenConnector. The connector consists of two one-way roadways—each having five lanes—that form aground-level couplet running from BroadwayAvenue to 13th Street where they join together andcontinue as a grade-separated interstate highway toI-84. One of the reasons for building theconnector was to redirect the traffic using Idaho andMain streets as a route through downtown to ahigher capacity roadway that was outside the centralbusiness district (CBD).

The connector improved automobile access to,from and through downtown, but it also created aconcern about how adjacent properties would bedeveloped. The connector bordered the area wherethe rail yards had been abandoned, leaving largeblocks of undeveloped land. The connector gavethese properties increased visibility to automobiletraffic. There was a concern that development ofthese properties would be dominated by suburban-style, strip commercial uses that would separate thecentral business district from the Boise River, JuliaDavis Park and the two neighborhoods. Preparing


an urban design plan for the area, and creating anurban renewal district, provided a way to describethe community’s goals for the area and to guidenew development and redevelopment in a moreurban direction. It also generated resources thatcould be invested in the area to stimulate thedesired type of development.

A desire to protect investments made in thedowntown core. Revitalization efforts in the CBDhad resulted in substantial private and publicinvestment in property development andinfrastructure. Forming an urban renewal district inthe adjacent River Street–Myrtle Street area, was seenas a way to assure that redevelopment of this areawould complement the work already done in theCBD, reconnect the two areas and extend the vitalityof the downtown core into the River Street–MyrtleStreet area.

A desire to create a model promoting a moresustainable development pattern for the future.Consistent with national trends, most of thegrowth in Boise since the 1960s has favoredautomobile-dependent suburban neighborhoodsat the community’s edge. The negativeconsequences of this pattern have received moreand more attention as the roadways and otherpublic facilities and service systems becomeoverloaded and traffic and air pollution increase. Atthe time the River Street–Myrtle Street Urban

Renewal District was formed, there was a desire touse this area as a place to demonstrate analternative. The urban renewal plan envisionedcreation of a series of subdistricts where mixed-use, infill neighborhoods with pedestrian-friendlystreets could be created. These neighborhoodscould accommodate a considerable number ofhousing units, along with commercial uses, withinwalking distance of downtown employmentcenters and the cultural, educational and recreationalopportunities along the Boise River.

Updating the River Street–Myrtle StreetUrban Design PlanIdaho Code requires an urban renewal plan be createdwhen an urban renewal district is established. The typicaltime frame for an urban renewal plan is 24 years. Anessential element of this urban renewal plan is a masterplan which states the desired future character for thedistrict and sets forth a development concept, objectivesand guidelines to assist decision makers with the physicalredevelopment and development of the district. It alsoincludes action steps as to how urban renewal resourcesshould be applied to achieve plan objectives. The RiverStreet–Myrtle Street Urban Design Plan was prepared in1994 to articulate the vision and desired outcomes forthe River Street–Myrtle Street Urban Renewal District.The Boise City Council approved the urban design planwhen it created the district, and later, the council adoptedthe urban design plan as part of the 1997 Boise CityComprehensive Plan.


The intervening years since 1994 have brought newinsights into the issues this plan needs to address. Themore significant issues are highlighted below.

A more expansive view of downtown. As BoiseCity has grown, so has its downtown. Thegeographic area that is regarded as downtown Boisehas been expanding over time. In 1993, Boise Cityadopted the Downtown Boise Plan, whichincluded a map showing the area considered to bethe logical future extent of the downtown (seeFigure 2). This area extends from Fort Street onthe north to the Royal Boulevard commercialdistrict south of the Boise River, and fromBroadway and Avenue B on the east to 17th Streeton the west, and then extending along Main andFairview to the Boise River west of 30th Street.Downtown Boise Mobility Study Area, establishedin 2002, envisioned downtown as also includingAnn Morrison Park and the Boise State Universitycampus but only goes west to 27th Street (see Figure3).

Downtown is becoming much more than just thecentral business district. It is transforming into aseries of subdistricts that include the CBD but alsospecialized places like the Cultural District, AdaCounty Courthouse Corridor and in-townresidential neighborhoods. It has becomeimportant that connections be created betweenthese subdistricts while encouraging them tobecome distinctive places that have their ownidentity. Ultimately, there is a desire to havedowntown function as an integrated and organicwhole that remains healthy and prosperous overtime. This plan update recognizes the River–Myrtle

area as an integral part of downtown Boise andidentifies ways to connect this area to the otheractivity centers in downtown. It also gives moreattention to recognizing and strengthening thesubdistricts in the River–Myrtle area, and to creatingvibrant places where people can live, work and playwithin this part of downtown.

A need to respond to a changing economy. TheAmerican economy continues its shift away fromresource production and manufacturing toinformation technology and this change is nowheremore dramatic than in Idaho. In spite of traditionsand lingering perceptions, the technology sectornow contributes more to the state’s gross economicproduct than agriculture, timber and miningcombined. The new economy is focused oninnovation in high tech and other industries, andits resource base is people: mobile, well-educatedknowledge workers. Creating a place that isattractive to this new economy is a top priority ineconomic development efforts nationwide, and isthe driving force behind the Boise Smart CityInitiative. The Smart City project, originated by theBoise Mayor’s Office and CCDC in 2000, is acitizen-led effort to identify what the people of thenew economy are looking for in a place to live andwork, and to create such a place in Boise. TheSmart City project focused initially on the RiverStreet–Myrtle Street Urban Renewal District as aplace that could become a model for the applicationof Smart City ideas. Recommendations generatedby this effort are reflected in the developmentguidelines and action steps that appear later in thisplan.

Importance of creating sustainable places. It


Figure 2: Downtown Boise Plan (1993) – Land Use


1 Source: Northwest Environment Watch (http://www.northwestwatch.org/scorecard/map1_boise.asp) as reported by Joe Kolman,“Boise Sprawls the most in the Pacific Northwest,” Idaho Statesman, March 3, 2004, p. 1.2 Since the River Street–Myrtle Street Urban Renewal District was created in 1994, it has been amended to include the Old Boise–Eastside area. Two planning areas were created within the boundary of the larger district: River–Myrtle planning area and the OldBoise–Eastside planning area. The River–Myrtle planning area covers five of the seven subdistricts in the River Myrtle–Old BoiseUrban Renewal District (see Figure 11.)3 This conclusion was based on data collected by Clearwater Research by telephone from one- and two-person households in BoiseCity (400 households) and Ada County (200 households), which formed a scientific sample from which projections could be made.This was the sample used to estimate that 5,000 one- and two-person households would consider moving to downtown Boise in thenext 2-3 years. In addition, results were also obtained from approximately 800 participants who took the survey either on the Internetor by completing a paper survey. The Internet-based and paper surveys were distributed primarily to people working in downtownBoise. Approximately two-thirds of these participants said they would consider moving to downtown Boise in the next 2-3 years.

was recently reported that Boise is the mostsprawling city in the Pacific Northwest.1 Sprawlputs pressure on resources, especially water,building materials, roads and fossil fuels. It alsotends to produce more air pollution and trafficcongestion, while consuming farmland close tometropolitan centers. Creating urban centers whereplaces to live, work and play are concentrated andwhere people can make connections by walking,bicycling and using transit is seen as an effectiveantidote to sprawl. Downtown Boise and theneighborhoods immediately surrounding it areviewed as having a more sustainable pattern than istypical of the rest of the Treasure Valley. Thisupdate places greater emphasis on the issue ofsustainability in the development objectives andaction steps for the River Street–Myrtle Streetplanning area.2

Growing interest in downtown living. Manymetropolitan cities in the United States haveexperienced a surge of housing development intheir urban centers. Portland, Seattle, Denver, LosAngeles and other cities are experiencing arenaissance of downtown living, which appears tiedto the steady reduction in household size, a desire

for more stimulating living environments, reducedcommuting distances and the availability of jobs inthe CBD. The 2003 Downtown Housing MarketAnalysis compared downtown Boise to four othercities where downtown housing has accelerated andnoted that Boise shares many of the samecharacteristics. The analysis concluded that there ismost likely a pent-up demand for downtownhousing in Boise. The Downtown Boise HousingSurvey conducted in 2004 estimates that there are5,000 one- and two-person households in Boiseand Ada County that would consider moving todowntown Boise in the next 2-3 years, if housingchoices were made available.3

Increasing the supply of housing in downtownBoise is seen as essential to maintaining andincreasing vitality, reducing air pollution and trafficcongestion and creating a more livable community.Specific steps for developing a much larger supplyof housing in the River Street–Myrtle Street area,especially in the Cultural District and River Streetneighborhood, receive much more attention in thisupdate than in the previous River Street–MyrtleStreet Urban Design Plan.

Recognizing changes in the River Street–


Figure 3: Downtown Boise Mobility Study Area & Urban Renewal (UR) Districts


Myrtle Street district. Many changes haveoccurred in the River Street–Myrtle Street districtthat were not anticipated in the original plan. Theseinclude construction of the Ada CountyCourthouse, Civic Plaza Apartments, Idaho WaterCenter, the Kriezenbeck office building and Wincofood store; the groundbreaking for the BoDo retaildevelopment at 8th and Broad streets; the openingof the Fulton Street Theater and Big Easy ConcertHouse; and the creation of the Pioneer Corridorplan and CCDC’s downtown housing initiative.Expansion of the Boise Centre on the Grove(Convention Center), which was planned for a sitebetween Front, 11th, Myrtle and 13th streets, sufferedreverses at the polls and it is now uncertain if it willexpand and where. More is known about how theRiver Street–Myrtle Street district will develop in thefuture, and the plan needs to reflect the changesthat have developed over the years. Issues thathave emerged and need more attention since theoriginal River Street–Myrtle Street Urban DesignPlan was adopted include:

Development in the Ada County CourthouseCorridorConcentration of destination retail,entertainment and cultural uses in and near thehistoric 8th Street MarketplaceQuestions regarding the convention centerexpansion and how it affects developmentbetween Front and Myrtle west of 9th StreetMore emphasis on housing development inthe River Street and Parkside neighborhoodswith the launch of the Boise DowntownHousing InitiativeClearer picture of how the Pioneer Walkway

could be improved to create a grandboulevard-style pedestrian and bicycle link

Making the plan more thorough and easier touse. The original River Street–Myrtle Street UrbanDesign Plan focused on three framework issues:mixed uses, open space and pedestrian elements,and street character. It also identified fivesubdistricts, described their existing character andrecommended actions for the future. Thestreetscaping standards either specified brick orallowed for brick to be used as an upgrade foralmost all of the streets in the River Street–MyrtleStreet district. In Boise, the master plans for theurban renewal districts are used on a regular basis toevaluate development proposals for theirconsistency with plan objectives. Over the last tenyears, it has become evident that more specificinformation is needed to do these evaluations thanis available in the River Street–Myrtle Street UrbanDesign Plan.

This update provides more specific information,especially on land uses and densities and how thesubdistricts are to be differentiated from oneanother. It also has a clearer set of developmentguidelines and includes revised streetscapestandards that select certain streets to be improvedusing brick sidewalks and others to be improvedusing modularly scored concrete to create morecontinuity of treatment and to contain costs.

This River Street–Myrtle Street Master Plan serves as theupdate to the River Street–Myrtle Street Urban DesignPlan. It covers all of the subdistricts identified in the


1 The original 1994 River Street–Myrtle Street Urban Design Plan included a subdistrict called Old Boise Expansion Area in additionto others listed in this master plan. This area is now considered to be part of Old Boise–Eastside Planning Area, which is covered byits own master plan. This subdistrict no longer discussed in the River Street–Myrtle Street Master Plan although there is a briefreference to it in the chapter on subdistrict plans. Please see the Old Boise–Eastside Master Plan for more information on thissubdistrict.2 Designated as the CBD Expansion Area in the 1994 River Street–Myrtle Street Urban Design Plan.3 Designated as Myrtle Street North of Julia Davis Park in the 1994 River Street–Myrtle Street Urban Design Plan.

earlier plan with the exception of the Old Boise Expan-sion Area. This area is covered by the Old Boise–Eastside Master Plan, a companion document to thisplan (see pp. 11-14 for more information). Some of thesubdistricts have been renamed as noted in the outlinebelow, and a new subdistrict has been added for theCourthouse Corridor. For the remainder of this plan, inorder to avoid confusion, the area covered by this plan isreferred to as the River–Myrtle planning area. The RiverStreet–Myrtle Street Master Plan addresses:

Eligibility for Urban Renewal ActivitiesPlanning & Policy ContextMarket ContextPreferred Development ConceptOverall Plans, Guidelines & Action Steps

Preferred Development ConceptPreservation, Revitalization & RenewalBuilding & Site DesignStreet Character, Civic Spaces & Pedestrian WaysTransportation & Parking

Subdistrict Plans, Guidelines & Action Steps1

West Connector (Former Rail Yards)2

River Street NeighborhoodWarehouse/Cultural DistrictEast Connector/Parkside3

Courthouse CorridorOld Boise–Eastside

Implementation

Use of subdistrict plansBecause of the large size of the River–Myrtle planningarea, it has been divided into subdistricts, each of whichhas a plan describing current conditions, objectives,development guidelines and action steps. Thesesubdistrict plans appear in Chapter 7.

Old Boise–Eastside as part of theRiver Street–Myrtle Street District

Preparing this update of the River Street–Myrtle StreetUrban Design Plan was precipitated in part by workbeing done to evaluate an adjacent area—the Old Boise–Eastside area—for formation of a separate urbanrenewal district. Both of these areas are shown in Figure1. CCDC began the evaluation of the Old Boise–Eastside area at the request of property owners in OldBoise commercial area. Idaho State Code requires that anarea must meet at least one of the criteria in the defini-tion of a deteriorated or deteriorating area before it iseligible to become an urban renewal district. The CCDCBoard of Commissioners received an eligibility report onthe Old Boise–Eastside area in September 2001, whichconcluded that the area met the requirements of theIdaho State Code. In September 2002, the Boise CityCouncil received this report, made a finding that the areawas eligible for urban renewal activities and directedCCDC to prepare a master plan for consideration by thecity council.


CCDC proceeded with preparation of the master plan.Idaho State Code also requires that an economicfeasibility analysis be done before a district is formed todetermine how anticipated revenues compare toestimated costs for revitalization projects and programs.In the case of Old Boise–Eastside, a preliminary analysiswas done in spring 2003. It showed that anticipated taxincrement revenues from Old Boise–Eastside might notbe enough to cover the expected cost of improvements(see sidebar).

At the time, some of the factors seen as reasons for thissituation were:

Constructing at least one public parking garage andupgrading the Old Boise business district to havethe same streetscaping and pedestrian amenities asthe downtown core was expensive.Old Boise–Eastside does not have large unusedparcels that could generate significant newdevelopment.The preferred development concept for Old Boise–Eastside endeavored to complement the existingcharacter of the area and thus shows only a modestamount of new development.The amount of tax increment expected from thepreferred development concept for Old Boise–Eastside was correspondingly modest.

Amending the River Street–Myrtle StreetDistrict to include Old Boise/EastsideTo address this situation, the CCDC Board of Commis-sioners decided to evaluate what the financial situationwould be if the Old Boise–Eastside area were added tothe existing River Street–Myrtle Street Urban RenewalDistrict.

The possibility of combining the two areas meant thatthe River Street–Myrtle Street Urban Renewal Planincluding the master plan and financial plan needed to bebrought up-to-date. Hence the preparation of this RiverStreet–Myrtle Street Master Plan.

Adding Old Boise–Eastside to the River Street–MyrtleStreet Urban Renewal District offered the followingadvantages:

The number and size of parcels suitable forredevelopment varies between different geographicareas of downtown Boise. As a result, theredevelopment potential and the ability to generatetax increment varies between these areas. The needfor improvements in different geographic areas alsovaries. There are instances where the ability togenerate revenue and the need for improvementsare not a perfect match. Having a larger land area inan urban renewal district tends to moderate thesedifferences and allows a balance between costs andrevenues to be achieved.

Tax Increment Financing

Tax increment financing (or revenueallocation as it is called in the Idaho StateCode) is the method established for fundingrevitalization projects and activities in urbanrenewal districts. At the time an urbanrenewal district is established, a city councilalso decides whether to create a revenueallocation area that coincides with thedistrict. If this area is created, the countyassessor establishes the current value foreach property in the district. This value isreferred to as the base value. Over time, asboth public and private dollars are investedand development occurs in the district,property values tend to rise. The increase invalue over the base is called theincremental value or increment. In Idaho, thetaxes generated by this incremental valueare shared by the school district and theurban renewal agency. In Boise, the citycouncil has formed revenue allocation areasfor each of its urban renewal districts. Therevenues derived from the increment forurban renewal activities are allocated toCCDC as Boise’s urban renewal agency.


Certain types of improvements, such as parkinggarages, have areas of benefit or service areas.When an urban renewal district is small, serviceareas may extend beyond the boundary of thedistrict. The district cannot access resourcesgenerated by development that is in the service areabut outside the district. When urban renewaldistricts are larger, it is more likely that service areasfor improvements will fall within the districtboundaries.

Typically bonds are used to finance improvementsin urban renewal districts. The ability to issuebonds depends on whether investors believe thatsufficient revenues will be generated to repay thebonds. In the case of bonds backed by taxincrement revenue, the ability to repay bondsdepends on future development generatingincrement. How much and what type ofdevelopment activity will occur in a smallgeographic area is more unpredictable than forlarger areas. Having a larger area in an urbanrenewal district increases the likelihood thatdevelopment projections will be met and investorswill be willing to buy bonds.

Certain types of development, like a lifestyle retailcenter, have the potential for generating significanttax increment and for creating spin-offdevelopment that also generates revenues. Such

developments also have very specific locationalrequirements and there are only very limitedlocations that work for them. Having a largerurban renewal district allows revenues from theseunique developments to be reinvested over a widerarea than is possible in a smaller district.

A geographic area may have characteristics that arevalued on a community-wide basis. It may make aunique contribution to the economic prosperity ofdowntown which would damage downtown’scompetitive position and synergy if lost. The OldBoise Historic District is an example. Thecontribution made by such areas would beenhanced by public improvements, butcompromised if wholesale redevelopment wereundertaken. Placing such areas in a larger districtmakes it possible to improve these areas withoutoverdeveloping them.

Adding Old Boise–Eastside to the River Street–MyrtleStreet district also raised the issue of geographicdistribution of public investment and redevelopmentactivity. During the public review of this plan, propertyowners in the existing River Street–Myrtle Street districtexpressed concerns that adding Old Boise–Eastsidewould drain resources from the River Street–MyrtleStreet district and leave some areas of River Street–MyrtleStreet district without resources.


Long Term Financial Plan for River–Myrtleand Old Boise–EastsideAt the end of the master planning process for both theRiver–Myrtle planning area and the Old Boise–Eastsideplanning area, Keyser Marston Associates prepared afinancial analysis for a combined River Myrtle–Old BoiseUrban Renewal District and for Old Boise–Eastside as astand-alone district. In both cases, the financial analysisprojects that sufficient resources from tax incrementrevenue and other sources will be sufficient to pay for theproposed improvements. In the intervening timebetween the preliminary and final analysis for Old Boise–Eastside, the assumptions regarding the value of futuredevelopment and the cost and extent of improvementswere refined for this area and led to a positive result.(The financial analyses for the combined River Myrtle–Old Boise District and Old Boise–Eastside are availablefrom CCDC.)

The CCDC Board of Commissioners recommendedand the Boise City Council elected to proceed with acombined River Myrtle–Old Boise Urban RenewalDistrict because of the advantages of larger districtsdiscussed earlier.

At the same time, CCDC wanted to address the concernsexpressed by property owners about the geographicdistribution of resources. This plan includes CCDC’scommitment to prepare a capital improvement plan forthe River Myrtle–Old Boise district every five years for theremaining life of the district, and that the five-year planbe re-examined each year as part of CCDC’s annual

1 An adjustment has been made to the boundary between the two master planning areas so that properties which were in the originalRiver Street–Myrtle Street Urban Renewal District, but relate better to the Old Boise–Eastside area, are now covered by the OldBoise–Eastside Master Plan. These properties are located north of Front Street between Capitol Boulevard and 3rd Street.

budget process. The first five-year plan would cover2006-2010. A stakeholder committee including propertyowners, business owners and residents in the districtwould assist in the preparation of the five-year plan andmake recommendations to the CCDC Board ofCommissioners on the type and timing of publicinvestments in the various subdistricts of the RiverMyrtle–Old Boise district. These subdistricts are shownin Figure 11.

Relationship between River Street–MyrtleStreet & Old Boise–Eastside Master PlansThe urban renewal plan for the combined River Myrtle–Old Boise Urban Renewal District has been structured soit includes two master plans: one for the original RiverStreet–Myrtle Street district and one for the Old Boise–Eastside study area, with some modification of theboundary between them.1 Figure 11 on page 63 showshow the two areas relate to one another. The CentralBusiness District and Eastside neighborhood shown onthe map are in the Old Boise–Eastside planning area andthe remaining subdistricts are in the River–Myrtleplanning area. This approach maintains continuity in theplanning work for the River–Myrtle area. Preparing twomaster plans also recognizes that the property owners,business owners and residents in the Old Boise–Eastside area who participated in the development ofthe initial development concept and goals and policiesfor this area have a desire for a master plan focused onOld Boise–Eastside.

RIVER STREET–MYRTLE STREET MASTER PLAN Eligibility for Urban Renewal Activities 15

2: Eligibility for Urban Renewal ActivitiesThe Big Easy Concerthouse and severalrestaurants use this alleyas their front door—justone of the unique places inthe River–Myrtle planningarea.

Preparation of an eligibility report represents the firststep in determining whether an urban renewal district canbe established. It documents whether an area meets thedefinition in the Idaho State Code for a deteriorated ordeteriorating area, and thus is eligible for urban renewalactivities. The local governing body makes this determi-nation based on whether the area meets at least one ofthe criteria in the definition.

The original evaluation of the River Street–Myrtle Streetarea was done in three parts:

Eligibility report of the Union Pacific RailroadProperty (bounded by 15th, Front, 9th and Myrtle

streets) and adjacent areas dated September 23,1991.Eligibility report for the Front–Myrtle area(bounded by Capitol, Grove/Front, Broadway, andMyrtle) and adjacent areas dated April 8, 1994.Supplemental Report on Eligibility of the Front–Myrtle and River Street areas dated September 19,1994.

These reports prepared by Harlan W. Mann Consultantcover all of the properties within the boundary of theRiver Street–Myrtle Street Urban Renewal District asapproved by the Boise City Council on December 6,1994.

RIVER STREET–MYRTLE STREET MASTER PLANEligibility for Urban Renewal Activities16

As part of amending the River Street–Myrtle StreetUrban Renewal District to include the Old Boise–Eastside study area, CCDC and Boise City identified alimited number of other parcels to be added to thedistrict. These included the following groups of parcelsdepicted in Figure 1:

Boise City Library, Log Cabin Literary Centerand Anne Frank Memorial. Boise City ownsthese parcels and including them would allow theapplication of CCDC resources to projects thatbenefit the community and implement the urbanrenewal plan. This addition also includes theCapitol Boulevard right-of-way from River Street(formerly Battery Street) to the Boise River, whichwould allow improvements made to this street tobe continue from Front Street to the CapitolBoulevard bridge, rather than stopping part way.

Greenbelt parcel at the Ann Morrison ParkBridge. This parcel is owned by the city andmanaged as a part of the Boise River Greenbeltsystem. It lies at the terminus of the PioneerCorridor, so including it in the district would allowimprovements along the Pioneer Corridor toextend to and connect with the greenbelt pathway.

700 N. Americana/1500 Shoreline and adjacentparcels. Nearly 10 acres in size, the property at 700N. Americana/1500 Shoreline represents asignificant redevelopment opportunity. Theadjacent parcels include several properties that areunderdeveloped.

Other minor adjustments have been made in theboundary to incorporate both sides of certain streets soCCDC would have the ability to complete streetscapingimprovements on both sides. An example is BroadwayAvenue from the alley north of the Idaho Water Centerto Myrtle Street. (The eligibility report for these addi-tional parcels is available from CCDC.)

The CCDC Board of Commissioners accepted theeligibility report for the added parcels noted above onJuly 12, 2004. The Boise City Council received the reporton July 13, 2004, and made a finding at its meeting onJuly 20, 2004 that the added parcels were eligible forinclusion in an urban renewal district based on therequirements of the Idaho State Code.

RIVER STREET–MYRTLE STREET MASTER PLAN Planning & Policy Context 17

3: Planning & Policy ContextIncreasing the supply ofhousing in the River–Myrtle planning area isone of the objectives ofthis plan. The River PlazaApartments were built in2000 through a public-private partnership andaffordable housing taxcredits.

This River Street–Myrtle Street Master Plan carriesforward the previous planning work done for this area inthe Downtown Boise Plan (1993), the River Street–Myrtle Street Urban Design Plan (1994) and the BoiseCity Comprehensive Plan (1997), and in some casesrecommends changes to these earlier plans. The generaldirection, however, remains the same. This sectiondiscusses these plans and how the concepts they presentrelate to the River–Myrtle planning area.

Downtown Boise Plan (1993)Boise City adopted this plan “to preserve andenhance the strengths of downtown businesses by

providing guidance for future growth anddevelopment in the downtown area.” TheDowntown Boise Plan promotes downtown as acenter of employment and services but alsoenvisions downtown as a desirable place forresidential neighborhoods. Figure 2 shows thesubdistricts defined by this plan.

The Downtown Boise Plan undoubtedlyinfluenced the River Street–Myrtle Street UrbanDesign Plan, adopted only one year later. Ofparticular relevance to the River–Myrtle planningarea, is the Downtown Boise Plan land-use plan

RIVER STREET–MYRTLE STREET MASTER PLANPlanning & Policy Context18

(see Figure 2). It shows the extent of the centralbusiness district, which includes portions of theRiver–Myrtle planning area. The plan describes thegoals and policies that pertain to the CBD, thetreatment of the Connector and 8th Street and thegeneral promotion of residential use surroundingthe CBD. The Downtown Boise Plan did notanticipate the extent of development that hasoccurred in the Ada County Courthouse Corridor.More specifically, this plan discusses the followingissues which pertain to the River–Myrtle planningarea:

Extent of CBD: The Downtown Boise Plananticipates that the CBD will extend into thearea south of Front Street, between 9th and11th, with hotel, intense retail and office uses.It also implies dense, mixed-use developmentat the east end of the River Streetneighborhood. The Downtown Boise Planshows the CBD occupying a somewhat largerarea in the River Street neighborhood than isexpected in the River Street–Myrtle StreetMaster Plan and in the 2025 Downtown BoiseRedevelopment Plan (see Figure 3). Regardlessof the differences between the plans on theextent of the CBD, these plans are inagreement when describing the type ofdevelopment expected in the CBD, i.e. highintensity, compact development with a diversemix of uses, high level of pedestrian use and24-hour activity.

Connector: The Downtown Boise Plandiscourages strip commercial development andencourages high-intensity uses along that part

of the Connector within the planned CBDbetween 4th and 13th streets. For areas alongthe Connector outside of the CBD, the planencourages commercial and mixed-usedevelopment when it is proposed as part of aplanned development with residential uses.

8th Street: The Downtown Boise Planenvisions the street level of 8th Street to be thepedestrian focus of the central businessdistrict. It recommends that new developmentbe designed to promote a festival marketplaceatmosphere and pedestrian activity on thisstreet. It implies that this people-orientedatmosphere, evident on 8th Street fromBannock to Front Street, be encouraged tocontinue south through the River–Myrtleplanning area to River Street (formerly BatteryStreet).

River Street Residential Area and Front–Myrtle Office/Residential Corridor: TheDowntown Boise Plan identifies two areas inthe River–Myrtle planning area as potentialresidential neighborhoods. The first is theRiver Street Residential Area, shown as arelatively confined area west of 11th Street,between Myrtle and River streets. It isdescribed as a prime area for high-densityresidential development given its location nearcity parks, Boise State University and the centralbusiness district. Both the Downtown BoisePlan and the River Street–Myrtle Street MasterPlan recommend a greater range of housingtypes be developed to upgrade the perceptionof this neighborhood and to overcome its


current deteriorated state and historic stigmaof being on the wrong side of the tracks. TheRiver Street–Myrtle Street Master Plandesignates this area as the River StreetNeighborhood, and envisions it extendinginto the areas identified by the DowntownBoise Plan as the Boise River Office Park andthe Auto-Commercial Area (see discussionbelow). Increasing the size of the areaidentified as the River Street Neighborhood isseen as an important way to achieve a criticalmass of housing and to create a feeling ofcommunity.

The second area identified for a potentialresidential neighborhood is the Front–MyrtleOffice/Residential Corridor east of 4th andnorth of Julia Davis Park. The DowntownBoise Plan notes that the existing developmentpattern consists of many small, individuallyheld lots that preclude easy consolidation forlarge development proposals. The planrecommends a mix of office and residentialuses designed as coordinated developmentsand the avoidance of strip commercialuses. The River Street–Myrtle Street MasterPlan designates this area as East Connector/Parkside and envisions a similar developmentpattern with medium- to high-density officeand residential development. Residentialdevelopment would be clustered on BroadStreet and Myrtle Street.

Boise River Office Park: The DowntownPlan identifies a relatively large area fordevelopment of an office park between River

Street and the Boise River, from 9th Street to14th Street. It implies that uses similar to theForest River office development would beextended. The River Street–Myrtle StreetMaster Plan includes the western half of thisarea (from approximately 12th Street) as part ofthe River Street neighborhood, and envisions amore urban development pattern with a mixof uses, including a substantial number ofhousing units in this same area. This planincludes a recommendation that theDowntown Boise Plan be amended to adjustthe extent of the office park area.

Auto-Commercial Area: The area between15th and Americana is shown for auto-oriented commercial uses in the DowntownBoise Plan. These uses are planned to extendtoward the west, along Main and Fairview, to30th Street. The River Street–Myrtle StreetMaster Plan identifies this area as part of theRiver Street neighborhood to indicate thathousing would be a more prominent elementin the mix of uses and that the developmentpattern would be more urban than suburbanin nature. Service businesses are expected todevelop along 16th and Americana, along thewestern edge of the River–Myrtle planningarea.

Boise City Comprehensive Plan (1997)Adopted in 1997 as the general plan for all of Boiseand its area of impact, the Boise ComprehensivePlan designates all of the River–Myrtle planningarea as mixed use. The land-use matrix indicatesthe mixed-use designation is open to a wide rangeof zoning districts and land uses.


The Boise City Comprehensive Plan acknowledgesdowntown Boise as the civic, economic and culturalcenter of the Boise City Planning Area, whichincludes land within Boise city limits and its area ofimpact. Downtown Boise is expected to continueto develop with a concentrated, higher densitycentral business district (CBD) surrounded byintegrated subdistricts, each maturing under newurbanism principles as applied by specific designoverlays (see sidebar). The River Street–MyrtleStreet Master Plan includes development guidelinesthat endeavor to apply new urbanism principles inthe downtown environment.

The Boise City Comprehensive Plan containsseveral policies that mirror or support the objectivesand guidelines in the River Street–Myrtle StreetMaster Plan. The following policies are especiallynoteworthy for what they suggest aboutdowntown housing, public spaces and the characterof new development, the Cultural District andpedestrian connectivity:

The residential component of the downtownshall be given particular emphasis to encourageliving opportunities within walking distance ofthe downtown employment centers as well asneighborhood services. (policy 8.17.4)Additional civic open space facilities shall beincorporated into the downtownenvironment. (policy 8.17.7)Strip commercial, auto-intensive uses shall notbe allowed in the downtown core except westof the CBD in an area bounded by 23rd Street,27th Street, Main Street and AmericanaBoulevard. (policy 8.17.8)

In order to complement the emerging culturalfacilities and activities around South 8th Streetand the west end of Julia Davis Park, a strategyplan shall be prepared to provide a distinctidentity for the area as a cultural district. (policy8.17.9)Downtown shall continue to develop with aframework of streets, paths and open spacesthat build upon existing downtown networksand strengthen connections to the Boise Riverand between subdistricts. (policy 8.17.10)

2025 Downtown Boise RedevelopmentPlan

Boise City now has three urban renewal districtsthat encompass the heart of downtown as onecoherent piece of geography: Central District, RiverMyrtle–Old Boise and Westside Downtown.During the preparation of the River Street–MyrtleStreet Master Plan, it became obvious that thevision and many of the design and developmentguidelines for downtown redevelopment arecommon to all of the urban renewal districts. Inaddition, it is helpful to look at certain elementssuch as land uses, streetscaping, civic spaces, bicycleand pedestrian routes, and transportation andparking on a downtown-wide basis to see theoverall picture. From a functional standpoint, theboundaries for the urban renewal districts areactually artificial lines that are needed to determinewhere tax increment revenue is generated and spent.One of the goals of downtown redevelopment isto arrive at a point where these districts function asinterconnected places, land uses and activity centersin one district complement and support the other

New Urbanism Principles

New urbanism, when practiced in a downtownenvironment, envisions a lively mix of uses suchthat housing, employment, cultural, educational,recreational uses, health care and other servicesare in close proximity to each other, allowing peopleto satisfy daily needs by walking, bicycling andtransit. Development is at urban densities, thusmaking such alternative modes of transportationmore feasible. Dependence on individual vehiclesfor transportation is minimized. A mix of usesmay occur in a single building or there may besingle-use buildings with different uses within thesame block or subdistrict of downtown. Retail usesare clustered into both small and large shoppingdistricts. Housing is clustered into neighborhoods.Large concentrations of office buildings, which tendto go dark in the evenings and on weekends, arediscouraged. Buildings are built close to or at thesidewalk line, using designs that create interest atthe street level for passersby. Sidewalks areimproved with street trees, furniture, planters anddistinctive lighting and may include special paving.There is a system of public spaces with seating,plaza space, landscaping and art work where peoplecan gather for relaxation, people-watching,socializing, dining and cultural events. Specificattention is given to creating a lively, welcomingpublic realm for people which structures and bringscoherence to the urban fabric. The street systemretains the traditional grid system common todowntowns at the turn of the century. Surfaceparking is minimized since it tends to sap urbanvitality. Every effort is made to screen surfaceparking lots from street view. Where parking lotsare on the street, they have an edge that replicatesthe building line along the sidewalk and arelandscaped to soften their impact. Most parking issupplied by parking structures. Wheneverpossible, these structures are designed so the firstfloor is lined with shops, restaurants, housing unitsand other activating uses whenever this first floorfaces a street, thus making the parking garageinvisible to pedestrians.


districts and downtown functions as an organicwhole.

The 2025 Downtown Boise Redevelopment Planwas created to illustrate the seamless nature ofdowntown and to describe both the overall visionand goals for its revitalization and design anddevelopment guidelines shared by all of thedistricts. It depicts common elements on mapsthat show all of the districts and the peripheryaround them, so that these elements are put intocontext. Plans, objectives, design anddevelopment guidelines and action steps that applyto a particular district are included in the masterplan for that district. The 2025 Downtown BoiseRedevelopment Plan serves as a preface to thesemaster plans.

The 2025 Downtown Boise Redevelopment Planhas a time frame of 20 years because all of theexisting districts are scheduled to sunset on orbefore 2025. Boise City and CCDC have establisheda vision (see sidebar) and overall goals fordowntown revitalization as part of this plan.Downtown revitalization goals include:

Heart of region: Assure that downtown Boiseremains the foremost urban center in the region forbusiness, government, medical care, culture,education and urban living.

People place: Develop downtown as a place forpeople, offering a delightful and enrichingenvironment for living, working and playing.Assure that the mix of land uses and the design of

the urban fabric support urban vitality. Emphasizethe needs of people over vehicles.

Economic development: Promote a prosperouseconomy in downtown and the region by creating aplace that is attractive to cutting-edge companiesand the workforce they employ.

Urban form: Create a compact, urban form with alively mix of uses. Emphasize quality,sustainability and a feeling of permanence in thehow downtown is built. Develop subdistricts, in-town neighborhoods and activity centers so eachhas its own character and sense of identity.

Public realm: Develop a system of parks, plazasand public spaces that become focal points in thedowntown, act as catalysts for private development,provide refreshment and relief from urbansurroundings and add to the livability ofdowntown. Improve streets and sidewalks so theycreate a welcoming pedestrian environment.

Transportation system: Create an effectivemultimodal transportation system in downtownBoise that promotes walking, bicycling, carpoolingand transit, and reduces dependence onautomobiles. Ease traffic flow in downtown byimprovements to street design and signalizationand by traffic demand management. Develop amultimodal transportation system for the regionthat addresses potential traffic impacts caused byfuture growth in downtown, and makes travel to,from and within downtown by alternative modespractical and attractive.

Vision of Downtown Boise - 2025

The 2025 Downtown Boise Redevelopment Planenvisions downtown remaining the foremost urbancenter in the region for business, government,culture, education and urban living. It is and willcontinue to be a collection of districts, each withits own unique character and function. Districts,activity centers and in-town neighborhoods will beconnected by a well-designed and functionalmultimodal transportation system. Thistransportation system will provide connectionswithin downtown and to the surrounding region.

Downtown will become a mosaic of delightfulplaces that evoke a sense of community andinvite people to explore and enjoy. It will have arich collection of both historic and contemporarybuildings—valuing its ties to the past as well asthe possibilities of the future with architecture thatconveys a sense of quality and permanence.These buildings will provide the setting for a livelymix of uses, including housing, offices, retail,hotels and convention facilities, and cultural,entertainment and learning opportunities.Downtown will become a model for sustainableland use patterns, building practices andtransportation and how to make wise use ofresources. Downtown will offer an invigoratingenvironment with bustling streets, music,festivals, public art, parks and plazas,neighborhood taverns and great restaurants.There will be a rich intellectual environment thatattracts talented people and sparks creativity andinnovation, supported by state-of-the-arttelecommunications and technology. People fromall walks of life will feel welcome and becomeengaged in the life of downtown. The history andculture of its peoples will be celebrated. There willbe room for quirkiness and spontaneity.Downtown Boise will be a vibrant place wherepeople thrive and businesses prosper—a placethat contributes to the social, spiritual,environmental and economic well-being ofresidents, workers, visitors and the region.


Create a destination-oriented shopping districtbetween 9th, Front, Capitol and Myrtle with thepossibility of expansion west to 10th Street.Cluster hotel, retail, convention and tourism-oriented uses along Front and Myrtle streets east of13th Street.Add development to the Courthouse Corridor so amore complete mix of uses is created and theinstitutional effect of the existing buildings issoftened.Create a major mixed-use development on thesouthwest corner of Front and Broadway.Increase densities in the River–Myrtle planning areato achieve the development forecast, increase urbanvitality and make alternative modes oftransportation more practical.Promote the use of walking, bicycling and transit.Maintain the vitality and character of River–Myrtleplanning area for the long term.

This plan proposes specific objectives, design anddevelopment guidelines and action steps for this uniquearea of downtown Boise.

Parking: Provide an adequate supply of parkingwhile minimizing the use of land for surfaceparking lots. Achieve maximum utilization ofparking by developing land uses that haveoffsetting parking demands, making privateparking available to the public when not neededotherwise and making public parking facilities easilyaccessible from the various subdistricts and activitycenters in downtown.

Like previous plans for downtown Boise, the RiverStreet–Myrtle Street Master Plan follows the guidingprinciples of mixed land uses, compact, urban-styledevelopment and pedestrian-oriented urban design. It isessentially consistent with the more recent of these plansand moves these plans forward by focusing in particularon how to:

Improve the Broadway–Chinden Connector so itbecomes an attractive boulevard compatible with apeople-oriented downtown and suitable fordevelopment of a wide range of uses along itsedges, and it does not impede north-southconnections between the River–Myrtle planningarea and the remainder of downtown.Create flourishing urban neighborhoods in theRiver Street area and in the Warehouse/CulturalDistrict.Achieve a balance between office and housing usessuch that housing does not disappear but increases.Construct an enhanced, boulevard-style PioneerWalk through the River Street neighborhood, anduse the walkway as both an anchor and a catalyst fordevelopment and as a link between theneighborhood and downtown.

RIVER STREET–MYRTLE STREET MASTER PLAN Market Context 23

4: Market ContextBuildings in theWarehouse/CulturalDistrict have beenrenovated and reused butstill retain their historicflavor.

Preparation of the River Street–Myrtle Street plan updateincluded a review of the prospects for office, retail andhousing development in downtown Boise to 2025 todetermine if the amount and form of developmentenvisioned by this plan is realistic. The review reliedupon a market forecast prepared by Strategic Economicsfor the Downtown Boise Mobility Study and reported ina document entitled Market Analysis and GrowthProjections. The Downtown Boise Mobility Study is ajoint effort by Boise City, CCDC, Valley Ride, Boise StateUniversity, Ada County Highway District, IdahoTransportation Department and the CommunityPlanning Association of Southwest Idaho to assess andplan for long-term transportation needs in downtownBoise. As a part of this effort, Strategic Economics was

asked to estimate the type, amount and approximatelocation of future development in downtown Boise tothe year 2025. This work was done in three steps:

Assessing the regional market for housing, officeand retail and estimating the share expected to becaptured by downtown for each type ofdevelopment.Identifying opportunity sites in downtown thatwere likely to develop or redevelop and to whatlevel of density.Allocating the growth identified in the first step tothe opportunity sites and then testing the patternof development against local knowledge.

RIVER STREET–MYRTLE STREET MASTER PLANMarket Context24

Using this process, Strategic Economics estimated theamount of development expected to occur in each of 28traffic analysis zones. The zones in the River–Myrtleplanning area were aggregated into the totals presentedbelow. Strategic Economics forecasts the followingdemand in the River–Myrtle planning area for newdevelopment between 2005 and 2025, which is thencompared with the total development expected in thedowntown mobility study area:

Percent of Downtown Market to 2025

2,470 housing units 58% of total1,577,286 square feet of office 41% of total367,405 square feet of retail 75% of total

250,000 destination serving117,405 local serving

The forecast reflects the fact that River–Myrtle planningarea has a substantial amount of land that is eithervacant, in parking lots or underutilized. It anticipates theRiver–Myrtle planning area will become a focal point forlarge-scale retail development in downtown Boise. Theprojected amount of retail is in addition to the BoDo

development at 8th and Broad, which is currently underconstruction and includes 81,700 square feet of retail,55,520 square feet of office, a 168-room hotel and an 11-screen movie theater. The BoDo development is seen asan anchor that will attract additional lifestyle- anddestination-type retailing in close proximity. The mostlikely location for this additional development is betweenFront and Myrtle to the west of 9th Street. The forecastallocates 100% of all new regional-serving retail in thedowntown mobility area to the River–Myrtle planningarea.

The River–Myrtle planning area is also seen as a primelocation for additional office and housing development.Office development is expected to occur along theConnector and along River Street between 9th and 11th

streets. Housing development is expected in the RiverStreet neighborhood, with higher density housingclustered along the Pioneer Walk and 11th Street, andpossibly in a major mixed-use development on the westside of Broadway between Front and Myrtle. Themarket forecast does not envision much housing beingadded to the Parkside neighborhood by 2025 becauseother locations are more likely to take precedence.

RIVER STREET–MYRTLE STREET MASTER PLAN Preferred Development Concept 25

5: Preferred Development ConceptCreating public spacesthat enhance privatedevelopment is one way toestablish a sense of placefor people. The pedestrianpromenade through theCourthouse Corridorconnects the Idaho WaterCenter, Civic PlazaApartments, and the AdaCounty Courthouse (notpictured) and provides anattractive setting for theseoffice and housingdevelopments.

The preferred development concept for the River–Myrtleplanning area depicts the desired pattern of developmentfor this area over the remaining 20-year life of the plan.It builds on the earlier work done in the River Street–Myrtle Street Urban Design Plan, which described theoverall goals and objectives and development concept asnoted in Appendix A.

This update describes a more refined and detaileddevelopment concept for the River–Myrtle planning area.It provides more specific information on land uses anddensities and how the subdistricts are to be differentiatedfrom one another. It has a clearer set of development

guidelines. It also includes revised streetscape standardsthat call for certain streets to be improved using bricksidewalks and others to be improved using modularlyscored concrete to create more continuity of treatmentand contain costs. The development concept emergedfrom the work done to identify overall objectives for theRiver–Myrtle planning area and to create specific plans foreach of the five identified subdistricts in the area (seeChapters 6 and 7).

The preferred development concept is prefaced by ageneral description of the existing character in the River–Myrtle planning area.

RIVER STREET–MYRTLE STREET MASTER PLANPreferred Development Concept26

Existing Character of River–MyrtlePlanning Area

The River–Myrtle planning area is the largest planningarea in an urban renewal district in downtown Boise. Assuch, it has a varied character reflecting its history, landownership patterns and market dynamics. This sectionidentifies the key elements that shape the nature of thispart of downtown Boise. The subdistrict plans whichappear in Chapter 7 provide more detailed informationon current conditions, as well as objectives, design anddevelopment guidelines and action steps for specific areasof the River–Myrtle planning area.

Key Elements

The River–Myrtle planning area is shaped by certainorganizing elements that form its structure and character.These include:

Broadway–Chinden Connector running east andwest through the planning areaCapitol Boulevard, which is the central north-southaxis through the planning area8th Street, which runs north-south parallel toCapitol Boulevard but is a much quieter, peopleoriented streetWarehouse/Cultural District situated in the centerof the planning areaBoise River, Boise River Greenbelt and riverfrontparks along the southern edgeRiver Street and Parkside neighborhoods on thewest and east of the Warehouse/Cultural DistrictPioneer Walkway through the River StreetneighborhoodCourthouse Corridor

These elements are described below to provide a flavorof River–Myrtle planning area as a distinctive placewithin downtown Boise with its own challenges, assetsand opportunities.

Broadway–Chinden ConnectorThe River–Myrtle planning area stretches fromBroadway Avenue to Americana Boulevard andfrom Grove Street to the Boise River. One of itsmost prominent features is the Broadway–ChindenConnector that runs east and west through theplanning area. It reflects the historical location ofthe rail yards in downtown Boise. Front Street andMyrtle Street, which form the Connector, are eachfive lanes with a wide-open feeling that tends toencourage higher speed driving than occurs on thetraditional grid of downtown streets. Certainsections of Front Street have signals at each crossstreet and development along the street edge, whilesections of Myrtle have no signals for several blocksand very low-scale or nonexistent development.The street sections without signals are veryautomobile oriented and intimidating topedestrians. West of 9th Street there is a series ofsuperblocks between Front and Myrtle. East of 9th

Street to 2nd Street, Broad Street runs between thetwo sides of the connector, but it ceases to existfrom 2nd Street to Broadway. Winco Foodsoccupies four city blocks from 2nd Street to AvenueA. The University of Idaho Foundation ownsproperty close to four city blocks in size fromAvenue B to Broadway.

In total, there are the equivalent of 64 block facesbordered by the Connector. The size and design ofFront and Myrtle streets exert a powerful impact onadjacent properties and a strong influence on the


Figure 4: Key Elements


type of development being built in thisenvironment. Development along this roadwaytends to be more monumental than is typical ofdowntown and favors office and institutional uses.It is difficult to locate residential or retaildevelopment on these streets. The Connector alsotends to create a barrier between the River–Myrtleplanning area and the remainder of downtown.The impact of the Connector should not beunderestimated, and specific developmentguidelines rigorously applied along these streets areneeded to achieve an outcome that is compatiblewith the desired character for the River–Myrtleplanning area and for downtown Boise as a whole.

Capitol BoulevardCapitol Boulevard is the most significant street indowntown given it begins at the Boise Depot andends at the Idaho State Capitol Building, and is themajor gateway to downtown. It has the potentialto become a grand ceremonial-style street.However, the intensity and quality of developmentalong its edges vary. Parking lots and low-scalebuildings dominate the section between Fultonand Front streets, and the pedestrian environmentis unappealing. The section between Front andBannock streets has an urban character with a seriesof high-rise buildings on its western edge. Thispowerful edge remains unanswered on the east sideof the street, which is for the most part lined withsmaller-scale historic buildings. An urban designplan for beautifying this street was prepared in 1989and is being revised at this time. More could bedone to celebrate this street.

8th StreetIn contrast to the Connector and CapitolBoulevard, 8th Street is considered to be one of thepremier pedestrian-oriented streets in downtown.It runs north and south near the center of theRiver–Myrtle planning area connecting The GrovePlaza, the Boise City Library, Anne Frank HumanRights Memorial and Boise River Greenbelt. Thisstretch of 8th Street does not yet have the samelively atmosphere or pedestrian amenities that are inplace between Bannock and Main streets, althoughthe plans for the BoDo retail development suggesta change in this direction is coming. The street doeshave a pleasant feel for both walking and bicyclingwith its historic flavor, trees lining its sidewalks andlow volumes of traffic.

Warehouse/Cultural DistrictThe Warehouse District, left from the railroad era, isbordered by 9th and Front streets, CapitolBoulevard and the Boise River. Many historic brickbuildings remain standing and are occupied by lightmanufacturing, service businesses, professionaloffices, retail shops and restaurants. The buildingslining one block of 8th Street between Myrtle andBroad streets and two blocks of Broad Streetbetween Capitol and 9th were renovated into the 8th

Street Marketplace in the 1970s, intended as adestination-shopping district that had only limitedsuccess. These blocks have been incorporated intothe new BoDo retail development that is focusedon the four blocks bordered by Myrtle, 9th andFront streets and Capitol Boulevard.


This area has also been identified as Boise’s CulturalDistrict. The Esther Simplot Performing ArtsAcademy is located here along with the Boise CityLibrary, Log Cabin Literary Center, Anne FrankHuman Rights Memorial, Foothills School of Artsand Sciences, Idaho Urban Research and DesignCenter and Boise State University studio artsprogram. The Fulton Street Theater opened in2000 in a renovated warehouse. The alley runningparallel to 8th Street between Broad and Myrtlestreets hosts a lively entertainment scene with theopening of the Big Easy Concert House and severalbars and restaurants. (The full range of culturalvenues in the Cultural District and nearby aredescribed in Chapter 7 in the subdistrict plan forthe Warehouse/Cultural District.)

The Warehouse/Cultural District has beenidentified as a prime location for creating an in-town residential neighborhood given its proximityto cultural amenities, Julia Davis Park, the BoiseRiver and its greenbelt, BSU and shopping anddining opportunities in the central business districtand the Old Boise Historic District.

Boise River, Boise River Greenbelt andRiverfront ParksThe River–Myrtle planning area has a treasure troveof recreational amenities at its doorstep. The BoiseRiver and the greenbelt along its banks run alongthe south edge of the River–Myrtle planning area.The greenbelt contains a pathway used by walkers,runners and bicyclists, which extends for 26 miles.

Two beautiful, large-scale parks—Julia Davis Parkon the east end and Ann Morrison Park on thewest end—offer cultural facilities, playgrounds,tennis courts, playing fields and open green spaceimmediately adjacent to the planning area.

River Street and Parkside1

NeighborhoodsThe remnants of the historic River Streetneighborhood are located on the west end of theRiver–Myrtle planning area. There is a sizeablestock of single family houses built in the late 1800sand early 1900s, which are in fair to poor condition.Most of them being used for rental housing orhave been converted to offices. These are mixed inwith newer garden-style fourplexes and higherdensity apartment buildings. The River Streetneighborhood also includes Community House,Boise City’s homeless shelter and soup kitchen, andthe Head Start Center. Low- to medium-rise officebuildings have clustered along the north edge ofthis neighborhood on Myrtle Street.

The Parkside (former Myrtle Street) neighborhoodis squeezed between the two sides of theConnector and 6th and 2nd streets. It is smaller thanthe River Street neighborhood, only two blocksdeep, and has become more fragmented due tohouses being cleared and the construction ofwarehouses and low-rise and medium-size officebuildings. There are no apartment buildings in thisarea as there are in the River Street neighborhood.Most of the houses are in fair to poor condition.

1 The 1994 River Street–Myrtle Street Urban Design Plan identified Myrtle Street north of Julia Davis Park as one of the subdistricts inRiver–Myrtle. This area was also referred to as the Myrtle Street neighborhood. This area has been reconfigured somewhat andrenamed the East Connector/Parkside Neighborhood for purposes of this plan update. The existing residential neighborhoodoccupies a portion of this subdistrict.


Both of these neighborhoods have vacant land andsurface parking lots, and the River Streetneighborhood has a significant supply ofunderutilized land. These properties representopportunity sites for the revitalization of theseneighborhoods. Because the River Streetneighborhood is so much larger and has lessimpact from the Connector, it offers moreopportunity to re-establish a flourishing residentialneighborhood. The survival of the Parksideneighborhood is less certain.

Pioneer WalkwayAt present, the Pioneer Walkway is an asphalt paththat runs diagonally from the Boise River atapproximately 12th Street to the intersection of 11th

and Myrtle streets. It runs through the River Streetneighborhood. A design competition held in 2001resulted in a concept for transforming this pathwayinto a grand, boulevard-style link for pedestriansand bicyclists from this neighborhood to the centralbusiness district that would also serve as agathering place for people, an anchor for theneighborhood and a catalyst for development.

Courthouse CorridorIn the last four years, an amazing transformationhas occurred on land owned by Ada County northof Front Street between 4th Street and BroadwayAvenue, and on an adjacent parcel. During thisshort span of time, the following projects havebeen completed or are close to completion:

Ada County Courthouse – 322,825 square feetof office and courtroom space

Civic Plaza Apartments – 299 units ofaffordable housingCivic Plaza Parking Garages (A&B) – 805parking spacesIdaho Water Center – 207,300 square feet ofoffice and laboratory spacePedestrian promenade from the Ada CountyCourthouse to the Idaho Water CenterKriezenbeck Building – 64,500 square feet ofoffice

These projects have created a place now known asthe Courthouse Corridor that is characterized by anurban level of intensity and monumentalbuildings. It expands the area considered to bedowntown to include what used to be bareground, and it marks the intersection of Front andBroadway as an entrance into downtown. It hasdramatically changed the picture of what the eastend of the River–Myrtle planning area will become.

Taken together, these descriptions show that the River–Myrtle planning area does not have one uniformcharacter but is composed of a series of places orsubdistricts each of which has its own character. Someof these places have a character that will most likelypersist into the future either because construction isrecent like the Courthouse Corridor or there are historicbuildings that will be retained, as is the case in theWarehouse/Cultural District. The future of the RiverStreet and Parkside neighborhoods and the WestConnector is less certain and will depend on the interplayof land values, market opportunities, public investmentand the implementation of the objectives and guidelinescontained in this plan.


Desired Character for River–MyrtlePlanning Area – 2025

The preferred development concept forms the basis forthe plan’s policy emphasis and is used to predict the taxincrement revenue that will be available to pay for thecapital improvements needed to implement the plan. Itis intended to take the long view—to depict what theRiver–Myrtle planning area will be like in the year 2025.This description serves as a summary of Chapters 6 and7, which explain in more detail the basis for this conceptpresented here.

The ideal result of implementing the River Street–MyrtleStreet Master Plan would be:

The River Street neighborhood becomes aflourishing urban neighborhood with a lively mixof uses, a full range of housing choices and aneighborhood-shopping district.The Pioneer Walkway is a delightful and invitingboulevard-style pedestrian link between the BoiseRiver to downtown through the River Streetneighborhood used by the community and visitorsfor walking, bicycling, shopping, dining andrecreation.The Pioneer Walkway is lined with urban intensityresidential, office and retail development,restaurants with outdoor dining, artwork and othercultural amenities.The Broadway–Chinden Connector west ofCapitol Boulevard becomes a focal point for hotels,destination-type retail and entertainment,convention and tourism-oriented uses.A destination-shopping district is developedbetween 9th, Front, Capitol and Myrtle with thepossibility of expansion west to 10th Street.

Historic buildings in the Warehouse/CulturalDistrict are restored and fully occupied whereappropriate. Weaker buildings are replaced by infilldevelopment that, where applicable, complementsthe existing historic fabric.Eighth Street is recognized as the primarypedestrian connection between the central businessdistrict and the Boise River, and is improved in theRiver–Myrtle planning area in a manner similar tohow this street is improved between Bannock andMain.A compact, urban-style residential neighborhooddevelops in the Warehouse/Cultural Districtbetween 9th Street, Myrtle Street, Capitol Boulevardand the Boise River.The Parkside neighborhood has an eclectic mix ofland uses with office uses clustered along FrontStreet and residential uses clustered along BroadStreet and on Myrtle Street where views of JuliaDavis Park would create an attractive environmentfor housing. Design changes will be made toMyrtle Street to soften its impact on adjacentproperties and make housing more feasible.Additional development occurs in the CourthouseCorridor along Front Street that is compatible withthe existing apartments, expands the range of uses,and softens the current institutional effect of theexisting buildings.The property on the southeast corner of Front andBroadway is developed into a major mixed-usedevelopment.Improvements are made to the Broadway–Chinden Connector so that it becomes an attractiveboulevard compatible with a people-orienteddowntown and suitable for development of a widerange of uses along its edges, and does not impedenorth-south connections between the River–Myrtleplanning area and the remainder of downtown.


1 In spring 2004, CCDC conducted a consumer survey of people living in Boise and in Ada County to measure the level of interest indowntown living. Two of the questions focused on what areas of downtown were considered most desirable as a place to live.When respondents were asked whether they were interested in living in each of six different areas of downtown, they chose theCultural District more frequently than River Street, Parkside and Westside districts but less frequently than the Heart of Downtown orOld Boise. When asked to pick their top choice among the six areas, approximately 12% of the respondents chose the CulturalDistrict, 12% chose the River Street District, and 9.7% chose the Parkside District as their first choice.

Thirteenth, 11th, 8th, 5th and 3rd streets and avenuesA and B become pedestrian and bicycling routesacross the Connector.Fourth Street and either 10th or 12th streets or bothare re-established as through streets between Groveand Myrtle streets.Blocks currently dominated by surface parking areredeveloped with a mix of building uses designedto maximize the capacity of each block, givingconsideration to the scale and character of adjacentbuildings.Densities in the River–Myrtle planning area increaseto achieve the development forecast, create urbanvitality and make alternative modes oftransportation more practical.Public and private parking garages are built toreplace surface parking, with public garages situatedso as to provide reasonable coverage for the River–Myrtle planning area.Safe and convenient routes for walking andbicycling are created, and these modes become thepredominant means by which people meet theirdaily transportation needs in downtown Boise.The River–Myrtle planning area is better served bytransit.

Achieving the Concept

Achieving this development concept will most likelyrequire re-evaluating zoning regulations and market

intervention and incentives, especially to achieve the levelof housing envisioned. People interested in livingdowntown view the Cultural District as being a desirablelocation for housing. It already has a certain ambienceand is close to existing downtown amenities. The RiverStreet and Parkside neighborhoods in their currentcondition have less appeal.1 Public investments thatcreate a sense of community will be needed to developconfidence in future prospects for the area and attracthousing developers, buyers and renters.

The vision anticipates a major transformation of theRiver–Myrtle planning area to a much more urban placewith a vibrant cultural and shopping district at its center,a concentration of destination and tourism-relatedbusinesses along the Connector west of CapitolBoulevard, flourishing in-town neighborhoods in theRiver Street neighborhood and the Cultural District andhigher density office and housing development along theConnector east of Capitol Boulevard. Development willbe leveraged by investments in public facilities, such asconstruction of streetscapes, public parking facilities andan enhanced Pioneer Walkway, and public-privatepartnerships to develop housing.

Currently, only a fraction of the River–Myrtle planningarea’s economic potential has been realized. Theexpectation is that every parcel would contribute fully tothe social and economic vitality of this planning area andto downtown Boise as a whole.

RIVER STREET–MYRTLE STREET MASTER PLAN Overall Plans, Guidelines & Action Steps 33

6: Overall Plans, Guidelines & Action StepsCreating attractive andrefreshing places wherepeople experience afeeling of community addsto the livability andenjoyment of the downtownenvironment. The AnneFrank Human RightsMemorial—located inBoise’s Cultural District—is one such place.

The most important function of the River Street–MyrtleStreet Master Plan is to identify the significant issuesaffecting this area, describe what the current situation anddesired future outcomes are relative to these issues andthen communicate how the plan proposes to arrive atthese outcomes. Plans have been prepared at two levelsfor the River–Myrtle planning area because covers such alarge geographic area. First, there are a series of overallplans that focus on the following issues:


The overall plans provide an overview of the masterplan recommendations. They help make understandingthe overall intent of the River Street–Myrtle Street MasterPlan easier and focus on recommendations common toall of the geographic areas in the River–Myrtle planningarea. They also provide the basis for the capital invest-ments proposed to implement the plan. The plan foreach issue includes a discussion of existing conditionsand desired outcomes. It presents design and develop-ment guidelines and action steps as way to communicatewhat needs to be done to implement the plan recom-mendations for that issue.

RIVER STREET–MYRTLE STREET MASTER PLANOverall Plans, Guidelines & Action Steps34

Second, the River Street–Myrtle Street Master Planincludes a series of subdistrict plans. The River–Myrtleplanning area covers approximately 230 acres andnaturally divides into a series of geographic areas thatvary in character from one another. A map of these areasor subdistricts is on page 63. The River Street–MyrtleStreet Master Plan includes a specific plan for each ofthese subdistricts, which describes the existing condi-tions, desired future character, design and developmentguidelines and action steps for the subdistrict. Theguidelines and action steps chart a course for achievingthe desired character for each subdistrict. The subdistrictplans are in Chapter 7.

If a guideline or action step affects more than onesubdistrict, it is typically found in the overall plans. If aguideline or action step is specific to one subdistrict, ittypically appears in the subdistrict plan.

The 2025 Downtown Boise Redevelopment Plan servesas a preface to this River–Myrtle Master Plan. It containsdesign and development guidelines for urban design,building and site layout and civic spaces that apply to allof the downtown urban renewal districts. Understand-ing the full intent of what is intended for the River–Myrtle planning area requires referring to the 2025Downtown Boise Redevelopment Plan and both theoverall and subdistrict plans in this River–Myrtle MasterPlan.

1.0 Preferred Development Concept

The preferred development concept takes a long-termview of future land-use patterns in the River–Myrtleplanning area. It describes the pattern of land usesdesired by the year 2025 using emphasis areas as well asother land-use categories. Emphasis areas have apredominant use but they are not limited to that useonly. In fact, a mix of uses in each of the emphasis areasis encouraged to promote urban vitality and allow peopleto live, work, shop and play either within their ownneighborhood or in other areas of downtown. Having amix of uses in close proximity to one another alsoencourages travel by walking, bicycling and transit.

The types of uses anticipated by the preferred develop-ment concept are described below and shown in Figure5.

Mixed Uses: Higher intensity areas that typicallyhave a mix of office, residential, retail, restaurantsand entertainment uses, and may also have lodgingand convention or conference facilities. These areastypically have a high concentration of pedestrianactivity.

Residential Emphasis: Areas with a mix ofhousing in terms of type and cost, where housingprojects are clustered into neighborhoods, that mayalso have retail, restaurants, office, servicebusinesses and other support uses that meetpeople’s daily needs.


Figure 5: Preferred Development Concept


Urban Village: Areas with a concentration ofhigher density residential uses that also havesmaller-scale office uses and neighborhood-oriented retail and restaurants.

Office Emphasis: Areas where office uses areconcentrated that also may have retail, restaurants,lodging and convention or conference facilities, andhigher density residential uses.

Institutional Emphasis: Areas where governmentoffices are concentrated such as the Ada CountyCourthouse Corridor that also may have offices,retail, restaurants, lodging and residential uses.

Ground Level Retail: Street frontages whereground level retail and other active, people-orienteduses are encouraged. The River Street–Myrtle StreetMaster Plan recommends clustering retail uses intoshopping districts rather than allowing retail uses tobecome dispersed. Retail uses are encouraged tooccupy the first floor of buildings where upperfloors are occupied by other uses.

Service Commercial: Areas where businessessuch as records storage, auto parts and repair, carwashes and auto detailing, plumbing, and electricaland HVAC installation and repair are located.These businesses offer services to people living andworking in downtown, and often need outdoorstorage, truck parking and shop space.

Civic Spaces: Park and plaza spaces designed andintended for public use.

The preferred development concept recognizes the majorfeatures in the planning area and how they influence thetypes of land uses that will be successful. It shows aconcentration of mixed use, office, institutional andservice commercial uses along the Connector, CapitolBoulevard, Broadway and Americana. These streets areclassified as principal arterials and carry high volumes oftraffic relative to other downtown streets. Given theirfunctional classification and design, traffic volumes onthese streets are expected to increase as downtownintensifies over the next 20 years. (Estimates of trafficdemand in 2025 on streets in the River-Myrtle planningarea are discussed in Section 5: Transportation andParking of this chapter. These estimates were derivedfrom the traffic modeling done as part of the Down-town Boise Mobility Study in 2004.)

It is difficult to locate residential uses facing directly ontosuch streets. Residential uses tend to be more successfulwhen clustered into neighborhoods served by lowervolume, local streets. In the River–Myrtle planning area,two areas have been identified as residential emphasisareas and one as an urban village.

River Street neighborhood located between theConnector and the Boise River and betweenAmericana Boulevard and 11th Street.Parkside neighborhood located between Front, 6th

and 2nd streets and the northern boundary of JuliaDavis Park.Fulton Street Village between Capitol Boulevardand Myrtle, River (formerly Battery) and 9th streetsin the Warehouse/Cultural District.


The plan has an objective to increase the amount andrange of housing options available in the planning area,consistent with CCDC’s downtown housing initiative.Achieving this objective is one of the greatest challengesin implementing this plan. By identifying housingemphasis areas, the plan makes clear that housingdevelopment is desired and that housing projects shouldbe focused in certain areas rather than scattered.

Mixed-use areas are shown along the Connector from11th Street to Capitol Boulevard and from 2nd Street toBroadway Avenue. Mixed uses are also shown between11th , Myrtle, 9th and River streets between the RiverStreet neighborhood and the Warehouse/CulturalDistrict. This area is considered a transitional area. It isuncertain how this area will develop; several possibilitiesare plausible. Office development may occur due to thisarea’s proximity to Forest River, 9th Street and theConnector or more housing may occur if the residentialportion of the River Street Neighborhood expands. Theplan also identifies three sites as having potential formajor mixed-use projects: at Americana and Shoreline,on Broadway between Front and Myrtle and along thePioneer Corridor south of River Street. The first twolocations have large sites and excellent visibility frommajor streets. The location on the Pioneer Corridor hasexceptional natural features on which to build.

Office uses are concentrated along Front Street, CapitolBoulevard and Myrtle Street but are also expected to bepresent in the mixed-use areas.

Institutional uses are concentrated in two areas: at thesouthern end of 8th Street where the Boise City Library,Log Cabin Literary Center and Anne Frank Human

Rights Memorial are located, and in the CourthouseCorridor.

Ground level retail is concentrated on a limited numberof streets. This pattern is consistent with one of theobjectives of this plan, which is to cluster retail intoshopping districts rather than dissipating retail energy byallowing it to locate on any street frontage. Thisapproach is contrary to the current requirement in the C-5zoning district that 70% of the ground floor on eachstreet frontage be designed to accommodate retail andother people-oriented, active uses. The River Street–Myrtle Street Master Plan recommends that this require-ment be revised so it would only apply on streetsdesignated for street level retail in the Preferred Develop-ment Concept.

Service commercial uses are clustered at the periphery ofthe River–Myrtle planning area along the Connector westof 13th and along Americana. Civic spaces indicate whereexisting and proposed public parks and plazas arelocated.

Design & Development Guidelines

Design and development guidelines regarding preferredland uses are best stated as part of the subdistrict plans.These plans are in Chapter 7.

Action Steps

Actions for implementing the preferred developmentconcept presented here focus on the degree to whichexisting zoning designations support the objectives ofthe River Street–Myrtle Street Master Plan. Proposals to


revise a zoning designation that would apply to anysubdistrict where this zoning designation occurs arenoted here. The reasons for these recommendations arediscussed Chapter 8. The subdistrict plans contained inChapter 7 contain action steps regarding revisions tozoning designations that would apply to specific parcelsin a particular subdistrict.

Work with Boise City to revise the provision in theC-5 zoning district that requires 70% of each streetfrontage to be designed to accommodate retail orother people-oriented, active uses so it applies tostreets designated for ground level retail uses on thePreferred Development Concept (Figure 5).Amend the list of acceptable uses to includeresidential at the ground level.

Evaluate whether the existing R-O zoningregulations need to be revised to better supportplan goals promoting urban intensities, housingand mixed use in the River–Myrtle planning area,and work with Boise City to revise these regulationsif needed.

Evaluate if a new zoning category is needed whichwould give more weight to residential uses toreplace the R-O zoning designation in the RiverStreet and Parkside neighborhoods, and work withBoise City to develop a new zoning category ifneeded.

Evaluate whether minimum residential densitiesare needed in zoning districts applicable to theRiver–Myrtle planning area to achieve housing goalsand propose zoning revisions if warranted.

2.0 Preservation, Revitalization andRenewal

Existing Conditions

The River–Myrtle planning area is distinguished by anotable collection of historic commercial buildings andwarehouses between Front, Capitol, Myrtle and 9th .These beautiful brick buildings that form intact blockfaces have been included in a historic district establishedby Boise City (see Figure 6). Two additional areas in theRiver Street neighborhood have been studied forpossible inclusion in a historic district: houses locatedon Lee and Ash streets, and a commercial building andhouses on 13th Street between Myrtle Street and GrandAvenue. In addition there are houses from the late1800s and early 1900s in the Parkside neighborhood,although their historic value has not been evaluated.

The buildings along 8th Street in the Warehouse/Cultural District provide an irreplaceable link to Boise’shistory, and add a unique and authentic character to thispart of the River–Myrtle planning area. A succession ofproperty owners has viewed them as worth saving andrenovating. The BoDo project currently under construc-tion builds upon this existing historic fabric and addsnew buildings that have a compatible style.

The houses on Lee Street are more problematic. Most ifnot all of these are rentals. Property values are rising butrents are lagging behind, creating an economic squeezefor the property owners. As the land gets more valuable,it becomes harder to resist clearing these properties andbuilding new development that would generate higherreturn. The houses on Lee Street are symptomatic of a


Figure 6: Designation of Historic Resources


larger issue in the River–Myrtle planning area, which hasa large number of older houses in fair to poor conditionin a similar situation. These houses provide not only ahistoric record of the River Street and Parkside neighbor-hoods but also a reservoir of affordable housing. Ifland values continue upward, it will be more and moredifficult for property owners to hold onto them. Severalcourses of action are available including retaining suchbuildings in place, relocating them or removing them.The plan recommends evaluating if a collection of thebest examples of historic residences could be moved to ahistoric park within the River Street neighborhood whileallowing for removal of the remaining houses andredevelopment of these sites.

Desired Outcomes

The exceptional collection of brick warehouses andcommercial buildings from the railroad era in the 8th

Street Historic District would be preserved, and reno-vated and reused as part of redevelopment. Onoccasion, a particular building in this district may havedeteriorated to the point it is unsalvageable, and in suchcases, the building could be removed. Replacementstructures in the historic district would be compatiblewith the existing historic fabric but may be of a differentarchitectural style. Preservation of historic structureselsewhere in the River–Myrtle planning area is moreproblematic due to the fact that many of them are single-family houses in fair to poor condition situated on lotsthat are rising in value. The plan recommends evaluatingif some of these houses could be relocated, renovatedand preserved in a historic park in the River Streetneighborhood.

General guidelines and action steps related to historicresources in the River–Myrtle planning area are stated

here. Specific guidelines and action steps related to 8thStreet Historic District are included in the subdistrict planfor the Warehouse/Cultural District. Guidelinesregarding the historic houses in the River Street andParkside neighborhoods are included in the subdistrictplans for those areas. (See Chapter 7 for subdistrictplans.)


2.1 Whenever feasible, preserve the historic character inareas where historic buildings are concentrated,while encouraging development of underutilizedproperty. If increasing property values andproperty taxes work against retaining historicbuildings, evaluate if the buildings could be movedin order to save them.

2.2 Facilitate the renovation and reuse of historicbuildings whenever feasible.

2.3 Where a historic structure is in poor repair orobsolete, evaluate alternative approaches includingreuse of the structure, reuse of the façade orreplacement. Weigh the contribution made by thestructure to the historic fabric and to thecommunity’s record of its history with the benefitsderived from redevelopment proposals. Giveweight to proposals that result in increasing thesupply of housing in the River–Myrtle planningarea.

2.4 Encourage a range of architectural styles in newbuildings in a way that does not detract from areasof historic character in the River–Myrtle planningarea.


2.5 Design new infill buildings in areas dominated byhistoric buildings so they respect the current scaleand massing of these buildings although newbuildings may have a variety of architecturaldesigns.

Action Steps

Work with the Boise City Historic PreservationCommission (HPC) to create a method ofevaluating redevelopment proposals affectinghistoric structures. Weigh the assets being gained,preserved and lost, and the degree to whichredevelopment will achieve the desired character andpreferred development concept stated in this plan.Work with the HPC early in development reviewprocess.

Consult with the HPC when redevelopmentproposals involving historic structures are initiatedto obtain early input on ways to meet preservationand redevelopment goals.

3.0 Building and Site Design

The 2025 Downtown Boise Redevelopment Planincludes guidelines that apply to building and site designthroughout the urban renewal districts in downtownBoise. The purpose of these guidelines is to establish anoverall approach to downtown development that isconsistent with the principles of compact, mixed-usedesign established in 1987 with the revision of theCentral District plan. These principles have beenreaffirmed in the Downtown Boise Plan (1993), BoiseCity Comprehensive Plan (1997), the River Street–Myrtle

Street Urban Design Plan (1994) and Westside Down-town Framework Master Plan (2001).

This section describes the desired pattern for develop-ment intensities in the River–Myrtle planning area.Attention to development intensity is important if thelong-term development forecast for the River–Myrtleplanning area is to be achieved. This forecast envisionsthe addition of 2,470 housing units, 1,577,286 squarefeet of office and 367,405 square feet of retail. Thisforecast can only be achieved if building densities areincreased, which raises issues regarding the currentzoning in the River–Myrtle planning area.

Existing Conditions

At present, the River–Myrtle planning area is character-ized by relatively low densities throughout the area withthe exception of the Courthouse Corridor, the brickbuildings in the historic district along 8th Street, a clusterof buildings at the intersection of 13th and River streets(Shoreline Plaza, River Plaza and Community House)and the Pioneer Plaza buildings on Myrtle Street.

The central section of the planning area is zoned C-5,which is the most intense mixed-use zoning districtallowed in Boise City. This zoning district has no heightlimit. It has a 4:1 limit on floor area ratio1 for office andcommercial uses but no limit for residential uses. Mostof the remainder is zoned Residential-Office (R-O),which has a typical height limit of 35 feet and 47.5 feet ifrooflines are articulated. These height limits indicate thatthe R-O district anticipates low- to medium-intensitydevelopment. Boise City allows these height limits to beexceeded with approval of a conditional use permit bythe Planning & Zoning Commission. The intense


development in the Courthouse Corridor, whichincludes the Ada County Courthouse, Civic PlazaApartments and Idaho Water Center, is the result ofheight exceptions being granted.

The R-O zoning district also has a limit of 87.5 units peracre on residential uses. This density limit may need tobe raised in the River–Myrtle planning area in order toimprove the economic feasibility of building housing asland prices continue to rise here and throughoutdowntown. Raising densities will also most likely beneeded to achieve the amount of housing desired. Theplan recommends that the R-O district be re-evaluatedand modified if needed, or a new zoning district created,to achieve the objectives in this plan (see Chapter 8).

Desired Outcomes

Figure 7 shows recommended building heights as a wayto express the desired development densities in theRiver–Myrtle planning area. This map illustrates howhigher densities would be concentrated in the followingareas:

Courthouse CorridorFront Street from 2nd to Capitol BoulevardCapitol Boulevard between Myrtle and Front streetsArea bounded by Front, 9th, River and 11th streetsArea bounded by Grove, 9th, Front and 13th streetsThree areas where higher intensity, mixed-usedevelopment is anticipated:

Pioneer Corridor between the Boise River andRiver Street

Area bounded by River (formerly Battery)Street, Capitol Boulevard, Boise River and 9th

StreetBroadway between Front and Myrtle streets

The map also illustrates that lower densities would occurin the areas anticipated to be residential neighborhoods,properties in the Warehouse/Cultural District in andadjacent to the historic district, and properties west of13th Street.

Design and Development Guidelines

3.1 Use the Built Form map (Figure 7) to guidedecisions regarding development intensities whenentering into development partnerships andcommenting on development proposals.

3.2 Apply the Design and Development Guidelinesregarding building and site design contained in the2025 Downtown Boise Redevelopment Plan todevelopment proposals in the River–Myrtleplanning area.

Action Steps

Evaluate whether the existing R-O zoning districtneeds to be revised to better support plan goals foran urban level of intensity in the River–Myrtleplanning area. Propose revisions to R-O ordevelop a new zoning category if needed to allowhigher development densities particularly forhousing.

1 Floor area ratio (FAR) is the ratio of gross floor area of a building to the total land area of the site on which the building is located.In zoning regulations, limits on floor area ratios are used as a way to control the amount of building area constructed on a givenbuilding site. For example, a limit of 4:1 on floor area ratio means that four square feet of built for every one square foot of site area.


Figure 7: Built Form


Re-evaluate the use of the R-O zoning district inareas where actual development consistently exceedsthe typical density limits for this district, anddetermine if these areas should be rezoned to adifferent zoning category. Where warranted initiatea rezoning proposal for consideration by the citycouncil.

Evaluate if minimum densities need to be addedto zoning categories affecting the River–Myrtleplanning area to achieve plan goals for developmentdensities, and propose zoning revisions as needed.

4.0 Street Character, Civic Spaces andPedestrian Ways

Places are shaped not only by buildings but also by thepublic realm that forms the setting for buildings. Thepublic realm includes streets, sidewalks, parks, plazas andother public places. The public realm can become a focalpoint that lends identity to a place. Public places cancontribute to the beauty, enjoyment, livability and vitalityof their surroundings when they are designed andlocated well. Improvements to the public realm can havea beneficial effect on the desirability of a particular areaand serve as catalysts for development—such as theaddition of a park to a neighborhood.

Street Character

How street rights-of-way are designed and improvedaffects what types of land uses are likely to locate alongthem, whether pedestrians and bicyclists feel comfortableusing them and the ambience of the surrounding area.Right-of-way improvements include how the street itself

is designed and improved and how the area between thecurb and the private property line is treated, otherwiseknown as streetscaping. Streetscaping includes how thesidewalk is paved and the use of street trees, lighting andfurnishings. Adjusting how streets are designed andimproved can influence the land-use mix and character ofthe surrounding area, and improve its livability forpeople. The River Street–Myrtle Street Master Planincludes recommended streetscape treatments for eachstreets in the River–Myrtle planning area. Theserecommendations are based on how the street functions,the existing character of the area surrounding the streetor the desired future character for this area. In mostcases, a street in the River–Myrtle planning area has morethan one designation because the purpose of the streetand character of its surroundings change along its route.Figure 8 shows the streetscaping treatments recom-mended for each street in the River–Myrtle planning area.These are described under Desired Outcomes – StreetCharacter.

Existing Conditions – Street CharacterThe River–Myrtle planning area has the full range ofstreet types. At one end of the spectrum, it has tree-lined neighborhood streets that are comfortable forpedestrians and bicyclists to use and where traffic movesslowly. These streets work well with residential develop-ment of all types, low- to medium-density office andneighborhood retail. On the other end of the spectrum,the planning area is traversed from east to west by theConnector, which consists of two five-lane streets—Front and Myrtle—paired as a couplet. These majorthoroughfares provide excellent vehicular access andvisibility but are intimidating for pedestrians andbicyclists. They also exert a strong influence on the typesof land uses that are developing in the CourthouseCorridor. The severity of Front Street has limited


adjacent new development to high-intensity office andinstitutional uses and a warehouse grocery store. Theonly new residential development—Civic Plaza Apart-ments—is actually set back from Front Street by 120 feet.Retail space built as part of the Courthouse Corridorproject has been very difficult to lease. One of thereasons is that high-volume streets such as Front Streetdo not work well as local or community shoppingstreets. Major mixed-use and destination-type retailcenters that exert a regional draw, however, could workon the Connector. They benefit from the ease of accessand are strong enough to draw people off the Connectorand create their own internal sense of place.

Americana Boulevard and 16th, 15th and River streets areexamples of streets that fall between the two ends of thespectrum. They are wider, higher-volume streets thathave sidewalks, and except for River Street, have bicyclelanes. Medium- to high-density office, residential andcommunity commercial uses work well with these typesof streets.

The streetscapes in the River–Myrtle planning area vary inquality, ranging from excellent to poor. In many casesthe quality is uneven within a block or between blocks onthe same street. There is little consistency. Portions of14th, 13th, 12th, Grand, Ash, Miller, Lee and 4th streets havewide tree lawns with mature trees. There are mature treesin tree grates along 8th Street from Front Street to River(formerly Battery) Street. New street trees and sidewalkshave been installed with recent developments such asPioneer Plaza, River Plaza, Shoreline Plaza, OrthopedicSurgery Center, CW Moore Building, Ada CountyCourthouse and Administration Building, Idaho WaterCenter and Kreizenbeck Building. On the other hand,there are streets lacking street trees in all of the subdis-tricts. There are areas in the Warehouse/Cultural District

that lack sidewalks. There are also sections of sidewalk inthis subdistrict that have stamped-concrete paving that isdeteriorating to the point where it is difficult to walk on.

Desired Outcomes – Street CharacterAchieving the preferred development concept for theRiver–Myrtle planning area depends in part on creatingan attractive setting for the types of land uses identifiedas desirable in this concept, and on encouraging newdevelopment and redevelopment in general. Thepreferred development concept emphasizes creatingsubdistricts with a mix of uses such that people are ableto live, work, shop, socialize and play in downtownBoise. So it becomes important to create streets thatwelcome a wide range of uses. This plan gives attentionto how streets are improved so they will make a positivecontribution to creating this setting and to the livabilityof the areas surrounding them.

The 2025 Downtown Boise Redevelopment Plan setsstandards for the different streetscape treatments used inthe downtown urban renewal districts. These standardsaddress the width and types of paving used, spacing ofstreet trees and historic street lights and the placement ofplanters, benches and trash containers. They also specifyif paving is used from the building face to the curb(considered an urban treatment) or if a tree lawn is usedbetween the sidewalk and the curb (considered aneighborhood treatment). Streetscapes treatments aredesigned to complement the existing character of an areaor are used to transform the character of an area as itdevelops or redevelops. Descriptions of the types ofstreetscape treatments used in the 2025 DowntownBoise Redevelopment Plan are provided below. Figure 8shows where these treatments are expected to be used inRiver–Myrtle planning area.


Urban: The urban-style streetscape is generallyused in business and mixed-use districts wherethere is a concentration of higher-intensitydevelopment, ground floor retail, restaurants andentertainment uses and on-street parking. Urbansidewalks are designed for heavy pedestrian use andare often lined by retail or similar uses in a denseurban environment. They may also serve officesand housing at street level when such uses arelocated in business or mixed-use districts ratherthan neighborhoods. The urban streetscapestandard for downtown Boise has either concrete orbrick paving from the inner edge of the sidewalk(usually at the building line) and the curb. Brick isused in areas where there is particular emphasis onaesthetics in order to create a distinctive place withinthe larger downtown.

Neighborhood: The neighborhood-stylestreetscape is used in areas of downtown that haveless intense development with a higher proportionof residential uses and more limited retail andoffice uses. It is designed to accommodatepedestrian traffic in locations where a residentialneighborhood character is desired. Thedistinguishing characteristic of this style ofstreetscaping is the use of tree lawns between thesidewalk and the street, rather than continuing thesidewalk surface to the curb. The intent of theneighborhood streetscape is to create a pleasantpedestrian environment and encourage walking asan alternative to using an automobile. Theneighborhood streetscape is compatible withhousing, office and neighborhood-level retail uses.

Parkway: The urban parkway treatment is used onmajor streets that carry higher volumes of traffic at

faster speeds than is typical for the downtown core.The intent of using a parkway treatment is toprovide beautification of significant streets such asState Street and the Connector and create both acomfortable walking environment for pedestriansand an enjoyable driving experience. HarrisonBoulevard through the North End neighborhoodis an example of a parkway street that accomplishesall of these goals. The streetscaping standards forparkway streets include wider sidewalks and use adouble rather than single row of street trees tomake a strong visual statement and provide abuffer between pedestrians and relatively heavy autoand truck traffic.

Capitol Boulevard: Capitol Boulevard has aspecial status in the Boise City Zoning Ordinance,which establishes the Capitol Boulevard SpecialDesign District. This design district includes adescription of the streetscaping to be done alongits edge.

Special: The special street designation is used forparticular street segments where an extraordinarypedestrian emphasis and placemaking effort isplanned and warranted. A special street mayfunction as both a street and also as a public spacefor sidewalk cafes, street fairs, festivals, cultural andspecial events. The best examples in downtownBoise are 8th Street between Bannock and Main andthe Basque Block on Grove between CapitolBoulevard and 6th Street. It may be open or closedto vehicular traffic, or may be designed to allowtemporary traffic closures. Each special street isexpected to have a unique design often celebrating aparticular theme.


Figure 8: Streetscape Character


Civic Spaces & Pedestrian Ways

Existing Conditions – Civic Spaces &Pedestrian WaysFigure 9 depicts the existing civic spaces in and adjacentto the River–Myrtle planning area. The most significantpublic spaces include Julia Davis and Ann Morrisonparks, the Boise River and the greenbelt along its banks.They represent invaluable assets to the River–Myrtleplanning area because of their proximity and theincomparable facilities and natural features they offer.The Boise River is a year-round river bordered by a 70-foot wide greenbelt and pathway for walking andbicycling that extends 26 miles. Julia Davis and AnnMorrison parks contain extensive green space, totaling to133 acres within walking distance of the River–Myrtleplanning area. Ann Morrison Park includes athleticfields, tennis courts, disc golf course, a playground andpicnic sites. Julia Davis Park includes major culturalfacilities for the city and state—the Boise Art Museum,Idaho State Historical Museum, Idaho Black HistoryMuseum, Zoo Boise, Discovery Center of Idaho and theGene Harris Bandshell as well as tennis courts, play-ground, picnic sites, rose garden and lagoon with paddleboats.

Within the River–Myrtle planning area, the public realmis much more modest and needs attention. There is atot lot at the intersection of Grand Avenue and AshStreet in the River Street neighborhood. It includesplayground equipment for young children but is on avery small site. The Pioneer Walkway—an asphaltwalking path—runs from the Boise River through theRiver Street neighborhood to the intersection of 11th

and Myrtle. It provides an off-street walking andbicycling route but it does not have a strong presence and

its northern end appears to disappear into an apartmentdevelopment; consequently, it is not well-known or well-used. The Log Cabin Literary Center and Anne FrankHuman Rights Memorial are located in the CulturalDistrict at the south end of 8th Street. The groundsprovide green space, seating, a beautiful water feature andfood for thought in the form of quotations on humanrights. There is a plaza at 8th and Front streets, but itlacks amenities that would attract people to use it foranything more than a walking route to other destina-tions.

The Courthouse Corridor contains several public spacesthat add to the ambience of this area. These include theplaza in front of the Ada County Courthouse at 2nd andFront streets and the pedestrian promenade thatconnects the county building to the Idaho Water Centerat Front and Broadway. The courthouse plaza is pavedwith brick and includes a cascading water feature. Thepedestrian promenade has been improved with brickpavers, planters, seating and lighting that create anattractive place for people to gather. Civic Plaza Apart-ments face onto the promenade and so the residentshave the benefit of this public space at their doorstep.Across the promenade from the apartments, one of thebuilding sites in the Courthouse Corridor is covered bylawn for now, and so it provides green space, albeittemporary in nature. It is unknown if residents in theapartments, workers in the area or people in general willbe able to use this green space other than as visual openspace. There are no public spaces in the West Connectorand East Connector/Parkside subdistrict beside streetrights-of-way.

Eighth Street functions as the primary north-southpedestrian and bicycling route through the River–Myrtle


Figure 9: Civic Spaces


planning area, and as such contributes to the people-oriented public space in this area. Certain other streetscould become a network of pedestrian-oriented routeswith additional improvements. The existing andpotential primary pedestrian streets are shown in Figure9. The Pioneer Walkway that runs from the Boise RiverGreenbelt at approximately 12th Street to the intersectionof Myrtle and 11th streets is a modest asphalt pathway atpresent, but has significant potential to become a grand,boulevard-style pedestrian and bicycle link through theRiver Street neighborhood.

Desired Outcomes - Civic Spaces &Pedestrian WaysThe River–Myrtle planning area would benefit frommore attention to the public realm. The desired characterfor this area would include celebrating AmericanaBoulevard, Broadway Avenue, and 15th, Front and Myrtlestreets as gateway streets by transforming them intourban parkways. They would remain primary routes forvehicular traffic but richer, more systematic streetscapingwould improve the pedestrian environment on thesestreets. Capitol Boulevard would receive special treat-ment befitting its ceremonial status as the connectionbetween the Boise Depot and the Idaho State CapitolBuilding. Local streets in the River Street and Parksideneighborhoods would be lined with trees and tree lawnson a more consistent basis, creating a lush, greenenvironment and a respite from the more formal urbanplaces elsewhere in the planning area. This streetscapingtreatment would signal a shift in atmosphere andprovide an attractive setting for new residential develop-ment, and make existing residences more desirable.

The Pioneer Corridor would be improved to itspotential consistent with the concepts developed in thewinning design from the Pioneer Corridor designcompetition. It would provide structure and a sense ofplace for the neighborhood and a catalyst for newdevelopment and redevelopment. It would be extendedfrom the intersection of 11th and Myrtle along 11th andBroad streets and then along 8th Street to The GrovePlaza—creating a continuous pedestrian link from theBoise River to the CBD.

New civic spaces would be added at neighborhood focalpoints, along the Pioneer Corridor and in the Court-house Corridor. These civic spaces would providerefreshing and delightful gathering places for people toenjoy and would help create a sense of community in thevarious subdistricts.

Figure 9 shows both the existing and proposed civicspaces in and adjacent to the River–Myrtle planning area.These include parkway streets, primary pedestrian streets,parks, plazas and promenades and pedestrian links.

The guidelines that follow focus on general principlesregarding street character, civic spaces and pedestrianways. They also include specific guidelines for theConnector and Capitol Boulevard. Design parametersfor these two streets appear here because they are locatedin more than one subdistrict. (Section 5.0 includesadditional guidelines and action steps regarding thesestreets from a transportation standpoint.) The subdis-trict plans describe in more detail where new civic spacesshould be added to the River–Myrtle planning area andaction steps for getting them built.


Design and Development Guidelines

Street Character4.1 Create a hierarchy of streets that serves the needs of

the River–Myrtle planning area not only by trafficcapacity but also by design treatment of sidewalks,crosswalks, streetscapes, lighting and furnishings.

4.2 Use streetscaping to create a street character that iscompatible with desired land uses so street designsupports implementation of the preferreddevelopment concept.

4.3 Use the Streetscape Character map (Figure 8) toidentify the type of streetscape treatment requiredfor the streets in the River–Myrtle planning area.Apply the streetscape design standards from the2025 Downtown Boise Redevelopment Plan whenstreetscapes are improved in the River–Myrtle area.Implement these standards at the time propertiesare developed or redeveloped and as part of thecapital improvement program for the River Myrtle–Old Boise Urban Renewal District.

4.4 Use streetscapes to create pedestrian-friendly streetswith continuous tree coverage especially in areasplanned to be residential neighborhoods.

4.5 Find an appropriate balance between theConnector’s roles as a vehicular route throughdowntown and as an element of the public realm.Minimize the tendency of the Connector to dividedowntown and interrupt pedestrian and bicycleroutes. Make design and streetscapingimprovements to the Connector to create a morepeople-friendly environment along its edge and atcrossing points.

4.6 Transform the Connector into a set of boulevard-style streets through improved roadway design andstreetscaping that provide a calmer, more enjoyabledriving experience and improve the pedestrianenvironment along their edges.

4.7 Work with property owners along the Connector,and consider acquisition of additional right-of-way,to create a series of open spaces along its lengththat will vary the visual width of the corridor, addvisual interest and slow driving speeds so theConnector becomes more integrated with thesurrounding urban environment.

4.8 Improve Capitol Boulevard as a grand, ceremonial-style street consistent with the Capitol BoulevardPlan and Special Design District.

Civic Spaces & Pedestrian Ways4.9 Create civic spaces in each of the subdistricts in the

River–Myrtle planning area that will become focalpoints, promote urban vitality and serve as catalystsfor development and redevelopment. Locate,design and furnish public spaces so they attractpeople to use and enjoy them.

4.10 Focus on the locations identified for civic spaces inthe subdistrict plans as having highest priority fordesign and implementation. Refer to theguidelines in the subdistrict plans for specificguidance on the purpose of these spaces, and howthey should be designed and developed (seeChapter 7).

4.11 Wherever feasible, convert the open spaces alongthe Connector described in Guideline 4.7 into civicspaces where people activity would occur. Use these


spaces to create a series of places along theConnector, moderate its linear nature and integrateit into the fabric of downtown Boise.

4.12 Make the Connector conducive to pedestrian use byadding signals that allow more frequent, protectedcrossing points. Place signals at the same crossstreets on both Front and Myrtle so protectedpedestrian and bicycle routes are created.

4.13 Encourage the inclusion of well-designed andfunctional public space in private developments.

Action Steps

Street CharacterCreate a capital investment plan for streetscaping inthe River–Myrtle planning area, including anestimated schedule for construction. Use thisschedule to identify projects for inclusion inCCDC’s annual budget and proceed withconstruction as funding permits.

Determine if current setback requirements alongthe Connector allow a boulevard-style treatment tobe implemented, and modify them if necessary toachieve this objective.

Evaluate requiring a minimum 15- to 20-footbuilding setback on Front Street to allow for an 8-foot sidewalk flanked on either side by a row ofstreet trees in order to create a more appealingwalking environment for pedestrians. Increasesidewalk widths in areas having high pedestrianvolumes.

Evaluate requiring a minimum 15- to 20-footbuilding setback on Myrtle Street to allow for a 6-foot sidewalk flanked on either side by a row ofstreet trees in order to create a more appealingwalking environment for pedestrians. Increasesidewalk widths in areas having high pedestrianvolumes.

Convert setbacks along the Connector to build-tolines to assure that development is placed at theedge of the streetscaping treatment on thesestreets. (See the 2025 Downtown BoiseRedevelopment Plan for specific streetscapingstandards for the Connector.) Allow for exceptionsto create plazas and other outdoor civic spaces thatenhance the people environment.

Work with Boise City to add the revised CapitolBoulevard Design Standards into the CapitolBoulevard Design District regulations and obtainapproval for a memorandum of agreement amongBoise City, CCDC and Ada County HighwayDistrict (ACHD) to implement these standards.Create an implementation plan that includesidentifying funding sources and a schedule forconstruction.

Civic Spaces & Pedestrian WaysCreate a capital investment plan for civic spaces inthe River–Myrtle planning area, including anestimated schedule for construction. Use thisschedule to identify projects for inclusion inCCDC’s annual budget and proceed withconstruction as funding permits.


Refer to subdistrict plans for specific action stepsregarding civic spaces and pedestrian ways (seeChapter 7).

5.0 Transportation & Parking

Transportation systems provide the means by whichpeople make connections between where they live, workand carry out other activities in their lives. Parkingbecomes an essential part of the transportation systemwhen people travel by car. How these systems functionaffects the quality of life for people, costs to taxpayersand consumers and the health of the environment. Thissection describes the existing situation and the desiredfuture outcomes related to transportation and parkingfor the River–Myrtle planning area. These descriptionsare followed by objectives, guidelines and action stepsdesigned to guide future decisions regarding transporta-tion and parking in this area of downtown so needs forthese services and facilities are well-served.

Transportation

Existing Transportation ConditionsThe River–Myrtle planning area has an extensive roadsystem, ranging from neighborhood streets to theConnector, which consists of two five-lane roadways andis part of the federal highway system. The IdahoTransportation Department is responsible for design,construction and maintenance related to the Connector,but has delegated traffic operations on this thoroughfareto ACHD. All other streets are owned, operated andmaintained by ACHD.

In addition to the Connector, there are several majorstreets capable of carrying higher volumes of traffic andproviding direct routes to, from or through the planningarea. These include:

Capitol Boulevard and 9th Street, which run northand south through the center of the planning areaand are paired as a coupletAmericana and 15th, which run along the westernedge and are paired as a coupletBroadway along the eastern edgeRiver Street, which runs east and west along thelower edge of the planning area

Within portions of the West Connector and the RiverStreet Neighborhood subdistrict and in the entireWarehouse/Cultural District and the East Connector/Parkside subdistrict, there is a grid street system that goesback to the earliest recorded plats in Boise. Within thissystem, there are several local streets that providethrough routes that are much quieter and more pleasantthan the higher- volume streets such as the Connectorand 9th and Capitol. These include 3rd, 8th, 11th, 13th,Grand Avenue and Miller, Fulton and Broad streets.The River Street–Myrtle Street Master Plan envisionsthese people-friendly streets forming a network thatwould allow local traffic to flow within and betweensubdistricts without drivers having to use the larger,more congested streets. They would also serve aspedestrian and bicycle routes that would encouragepeople living and working in the River–Myrtle planningarea to travel by these alternative modes. (See Figure 9for the location of existing and proposed primarypedestrian streets and an illustration of the network thatthey form.)


Desired Transportation OutcomesThe long-term forecast for future development indowntown Boise anticipates a substantial increase inoffice, retail and residential development in the River–Myrtle planning area by 2025 (see Chapter 4). Thisforecast was prepared as part of the Downtown BoiseMobility Study (DBMS) in 2004 and used to modelfuture traffic demand on the downtown street system.

The DBMS proposes a policy that a level of service(LOS) of D is acceptable during peak hours on down-town streets (see sidebar). This policy recognizes thatdowntown is more congested than is typical in otherareas of Boise, and a certain level of congestion is anacceptable trade-off in order to maintain downtownBoise as the region’s urban center. The traffic analysisshowed that a number of intersections in the River–Myrtle planning area will have a level of service (LOS) ofE or F in 2025 during peak hours. These include allintersections on Front and Myrtle except 11th and Myrtle,Grove and 9th , Grove and 6th, Main and 9th, Main and 6th,Broadway and University, Lincoln and University, Capitoland University, River and 9th and Americana andShoreline.

Most of the congestion predicted by the traffic model isassociated with commuter traffic between the region anddowntown since downtown is expected to continuegrowing as an employment center.

Creating a multimodal transportation system fordowntown Boise that encourages use of transit, bicyclingand walking as alternatives to the use of personalvehicles is one way to address this situation. If down-town continues to grow as the employment, educational

and cultural center of the region, it will cause more andmore people to travel there. The DBMS acknowledgesthat for the foreseeable future, most of the peoplecoming to downtown Boise will travel by automobile.In the short term, the DBMS advocates creating adowntown transportation system will allow people toarrive in downtown, park their car once, and travel indowntown using other modes—walking, bicycling ortransit. It recommends improvements to streets so theyare safer and more attractive as pedestrian and bicycleroutes and establishing a wayfinding system that wouldencourage downtown residents, workers and visitors towalk or bicycle on these streets instead of using their cars.The DBMS also recommends the creation of downtowncirculator that would connect together the geographicareas and activity centers in downtown. A portion of theproposed downtown circulator route uses CapitolBoulevard and 9th Street and goes through the River–Myrtle planning area.

Protecting bicycle commute routes from neighborhoodson the periphery of downtown is a second way toencourage the use of alternative modes. DowntownBoise is surrounded by a number of well-establishedneighborhoods that are within a practical distance forbicycle commuting. Creating routes that make bicyclecommuting attractive is important to promoting thismethod of travel. Many routes are available fromneighborhoods on the north and west side of down-town. Routes to neighborhoods on the east and southare much more constrained. For example, for neighbor-hoods south of the Boise River and on the Boise Bench,there are only three main crossing points over the BoiseRiver into downtown: Broadway at the east end of theRiver-Myrtle planning area, Americana at the west end

Levels of Service (LOS)

Level of Service or LOS is a term used by trafficengineers to qualitatively describe operatingconditions for automobile travel on existing orplanned roadways. Typical traffic characteristicsdescribed by LOS include: speed, travel time,maneuverability, traffic interruptions, drivercomfort and driver convenience. Similar to areport card, LOS grades roadway conditions from“A” to “F” with “A” representing the best drivingconditions and “F“ the worst. LOS E representsthe capacity threshold of a given roadway. TheLOS grades for roadway facilities are generallydefined as follows:

LOS A represents free-flow travel with anexcellent level of comfort and convenienceand the freedom to maneuver.LOS B has stable operating conditions, butthe presence of other road users causes anoticeable, though slight, reduction incomfort, convenience and maneuveringfreedom.LOS C has stable operating conditions, butthe operation of individual users issubstantially affected by the interaction withothers in the traffic stream.LOS D represents high-density, but stableflow. Users experience severe restriction inspeed and freedom to maneuver, with poorlevels of comfort and convenience.LOS E represents operating conditions at ornear capacity. Speeds are reduced to a lowbut relatively uniform value. Freedom tomaneuver is difficult with users experiencingfrustration and poor comfort andconvenience. Unstable operation isfrequent, and minor disturbances in trafficflow can cause breakdown conditions.LOS F is used to describe forced orbreakdown conditions. This condition existswherever the volume of traffic exceeds thecapacity of the roadway. Long queues canform behind these bottleneck points withqueued traffic travelling in a stop-and-gofashion. Signalized intersections do notclear in one signal cycle.


and, in the center, the three bridges carrying 9th Street, 8th

Street and Capitol Boulevard. There are also twopedestrian bridges that provide a means of crossing theBoise River from the south.1 For people crossing at thecenter point, using 8th Street as the route to and fromdowntown is the most practical choice because of heavytraffic on both Capitol Boulevard and 9th Street. Retain-ing 8th Street as a bicycle route, therefore, becomesimportant to promoting bicycle commuting. (The sameis true for retaining bicycle lanes on 13th and 15th throughthe North End neighborhood, on Bannock to theVeterans Park neighborhood, and on Warm SpringsAvenue through the East End neighborhood.) EighthStreet runs through the center of the River–Myrtleplanning area and so this plan addresses the importanceof retaining 8th Street as a bicycle route in the guidelinesbelow.

Improving the regional transit system is a third way toreduce traffic congestion in downtown. Having a morewide-reaching and effective transit system will allowcommuters to leave their car at home and travel todowntown by commuter rail, light rail, commuter bus orvanpools.

Establishing a balanced mix of land uses so that peoplecan live, work, shop, socialize and play without having touse a car is a fourth way to reduce not only trafficcongestion but the amount of capital expended ontransportation infrastructure. The River Street–Myrtle

Street Master Plan advocates creating a balanced land-usemix in the River–Myrtle planning area, and placesparticular emphasis on expanding the supply and rangeof housing to achieve this mix. The objective ofbuilding more housing in the River Street neighbor-hood, Warehouse/Cultural District and the Parksideneighborhood is both a transportation strategy and aland-use strategy.

Parking

Existing Parking ConditionsMost of the parking available in the River–Myrtleplanning area is in surface lots. Extensive structuredparking has been built in the Courthouse Corridor tosupport the Ada County Courthouse, the Civic Plazaapartments and the Idaho Water Center and additionaldevelopment expected in the future. The City CentreParking Garage at Front Street between 8th and 9th streetsis in the Central Urban Renewal District, but its servicearea extends into the River–Myrtle planning area.

Desired Parking OutcomesSurface parking lots tend to sap vitality from theirsurroundings. When there are numerous large-scalesurface parking lots in an area, they tend to discouragepedestrian traffic because they are much less interesting towalk past than buildings. The parking strategy proposedin this plan is threefold:

1 One of these bridges connects Boise State University (BSU) to Julia Davis Park about midway between Broadway Avenue andCapitol Boulevard, and the other connects Ann Morrison Park to the River Street neighborhood about midway between AmericanaBoulevard and Capitol Boulevard. Both of these bridges are out of the way for most commuters except that the bridge between BSUand Julia Davis Park provides a direct route for people traveling from school to downtown or living in the neighborhood south ofBoise State University and working in downtown.


Build public parking garages in areas where highintensity development or concentrations of peopleactivity are expected. Public parking garages aregenerally available to any member of the public andserve short-term and monthly customers. They arebest suited for use by workers, shoppers, visitorsand apartment dwellers. They are not well suited toproviding parking for homeowners who usuallywant reserved parking in a secured facility. TheRiver Street–Myrtle Street Master Plan identifies fivepotential sites for additional public parking garagesas shown in Figure 10. The site at on thenorthwest corner of Myrtle and Capitol is the mostdefinite of these five since it is expected to serve theBoDo development. Others include the south endof the Cultural District, two sites in the WestConnector subdistrict and a site on Miller Streetbetween 10th and 11th streets .

Additional garages may be needed when thePioneer Walkway is completed to serve the higherintensity development expected along thispedestrian boulevard, and for the mixed-useprojects proposed by this plan at Broadwaybetween Front and Myrtle and on the northeastcorner of Americana and Shoreline.

Rely on private parking garages built by developers.Private garages may be open to the public orreserved for use by people associated with aparticular development.

Rely on surface lots in outlying areas and for lower-intensity or smaller developments. It is likely thatsurface lots will continue to be built and used in theRiver–Myrtle planning area for the foreseeablefuture. Developers are required by Boise City toprovide a certain ratio of parking with each newdevelopment unless public parking is readilyavailable. Surface lots are the easiest and most costeffective way to meet parking requirements untilland values rise to a certain point. Surface lotsshould be used sparingly and designed carefully sothey do not sap the urban vitality of theirsurroundings.

Figure 10 illustrates the existing and proposed publicparking facilities in the River–Myrtle planning area andnearby vicinity. It illustrates the concentration of publicparking garages in the Central Urban Renewal Districtand the Courthouse Corridor. Other facilities areproposed in the West Connector to serve a concentrationof lodging and destination-style retail, restaurant andtourism uses, in the River Street neighborhood to servethe development along the Pioneer Corridor and in theWarehouse/Cultural District to serve the BoDodevelopment.


Transportation5.1 Establish a multimodal system of transportation

to serve the River–Myrtle planning area thatencourages the use of transit, bicycling and walkingas alternative to use of automobiles.


Figure 10: Public Parking Garages


5.2 Pursue a balanced land-use mix, and increase thetype and amount of housing available in the River–Myrtle planning area, to increase the likelihood thatpeople can conduct their daily activities withouthaving to resort to cars for transportation and canreduce the demand on transportation and parkingfacilities.

5.3 Focus on developing thriving residentialneighborhoods in the River Street subdistrict,Warehouse/Cultural District and Parksidesubdistrict to allow people both to live and work indowntown Boise and reduce demands on thedowntown and regional transportation system.

5.4 Establish a downtown circulator that provides atransit alternative for people needing to travel indowntown, and provide service to the River–Myrtleplanning area.

5.5 Improve regional transit service to downtownBoise in general and to the River–Myrtle planningarea in particular.

5.6 Establish a network of pedestrian-oriented streetsbetween activity centers in the River–Myrtleplanning area and in downtown, in order toencourage walking and bicycling over automobileuse (see Figure 9).

5.7 Protect bicycle-commuting routes through theRiver–Myrtle planning area, with particularattention to 8th Street, Americana and Broadway.Avoid changes in street design on these routes thatwould compromise their use for bicyclecommuting.

5.8 Evaluate Parcels A (bounded by 15th, 13th and theConnector) and Parcel B (bounded by 13th, 11th andthe Connector) as a possible location for amultimodal center that could include a transferpoint between regional and long-haul bus services,shuttle busses and vans, downtown and regionalrail transit (if implemented), parking forcommuters and other transportation services.

5.9 Recognize that the primary function of theConnector is as a high-capacity roadway carryingtraffic to, from and through downtown. Workwith ITD and ACHD to include improvements tothe Connector recommended by the DBMS inthese agencies’ capital improvement plans.

Parking5.10 Emphasize the use of parking structures in areas

having high-intensity development orconcentrations of people activity, and wheneverfeasible to free land for more productive uses.

5.11 Provide public parking facilities that are convenientfor the public, located strategically to supportdesired land uses, and encourage people to parkonce and walk, bicycle or use transit to their variousdestinations in downtown.

5.12 Use structured rather than surface parking wheneverpossible in order to maximize the use of scarceland resources in the River–Myrtle planning area,create a pedestrian-oriented urban character andreduce the impact parking lots have on urbanvitality.


5.13 Design parking structures so they include space foractive uses along street frontages at ground level, orare screened from view from the street.

5.14 Design parking structures to include architecturaldetailing above the street level whenever feasible sothese structures contribute to the builtenvironment in a positive way.

5.15 Allow use of surface parking lots in outlying areasand for lower intensity developments withguidelines for their design and placement so theirtendency to sap vitality from their surroundings isreduced.

5.16 Design surface parking lots so they are located outof view from the street whenever possible. Whenplacement out of view is not possible, requireperimeter fencing or an alternative treatment alongstreet frontages that replicates the traditional streetwall or building line on downtown blocks.

See also Design & Development Guidelines for theConnector and Capitol Boulevard underSection 4.0 and Design & Development Guidelines forparking facilities and surface parking lots in the 2025Downtown Boise Redevelopment Plan.

Action Steps:

TransportationPursue federal funding for implementation of thedowntown circulator, and proceed withimplementation as funding becomes available.

Create a route on the circulator system that providesservice to the subdistricts in the River–Myrtleplanning area.

Support the creation of a dedicated source offunding for regional transit in order to improveservice levels for downtown and for the River–Myrtle planning area.

Install a way-finding signage system thatencourages downtown residents, workers andvisitors to walk or bicycle in downtown rather thanusing cars. Use this way-finding system to link thesubdistricts in downtown Boise to each other, tothe CBD, Cultural District, shopping andentertainment districts, areas where lodging andconvention facilities are located, sightseeingopportunities, parks and the Boise River Greenbelt.

Establish a schedule for improvements to theConnector identified in the DBMS that will reducetraffic congestion on this thoroughfare, enhance theenvironment for pedestrians and bicyclists, andimprove its interface with the urban fabric ofdowntown. Include the appropriate items fromthe schedule in the annual budgets for ITD andACHD.

Utilize the inside lane on the West Connector as aturning lane with landscaped bulb-outs atintersections to manage street capacity andencourage lower driving speeds.


Install traffic signals at 5th and Avenue B on Front;and at 3rd, Avenue A and Avenue B on Myrtle socontinuous north-south routes for pedestrians andbicyclists are created through the CourthouseCorridor from Old Boise/Eastside to Julia DavisPark.

Install a pedestrian light at 2nd and Front toimprove access to the Ada County Courthouse forpeople walking and bicycling and to reducejaywalking across Front Street.

Time signals so they allow smooth traffic flowalong the East and West Connector.

ParkingAcquire sites and construct public parking garages asdescribed in the subdistrict plans (see Chapter 7).Use the provision of public parking facilities tostimulate private development and support catalystprojects.

Expand the P-1 parking district to cover the servicearea of public parking garages when they are addedto the parking system.

Work with owners of existing private parking lotsto make them available in the evening and onweekends for public use to stretch parking resourcesand reduce the need to build parking facilities.

Work with Boise City to adopt design requirementsfor surface parking lots consistent with Guideline5.16 above so surface parking lots will make apositive contribution to the urban fabric.

Pursue funding for and implement the downtowncirculator recommended by the Downtown BoiseMobility Study including service to the River–Myrtle planning area.

See also Action Steps under Section 4.0 regardingthe Connector and Capitol Boulevard.

RIVER STREET–MYRTLE STREET MASTER PLAN Subdistrict Plans, Guidelines & Action Steps 61

7: Subdistrict Plans, Guidelines & Action StepsThe Boise Cultural Districtis one of five subdistrictsin the River–Myrtleplanning area. Each hasits own character,opportunities andchallenges.

The River–Myrtle planning area covers a large area—230acres—and is the largest of the four planning areas indowntown Boise. It includes several well-definedsubdistricts, each with its own character, opportunitiesand challenges. The River Street–Myrtle Street MasterPlan was created by examining each of these subdistrictsto understand its history, past planning efforts, currentconditions, assets, influences at work, suitability forvarious land uses, availability of land for developmentand redevelopment and its likely role in the future of theRiver–Myrtle planning area. Plans for each of thesubdistricts were developed based on this analysis, whichare presented in this chapter. Five subdistricts have beenidentified:

West Connector (Former Rail Yards)River Street NeighborhoodWarehouse/Cultural District

East Connector/Parkside NeighborhoodCourthouse Corridor

The subdistrict plans in this chapter identify existingconditions, desired character, objectives, design anddevelopment guidelines and action steps for eachsubdistrict. The subdistricts are shown in Figure 11.These subdistrict plans work in concert with the overallplans that address key issues in the River–Myrtleplanning area and cut across subdistrict lines. Theseissues include:


RIVER STREET–MYRTLE STREET MASTER PLANSubdistrict Plans, Guidelines & Action Steps62

The plans addressing area-wide issues are presented inChapter 6.

West Connector (Former Rail Yards)

Existing ConditionsThe West Connector subdistrict runs approximatelyfrom 9th Street to 15th Street and from Grove Street toMyrtle Street. It comprises two parts:

Three superblock-sized parcels between Front andMyrtle streets running from 9th to 15th Street thatwere occupied by rail yards from the 1890s to 1970suntil the tracks were removed. They are referred toas parcels A, B and C-D going from west to east.For the most part they are vacant except for awarehouse at 9th Street on parcel D and pavedparking lots on the remainder of parcels C-D andthe eastern part of parcel B. Tenth and 12th streetsdo connect through these parcels.

Five blocks between Front and Grove from 11th to16th streets which are occupied by service and auto-oriented businesses or are in parking lots or vacant.This area is viewed as a transitional area.

Both areas have changed little since 1994 when the RiverStreet–Myrtle Street Urban Renewal District was formed.

In 2002 the Greater Boise Auditorium District (GBAD)purchased Parcel B for an expansion of the existingconvention center. Plans were prepared and approved byBoise City. The GBAD Board of Directors intended tofinance the expansion by selling bonds backed by the

hotel/motel tax that funds the auditorium district. Aballot measure seeking voter approval for issuing thebonds did not pass. It is unknown if the property willbe used for the convention center, so the catalyst effect ofthis facility cannot be assumed. Given this situation, it isnecessary to look at alternatives for the future develop-ment of the West Connector.

Desired CharacterIf a new convention center is built and if it is successful,it is likely to stimulate development of hotels, restau-rants, retail and other tourism-related uses in closeproximity. Without a convention center, Parcel B andmost likely Parcels C-D could still attract uses related totourism given their location relative to the existingconvention center and hotels, Bank of America Center,Cultural District and the destination-type retail centerplanned at 8th and Broad Street (BoDo). Additionaldestination-type retail, restaurant and entertainmentbusinesses could also locate just west of BoDo. Ineither case, the challenge is how to provide strongpedestrian connections between these uses and thecentral business district, so this emerging activity centercomplements and supports the CBD rather thandraining energy from it. The ideal result would be tocreate a sense of synergy between the CBD and thissubdistrict rather than a sense of competition.

Parcel A is considered a possible location for a parkinggarage for incoming commuters and for uses on ParcelsB and C-D, a multimodal station, or for service busi-nesses serving the CBD and the West Connectorsubdistrict. The current zoning on this parcel is C-2,which allows auto-oriented commercial uses. Thiszoning designation should be modified to assure

2025 Downtown Redevelopment Plan

The 2025 Downtown Boise RedevelopmentPlan is a companion document to the masterplans for the downtown urban renewaldistricts. Each of the master plans ad-dresses key elements such as land use,built form, street character and civic spacesfor a specific part of downtown. The 2025Downtown Boise Redevelopment Planconsolidates this information on maps thatshow these elements on a downtown-widebasis--thus providing a more holistic view ofwhat the eventual character, form andstructure of downtown will be. The 2025Downtown Boise Redevelopment Plan alsoincludes maps showing pedestrian andbicycle routes, transit routes and parkingfacilities on an area-wide basis.

General design guidelines and standards forbuilding and site design, civic spaces,streetscaping and urban design that apply toall of the approved urban renewal districts indowntown Boise are set forth in the 2025Downtown Boise Redevelopment Plan. Thisapproach saves duplication in each masterplan. These general guidelines andstandards supplement the guidelines andstandards contained in Chapters 6 & 7 ofthis master plan. CCDC considers both the2025 Downtown Boise Redevelopment Planand the master plans for the individual urbanrenewal districts when making decisionsregarding public investment and evaluatingdevelopment proposals.


Figure 11: River Myrtle–Old Boise Subdistricts


downtown workers and residents but which are betterlocated on the periphery of the CBD. Such businessescould include auto parts and repair, car wash anddetailing, electrical and HVAC installation and repair, alocksmith—all of which are now present in this area.This cluster of service-oriented businesses could alsoextend south on properties facing 16th Street where BoiseCold Storage is currently located. The properties facingGrove Street could become part of an in-town neighbor-hood planned for the west end of the Westside District.It is difficult to predict what will happen in this transi-tional area, but is likely that development will reflect thefact that the parcels are on the edge of both the WestConnector and the Westside District and are somewhathidden by the ramp of the Connector.

The Broadway–Chinden Connector exerts a powerfulinfluence on the types of development seeking to locatealong these roadways and the connectivity between theCBD, the Westside Downtown district and the RiverStreet Neighborhood. It also impacts the degree towhich a pedestrian-friendly environment can be estab-lished along its edges. Integrating the Connector intothe urban fabric of downtown while still maintaining itsability to provide access through and to downtown is akey issue addressed by the guidelines and action stepsbelow.

Development ObjectivesEast of 11th Street, the West Connector will become afocal point for hotels, convention and conferencefacilities, tourism-related uses, destination-oriented retail,restaurants and entertainment as well as office uses.West of 11th Street, how properties develop will dependon whether the convention center expansion occurs on

development will have an urban rather than suburbancharacter. Attention should also be given to howbuildings facing 13th Street are designed so they give apedestrian-oriented feel to this street. Thirteenth Streethas been identified as a pedestrian and bicycle routeproviding an important connection between the RiverStreet Neighborhood, the Westside Downtown districtand the CBD.1

The blocks north of Front Street are quite different fromParcels A, B, and C-D because they are part of thedowntown grid, with typical block sizes and streetconnectivity. They lie along the seam between the centralbusiness district, the proposed in-town neighborhoodin Westside and the superblocks between Front andMyrtle. The three blocks between 10th and 13th include(from east to west) a full-block parking lot which is aprime development site, a block occupied by buildingsoriginally used for auto-related businesses but whichhave been renovated into offices to accommodate creativeand design-oriented businesses and a heating and airconditioning business. These blocks will most likely feelthe ripple effects from creating an activity center focusedon tourism and destination-type uses on Parcels B andC-D. There is also a possibility that this area couldbecome a focal point for design-oriented businesses onthe edge of the CBD.

The three blocks between 13th and 16th contain servicebusinesses, vacant land and a city fire station. TheConnector has a strong impact on the south half ofthese blocks while the properties on the north half faceGrove Street, which is a relatively quiet street. This areacould develop in several different ways. It couldcontinue to provide a location for businesses needed by

1 The Westside Downtown Urban Renewal District is located more or less between 10th and 16th streets and Washington and Grovestreets.


Parcel B. If not, this parcel would most likely bedeveloped in office and hotel uses related to the CBD orother destination-type uses drawn by excellent visibilityfrom the Connector. West of 13th Street, the likely focuswill be service businesses with the possibility ofresidential uses along the south side of Grove Street aspart of a new in-town neighborhood in Westside. TheWest Connector could also include a design center orcluster of creative-oriented businesses in the blocksnorth of Front Street and west of 10th Street. Improve-ments will be made to the Connector to create anappealing pedestrian environment along its edges, tocreate better connectivity among the CBD, the WestsideDowntown district and the River Street Neighborhoodand to moderate driving speeds. The Pioneer Walk willbecome a boulevard-style pedestrian link from the BoiseRiver Greenbelt to the Grove Plaza through the WestConnector subdistrict using 11th, Broad and 8th streets.This subdistrict, with its large vacant parcels close to theCBD and the Connector, offers several logical locationsfor a convention center expansion including Parcels Band C-D.

Design & Development Guidelines:

Land Use & Built FormWC-1 Utilize the Preferred Development Concept in

Figure 5 to guide development patterns in the WestConnector subdistrict, and in making decisions onpublic investments.

WC-2 Use the Built Form map in Figure 7 to guidebuilding heights and development densities in theWest Connector subdistrict. Achieve a buildingheight and density of development that makes anappropriate transition from the CBD to the WestConnector.

Figure 11A: West Connector (Former Rail Yards)


WC-3 Allow expansion of downtown commercialuses into the West Connector subdistrict in amanner that contributes to the synergy between theWest Connector subdistrict, the CBD and theWarehouse/Cultural District.

WC-4 Encourage tourism-related and destination-type retail, restaurant and entertainment businessesto cluster in the West Connector subdistrict,especially between 9th and 11th streets. Promote anurban intensity of at least 2.0 FAR in this area.

WC-5 Strategically place tourism-related uses so theyare within comfortable walking distance of eachother and hotels, public parking and transit, anddesign connections so they are clearly marked,attractive and safe.

WC-6 Explore the possibility of creating a designcenter or cluster of creative businesses between 10th,13th, Front and Grove streets.

WC-7 Encourage service businesses to locate in theWest Connector subdistrict west of 13th Streetespecially along Front Street.

WC-8 Examine the south side of Grove Street as apossible location for residential uses, which wouldthen become the southern edge of the in-townneighborhood envisioned for the WestsideDowntown district.

WC-9 Identify appropriate sites in the WestConnector subdistrict for expansion of theconvention center when it is ready to proceed.

WC-10 Discourage the construction of megastructuresthat fill entire superblocks unless this building typeis absolutely essential to a particular use. Usebuilding designs that break down megastructuresinto a series of building masses that are morehuman-scaled and less monumental.

Street Character & ConnectionsWC-11 Apply the Streetscaping Standards in the 2025

Downtown Boise Redevelopment Plan to streets inthe West Connector subdistrict.

WC-12 Apply the Design & Development Guidelinesrelated to the Connector stated in Chapter 6, StreetCharacter, Civic Spaces & Pedestrian Ways andTransportation & Parking.

WC-13 Re-establish the traditional street grid betweenFront and Myrtle by reconstructing 10th, and Broadstreets. If a street connection is not possible,establish pedestrian connections as an alternative.

Pedestrian/Bicycle/Transit ConnectionsWC-14 Establish strong pedestrian, bicycle and transit

connections between the West Connectorsubdistrict, the CBD and other subdistricts indowntown.

WC-15 Recognize 10th , 11th , 13th and Broad streets asprimary pedestrian and bicycling streets.

WC-16 Use 11th and Broad streets to extend thePioneer Walkway from its current terminus at 11th

and Myrtle through the West Connector subdistrictto the Warehouse/Cultural District, The Groveplaza and CBD.


ParkingWC-17 Apply the Design & Development Guidelines

related to parking stated in Chapter 6,Transportation & Parking.

Action Steps:

Urban Design, Land Use & ZoningWork with property owners to prepare a specificplan for the superblocks between Front and Myrtleand 9th and 15th streets. Include GBAD and thedeveloper of the BoDo retail center at 8th andBroad. Assure the mix of uses, buildingplacement, orientation and massing, andconnections between uses promote synergy and anappealing pedestrian environment.

Use a design charette or similar process to identify asuitable site for the convention center expansion foruse when it is ready to proceed. Place theconvention center expansion where it will maximizesupport of the CBD, other downtown retailcenters, hotels, restaurants and tourism-relatedbusinesses. Consider Parcels B and C-D as possiblelocations to be evaluated through this designprocess.

Propose rezoning for Parcel A (between Front andMyrtle west of 13th Street) from C-2 to a zoningcategory that assures development will have anurban rather than suburban or auto-orientedcharacter for consideration by city council.

Propose rezoning for the parcels fronting on Grovebetween 13th and 16th from C-2 to a zoning categorythat better supports plan goals for housing if thisarea is to become part of the Westsideneighborhood.

Street Character & ConnectionsImplement the streetscaping standards in the 2025Downtown Boise Redevelopment Plan when streetimprovements are required as part of adevelopment project or whenever improvementsare made to streets in the West Connectorsubdistrict.

Implement the Action Steps related to theConnector stated in Chapter 6, Street Character,Civic Spaces & Pedestrian Ways and Transportation& Parking.

Work with property owners to re-establish 10th

Street between Front and Myrtle and to installtraffic signals at the Front/10th and Myrtle/10th

intersections. If a street connection is not possible,establish a pedestrian connection on the 12th Streetalignment.

Work with property owners to re-establish BroadStreet from 9th Street to 11th Street, and installpedestrian signals at the 9th/Broad and 11th/Broadintersections.


Pedestrian/Bicycle/Transit ConnectionsConstruct the Pioneer Walkway as a grand,boulevard-style pedestrian and bicycle link from theBoise River Greenbelt through the West Connectorsubdistrict on 11th and Broad streets to theWarehouse/Cultural District..

Install streetscaping improvements on Broad Streetthat identify it as both an extension of the PioneerWalkway and a primary pedestrian street. Designthis street to encourage both walking and bicycling.

Implement the downtown circulator to include aroute along 9th Street that will link the WestConnector subdistrict to the CBD and the othersubdistricts in downtown.

Evaluate Parcel A as a possible location for a multi-modal center that would serve as a connectionpoint between the regional transit system and thedowntown circulator.

ParkingBuild public parking garages to serve the west andeast ends of this subdistrict, if needed to supportintensive tourism-related businesses, and expandthe P-1 parking district to cover the service area ofthese garages.

Implement the Action Steps related to parkingstated in Chapter 6, Transportation & Parking.

Economic DevelopmentWork with the Greater Boise Auditorium District(GBAD), Boise Convention and Visitors Bureau,Downtown Boise Association and area hotels toprovide maps and information to visitors aboutthe various subdistricts in downtown, sightseeingopportunities, and how to find shopping, diningand entertainment.

River Street Neighborhood

Existing ConditionsMuch of the River Street Neighborhood subdistrictconsists of a historic, turn-of-the century residentialneighborhood. It is bounded by 16th Street andAmericana Boulevard on the west, Myrtle Street on thenorth, approximately 10th Street on the east and theBoise River on the south. It currently lacks a cohesive,neighborhood image, however, as the original single-family housing stock has deteriorated and in some casesbeen torn down, land has been cleared and redevelopedwith a scattering of fourplexes, garden-style and mid-riseapartment buildings and offices or has become parkinglots or left vacant. The neighborhood is without a focalpoint or neighborhood shopping district. This area isbordered by warehouses with trucking and distributionuses to the east, a suburban-style office park—ForestRiver—on the south, a 25-35 year old auto-orientedcommercial strip along Americana Boulevard on the westand the Connector on the north. Most of the single-family houses are rentals, with some landowners owningmultiple properties, and many of these houses showsigns of needing maintenance. They provide, however, asignificant reservoir of affordable housing close to thecentral business district.


There is a concentration of facilities and programs in thissubdistrict that address the needs of lower incomehouseholds including the city’s homeless shelter andsoup kitchen, Head Start and several apartment develop-ments that provide affordable housing units.

The River Street Neighborhood is in a very strategiclocation, given it is situated close to the recreationalamenities of the Boise River Greenbelt and AnnMorrison Park but it is also within walking distance or ashort bicycle ride to the Cultural District, Julia Davis Parkand the CBD. It has excellent vehicular access to theConnector, River Street, Americana, 16th, 15th, 13th, 11th

and 9th streets and Capitol Boulevard. Because of itssize and its location south of both Front and Myrtle,which places it outside the immediate influence of thecentral business district, this subdistrict tends to bequieter and more conducive to re-establishing a residen-tial neighborhood than in the subdistricts along theConnector. The River Street Neighborhood also haslarge tracts of vacant or underutilized land, whichincrease the potential for revitalization and transforma-tion of this area.

A number of office developments have occurred in thissubdistrict, exclusively on properties fronting eitherMyrtle or River streets, showing the importance placedon automobile access and visibility for this type of use.These include the Pioneer Plaza office buildings between11th and 13th on Myrtle, medical office buildings between9th and 11th streets, the Orthopedic Surgery Center at 14th

and River, River Plaza office building at 13th and River,and the Forest River office park on the south side ofRiver Street between 9th and 12th streets. The FamilyFitness Center on River Street has been converted to amultipurpose facility occupied by the Anser CharterSchool, Bronco Elite Gymnastics and a dance academy.

Figure 11B: River Street Neighborhood


In 2001, CCDC conducted a design competition focusedon the existing Pioneer Walkway and the propertiessurrounding it to identify ways to enhance this walkwayso it becomes a prominent link between the Boise RiverGreenbelt, the River Street Neighborhood, the WestConnector subdistrict and the CBD as well as a catalystfor development along its edges. The winning designenvisions a grand, boulevard-style pedestrian and bicyclelink along its current alignment from the Boise River to11th Street where it would continue east on Broad Street(re-established through Parcels C-D) to 8th Street andthen north to the Grove Plaza.

Desired CharacterThe Downtown Boise Plan (1993) identified this area asa prime location for additional residential development,which has been reinforced by a change in the zoning forthe area to Residential-Office (R-O). The River Street–Myrtle Street Urban Design Plan (1994) includes as aguideline to re-establish a critical mass of residential usesat the core of the River Street Neighborhood. This 2004River Street–Myrtle Street Master Plan places even greateremphasis on this idea, urging the development of a newin-town urban neighborhood with a range of housingchoices. Most of the new housing is envisioned to be ata relatively high density and have a compact, urban form,in contrast to the modest single-family residences andgarden apartments there today. Some opportunities mayexist for housing at lesser densities at the west end ofthe neighborhood.

The winning design for the Pioneer Corridor identifiedthe intersection of Grand Avenue and Miller and Ash

streets as the logical location for a plaza or similar publicspace to create a neighborhood focal point and as ananchor for a neighborhood-shopping district alongGrand Avenue similar to Hyde Park. This design alsosuggests a public space for the larger community wherethe Pioneer Walkway intersects with the Boise RiverGreenbelt. The Pioneer Walkway would become ananchor for residential, office, retail and restaurantdevelopment. These ideas have been incorporated intothis River Street–Myrtle Street Master Plan.

The western edge along 16th and Americana faces a majorthoroughfare with high visibility to traffic and as such ismore conducive to light industrial, service commercialand office uses than to residential uses. The parcelsfronting on these streets would serve as a buffer to theneighborhood to the east. The property at 700 N.Americana and 1500 Shoreline would be an exception.Taken together, these two parcels are approximately nineacres in size and represent a significant redevelopmentopportunity. This site is envisioned as the location of amajor mixed-use development including housing andoffice and possibly civic, educational and retail uses aswell.

The eastern edge is somewhat fluid as to the types ofuses that will develop, with different possibilities for theblocks between 9th and 11th streets. At present there arewarehousing and storage businesses facing River Street.The parcel between 10th and 11th streets prevents LeeStreet from continuing through to 9th Street. There arevarious uses including a high–tech firm, parking lot,dance club and medical offices facing 9th Street. The angle


of the Connector shortens the blocks on the south sideof Myrtle between 9th and 11th streets. Most of the blockbetween 10th and 11th south of Myrtle is vacant. Thisplan anticipates that office and commercial uses willcontinue to face 9th Street, but eventually the warehouseand storage businesses will relocate to less expensiveground west of the River–Myrtle planning area perhapsalong Main or Fairview because the cost of using primedowntown real estate for such uses will becomeprohibitive. If these businesses relocate, the most likelyscenario is that they will be replaced by offices or mixed-use development and the residential portion of thesubdistrict would begin at 11th Street. It is possible thatresidential uses will extend eastward, in the half blocksfacing Miller between 11th and 10th streets.

Office uses are expected to predominate along MyrtleStreet to provide a buffer between the residentialneighborhood and the Connector. If conventionfacilities are built in the West Connector subdistrict, it ispossible that developers will seek out sites on the southside of Myrtle for hotel, restaurant and retail develop-ment. This plan discourages these uses from locatingsouth of Myrtle and encourages them to locate betweenFront and Myrtle or north of Front to keep visitors inclose proximity to both the CBD, the Old Boise HistoricDistrict, the Basque Block and the BoDo retail center at8th and Broad streets. The primary reason for thisapproach is to prevent a drain on the vitality of the CBD.As noted above, office uses are also expected to occuralong River Street, particularly between 9th and 11th

streets, where they would face the Forest River officedevelopment.

Development ObjectivesThe central area of the River Street Neighborhood willbecome a thriving in-town, urban neighborhood withtree-lined streets and a wide variety of medium- to high-density housing anchored by a neighborhood commer-cial district along Grand Avenue and a public plaza at theintersection of Grand Avenue, Ash and Miller streets. Itwill have a sense of identity discernible by the residentsand visitors. The Pioneer Walkway will be improvedinto a boulevard-style walking and bicycling routebetween the Boise River and downtown through thisneighborhood, offering an refreshing and enjoyablepark-like, public space that will also serve as a catalyst fordevelopment. The River Street Neighborhood willprovide a place for people to live, shop, dine and socializeclose to work places and cultural and entertainmentattractions in downtown Boise. It will be possible totravel between these activity areas by walking andbicycling on people-friendly streets and by transit.

Office, service commercial and light industrial useswould continue along the western edge of this subdis-trict facing 16th Street and Americana Boulevard, exceptthat a major mixed-use development would develop onthe northeast corner of Americana and Shoreline. Officeand mixed-use development would occur on the eastend of the district between 9th and 11th streets and alongthe south side of Myrtle Street. Hotel, retail, restaurantand tourism uses associated with the possible develop-ment of the convention center expansion would beencouraged north of the River Street Neighborhoodalong the West Connector or in the CBD, rather thanallowing it to move into the River Street Neighborhood,so the vitality of the downtown core is reinforced.



Land Use & Built FormRS-1 Utilize the Preferred Development Concept in

Figure 5 to guide development patterns in the RiverStreet Neighborhood subdistrict, and in makingdecisions on public investments.

RS-2 Use the Built Form map in Figure 7 to guidebuilding heights and development densities in theRiver Street Neighborhood.

RS-3 Establish a flourishing in-town, urbanneighborhood with a wide range of housingchoices in the River Street Neighborhood includingboth renter and owner units in different sizes andconfigurations and at different rent and price levels.

RS-4 Establish a distinctive identity for theresidential portion of the River StreetNeighborhood through gateways, public spaces,streetscaping, signage and other means.

RS-5 Encourage housing densities of 50 to 120units per acre in order to create an urban level ofintensity and to maximize the number of housingunits developed in the River Street Neighborhood.

RS-6 Focus high- intensity housing and office usesalong the Pioneer Walkway south of River Streetand add restaurants and retail to the mixsurrounding the civic space where the walkwayintersects the Boise River Greenbelt.

RS-7 Focus medium- to medium-high-intensityhousing development along the Pioneer Walkwaynorth of River Street and add restaurants, retail andneighborhood-serving businesses surrounding theplaza space at the intersection of Grand Avenueand Miller and Ash streets.

RS-8 Create a neighborhood shopping district alongGrand Avenue from Ash to 13th Street, andincluding the intersection of Grand Avenue, Millerand Ash streets.

RS-9 Prevent hotel and tourism-type uses associatedwith the possible development of the conventioncenter expansion from developing south of MyrtleStreet.

Historic ResourcesRS-10 Assess the historic value of the existing houses

in the River Street Neighborhood.

RS-11 Evaluate the possibility of creating a historicpark within the River–Myrtle planning area,preferably in the River Street Neighborhood wherea collection of the best examples of historicresidences could be relocated, renovated andpreserved.

Pioneer Corridor & Other Civic SpacesRS-12 Use the Pioneer Walkway as an urban design

element that provides structure to the River Streetneighborhood, creates a public gathering place andlinear park and serves as a catalyst for developmentalong its edges.


RS-13 Establish a civic space at the intersection of 11th

and Myrtle which celebrates this location as agateway to downtown and a node on the PioneerWalkway.

RS-14 Establish a neighborhood focal point using aplaza or similar civic space at the intersection ofGrand Avenue and Miller and Ash streets.

RS-15 Establish a community-sized civic space at theintersection of the Pioneer Walkway and the BoiseRiver Greenbelt. Encourage the development ofactivating uses such as restaurants in and along theedges of this public space.

Street Character & ConnectionsRS-16 Apply the Streetscaping Standards in the 2025

Downtown Boise Redevelopment Plan to streets inthe River Street Neighborhood subdistrict.

RS-17 Apply the Design & Development Guidelinesrelated to the Connector stated in Chapter 6, StreetCharacter, Civic Spaces & Pedestrian Ways andTransportation & Parking.

Pedestrian/Bicycle/Transit ConnectionsRS-18 Establish strong pedestrian, bicycle and transit

connections between the River StreetNeighborhood, the CBD and other subdistricts indowntown.

RS-19 Improve Grand Avenue and Miller Street sothey become part of a network of people-oriented,slow streets that carry local neighborhood traffic andserve as safe and attractive routes for walking andbicycling. Encourage the use of alternative transpor-tation modes through improving these streets.

ParkingRS-20 Apply the Design & Development Guidelines


Action Steps

Urban Design, Land Use & ZoningUse the Pioneer Walk as a focal point for housing,office and destination retail, restaurants andentertainment uses, with the objective of creating acritical mass of residents, workers and visitors toactivate the corridor and support other land uses inthe River–Myrtle planning area.

Create marketing materials on the Pioneer Walkwaygeared toward developers and property owners tointerest them in building projects along its edgesconsistent with the Pioneer Corridor design.

Acquire land at strategic locations along the PioneerWalkway to help stimulate catalyst projects throughpublic-private partnerships.

Acquire land suitable for housing development,enter into development partnerships and writedown land prices when necessary to stimulate thesupply of housing in the River StreetNeighborhood.

Work with Neighborhood Housing Services toaccess resources that can be used to developaffordable housing options in River Street.


Work with property owners, Boise City and ACHDto design and implement a neighborhood-orientedcivic space at the intersection of Ash, Miller andGrand Avenues. Include this improvement in thecapital investment plan for 2006-2010.

Initiate the design process for a plaza-like space atthe intersection of 11th & Myrtle and construct thisimprovement in 2005-2006.

Create gateways into the residential area of the RiverStreet Neighborhood that give it identity and adesirable sense of place. Locations to consider forgateways include 15th/River, 15th/Grand, 13th/Myrtle, 11th/Myrtle, 9th/Miller and 9th/River or11th/River depending on what happens in theblocks between 9th and 11th .

Street Character & ConnectionsImplement the Streetscaping Standards in the 2025Downtown Boise Redevelopment Plan when streetimprovements are required as part of adevelopment project or whenever improvementsare made to streets in the River StreetNeighborhood.

Implement the action steps related to theConnector stated in Chapter 6, Street Character,Civic Spaces & Pedestrian Ways and Transportation& Parking..

Pedestrian/Bicycle/Transit ConnectionsInstall streetscaping improvements on GrandAvenue and Miller Street that identify them asprimary pedestrian streets and encourage the use ofthese streets for walking and bicycling.

Conduct information sessions with propertyowners about plans for the River StreetNeighborhood and prospects for urban housing toencourage them to choose to develop housing ontheir properties.

Exclude hotel and tourism-type uses from zoningdistricts in place south of Myrtle Street.

Civic SpacesIf feasible, implement the design for the PioneerWalkway by realigning and vacating portions ofAsh Street and acquiring sufficient width toconstruct the walkway through acquisition,easements, licenses or dedications from propertyowners and Boise City.

Construct the Pioneer Walkway as a grand,boulevard-style pedestrian link from the BoiseRiver Greenbelt through the River Streetneighborhood to 11th and Myrtle. (See the WestConnector subdistrict and the Warehouse/CulturalDistrict for an action steps regarding continuing thePioneer Walkway on Broad to the Warehouse/Cultural District and on 8th Street to the GrovePlaza and the CBD.)

Work with property owners and Boise City Parks &Recreation to design and build a community-oriented civic space at the intersection of thePioneer Corridor and the Boise River Greenbelt.Include this improvement in the capital investmentplan for 2006-2010.


Implement the downtown circulator to include aroute along 9th Street that will link the River StreetNeighborhood subdistrict to the CBD and theother subdistricts in downtown.

ParkingConstruct at least one public parking garage in thevicinity of the Pioneer Walkway to serve the RiverStreet Neighborhood and visitors. Expand the P-1parking district to include the service area for thisgarage.

Implement the Action Steps for parking stated inChapter 6, Transportation & Parking.

Economic DevelopmentUse the Pioneer Walkway as a draw to bring visitorsdowntown.

Warehouse/Cultural District

Existing ConditionsBoise’s historic warehouse district developed with thecoming of the railroad to downtown Boise in the 1890s.A large portion of this warehouse district is located inthe center of the River–Myrtle planning area and hasbeen identified as the Warehouse/Cultural District

subdistrict in this plan. It extends from Front Street tothe Boise River and from Capitol Boulevard to 9th Street.Turn-of-the-century brick buildings line 8th, 9th and otherstreets in the area. Boise City established a historicdistrict in a portion of this area in 19__ (see Figure 6).

In the late 1970s, W.H. Moore Company began redevel-oping the historic buildings in the blocks between Front,Capitol, Myrtle and 9th streets, creating a specialty retail,office and entertainment district known as the 8th StreetMarketplace. It met with only limited success. In 2002,these properties were bought by Brix and Company,which is constructing an expanded destination-style retailand entertainment development known as BoDo usingthe historic buildings as a basis and adding 34,000 squarefeet of office, 80,000 square feet of retail and restaurantspace, an 11-screen movie theater and a 168-room hotel.As part of this project, the developer is re-establishingBroad Street from Capitol Boulevard to 9th Street, whichrestores the traditional street grid at this location.

This subdistrict has also become known as the BoiseCultural District because of the high concentration ofcultural and entertainment facilities that are locatedwithin its boundaries or in close proximity.1 The mostrecent additions are the Fulton Street Theater thatopened in 2000 and the Big Easy Concert House thatopened the following year.

1 Included within the subdistrict are the Big Easy Concert House; the Funny Bone comedy club; Knock ’Em Dead Dinner Theater;Esther Simplot Performing Arts Academy, which provides classes and office and rehearsal space for Opera Idaho, Boise PhilharmonicOrchestra and Ballet Idaho; the Fulton Street Theater which is home to Boise Contemporary Theater and Balance Dance Companyand leases office space to Idaho Shakespeare Festival and Idaho Theater for Youth; the Kulture Klatsch; the Anne Frank Memorial;World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame; Boise City Library and Log Cabin Literary Center. The Foothills School of Arts andSciences, the Idaho Urban Research and Design Center and part of the Boise State University studio art program are co-located in awarehouse building at 8th and River streets. Julia Davis Park is located immediately east of Capitol Boulevard and contains an amazingcollection of cultural venues including the Boise Art Museum, Idaho State Historical Museum, Idaho Black History Museum,Discovery Center of Idaho and Zoo Boise. Also across Capitol Boulevard is the Basque Block, where the Basque Museum andCultural Center is located, and the Flicks Theater. The Egyptian Theater is located at Main Street and Capitol Boulevard.


Recently there has been strong interest in buildinghousing in the vicinity of 8th and Fulton near the BoiseCity Library. A design workshop was held to explorehow this area could become a pulse point of housingclustered at the lower end of the Cultural District thatwould lead to the establishment of an urban neighbor-hood.

Desired CharacterMany positive changes have occurred in the Warehouse/Cultural District since 1994, and at the same time, thehistoric character has remained more or less intact.Historic buildings are being renovated and reused as partof new development projects. The plan supports theseefforts and encourages them to continue, keeping inmind that there may be an occasional older building thatis obsolete or beyond repair and needs to be removed.In these situations, the plan recommends that new infillbuildings in areas dominated by historic buildingsrespect the current scale and massing of these buildingsalthough the new buildings may have a variety ofarchitectural designs. Elsewhere in the Warehouse/Cultural District more intensive development may beacceptable especially if it results in housing.

Adding destination-style retail and entertainment to thissubdistrict will attract more people to downtown. Morevisitors will increase support for both existing and newretail businesses and restaurants, thus adding to thevitality and economic prosperity of downtown. It islikely that there will be spin-off benefits from this newactivity center. The design of the project makes itconducive to street fairs, concerts and other events thatadd to the appeal of downtown. It is possible thatadditional retail will seek to locate in close proximity tothe BoDo development, and this plan encourages

growth to the west onto Parcels C-D. As this activitycenter grows, it is essential that connections be createdbetween the BoDo development and the CBD topromote synergy between them rather draining energyfrom the CBD.

The Warehouse/Cultural District is viewed as a primelocation for the development of medium- to high-density housing as part of BoDo and in a compact,urban neighborhood in the vicinity of 8th and Fultonstreets.

The plan supports creating a distinct identity for theCultural District through not only concentrating culturalvenues in this area but also holding a variety of culturalevents and using it as the focal point for Fall for Boise,the city’s annual month-long celebration of the arts inthe fall. The goal is to breathe life into the concept ofthe Cultural District as a lively, happening place in thepublic’s mind. The plan calls for adding a mid-sizedtheater to the cultural offerings in the Cultural Districtand to use signage and urban design features tocommunicate the existence of the district.

Development ObjectiveA vigorous cultural district will be established between9th and Capitol and Front and the Boise River, and willalso extend to include the museums and culturalattractions in Julia Davis Park, the Basque Block and theEgyptian and Flicks movie theaters. This area will have adistinct identity and will become known as a place wherea wide variety of cultural and entertainment eventshappen. It will add to the quality of life in the regionand stimulate an increase in both planned and spontane-ous visits to downtown Boise.


The cultural district will be anchored on the north by adestination-retail and entertainment center at 8th andBroad, which will build on the historic character of thearea and complement rather than compete with thecentral business district. Strong connections thatencourage pedestrians to travel between the CulturalDistrict and the CBD will be established using transit,streetscaping, wayfinding, public art and other features.The retail and entertainment center will serve as aregional draw to bring people to downtown Boise, andwill enhance the desirability of downtown as a place tolive, work and shop. It will serve as a catalyst foradditional retail, restaurant and entertainment develop-ment.

The cultural district will be anchored on the south by acompact, urban neighborhood. This neighborhoodwould be marked by entry treatments on 8th Street atRiver and Myrtle streets and on Fulton Street at 9th Streetand Capitol Boulevard as well as distinctive streetscapingthat would create a sense of place.


Land Use & Built FormCD-1 Utilize the Preferred Development Concept in

Figure 5 to guide development patterns in theWarehouse/Cultural District, and in makingdecisions on public investments.

CD-2 Use the Built Form map in Figure 7 to guidebuilding heights and development densities in theWarehouse/Cultural District.

CD-3 Establish a vigorous destination-type retail andentertainment center at the north end of theWarehouse/Cultural District between Front andMyrtle, and 9th and Capitol.

Figure 11C: Warehouse/Cultural District


CD-4 Encourage spin-off retail uses to occur on thesuperblock between 9th and 11th and Front andMyrtle streets in the West Connector subdistrict.

CD-5 Work to create a compact, urban neighborhoodin the area bounded by Capitol Boulevard andRiver, 9th and Myrtle streets. Make publicinvestments to create a sense of place.

CD-6 Encourage housing densities of 80 to 120units per acre in order to create an urban level ofintensity and to maximize the number of housingunits developed in the Warehouse/CulturalDistrict.

CD-7 Evaluate whether the conversion of existingwarehouse buildings to housing will make moreaffordable housing options available. Wherefeasible, encourage the renovation of warehousesinto unique types of housing units such as lofts orartists’ housing.

Historic Character & ResourcesCD-8 Preserve the historic character of the

Warehouse/Cultural District while encouragingdevelopment of underutilized property.

CD-9 Retain and build upon the historic flavor ofthe Warehouse/Cultural District. Facilitate therenovation and reuse of historic buildingswhenever feasible.

CD-10 Where a historic structure is in poor repair orobsolete, evaluate alternative approaches that wouldinclude reuse of the structure, reuse of the façade orreplacement. Weigh the contribution made by the

structure to the historic fabric of the Warehouse/Cultural District and to the community’s record ofits history with the benefits derived fromredevelopment proposals. Give weight toproposals that will result in increasing the supplyof housing in the Warehouse/Cultural District.

CD-11 Encourage a range of architectural styles in newbuildings in a way that does not detract from thehistoric character of the Warehouse/CulturalDistrict.

CD-12 Design new infill buildings in areas dominatedby historic buildings so they respect the currentscale and massing of these buildings although thenew building may have a variety of architecturaldesigns.

Cultural District DevelopmentCD-13 Encourage the growth of performing arts and

other cultural uses in the Warehouse/CulturalDistrict with emphasis on the area south of MyrtleStreet.

CD-14 Evaluate the need for new cultural facilities andthe desirability of siting them in the CulturalDistrict. Advocate for retaining the CulturalDistrict as a focal point for cultural facilities.

CD-15 Continue the installation of signage anddesign elements to strengthen the identity of theCultural District.

CD-16 Make the Cultural District a significant draw fordowntown visitors.


Street Character & ConnectionsCD-17 Apply the Streetscape Standards in the 2025

Downtown Boise Redevelopment Plan to streets inthe Warehouse/Cultural District.

CD-18 Apply the Design & Development Guidelinesrelated to the Connector stated in Chapter 6, StreetCharacter, Civic Spaces & Pedestrian Ways andTransportation & Parking.

CD-19 Apply the Design & Development Guidelinesrelated to Capitol Boulevard stated in Chapter 6,Street Character, Civic Spaces & Pedestrian Ways.

Pedestrian/Bicycle/Transit ConnectionsCD-20 Because of its unique role as a cultural and

retail hub for downtown and the region, establishstrong pedestrian and transit connections to theregion.

CD-21 Establish strong pedestrian, bicycle and transitconnections between the Warehouse/CulturalDistrict, the CBD and other subdistricts indowntown. Recognize 8th, Broad and Fultonstreets as primary pedestrian and bicycling streets.

CD-22 Use Broad and 8th streets to extend thePioneer Walkway from its current terminus at 11th

and Myrtle through the West Connector andWarehouse/Cultural District to the Grove Plazaand CBD.

ParkingCD-24 Apply the Design & Development Guidelines


Action Steps

Urban Design, Land Use & ZoningForm development partnerships and invest inpublic improvements to stimulate retaildevelopment in the north end of the Warehouse/Cultural District.

Acquire land suitable for housing development,enter into development partnerships and writedown land prices when necessary to stimulatehousing development in south end of theWarehouse/Cultural District.

Conduct information sessions with propertyowners about plans for the Warehouse/CulturalDistrict and prospects for urban housing toencourage them to choose to develop housing ontheir properties.

Historic ResourcesWork with the Boise City Historic PreservationCommission (HPC) to create a method ofevaluating redevelopment proposals affectinghistoric structures. Weigh the assets being gained,preserved and lost, and the degree to whichredevelopment will achieve the desired character andpreferred development concept stated in this plan.

Consult with the HPC when redevelopmentproposals involving historic structures are initiatedto obtain early input on ways to meet preservationand redevelopment goals.


Cultural District DevelopmentWork with the Office of the Mayor, Boise City ArtsCommission, arts patrons and the arts communityto evaluate if a mid-sized theater (400-1200 seats) isneeded and whether locating it in the Warehouse/Cultural District is appropriate. If appropriate,identify potential locations and funding sourcesand create an implementation plan that would leadto construction.

Hold a variety of cultural events in the CulturalDistrict and use it as the focal point for Fall forBoise, the city’s annual month-long celebration ofthe arts, to breathe life into this concept.

Include references to the Cultural District inmarketing cultural and entertainment eventsoccurring in this district. Use the Cultural Districtas a draw to bring visitors downtown.

Street Character & ConnectionsImplement the Action Steps related to theConnector as stated in Chapter 6, Street Character,Civic Spaces & Pedestrian Ways and Transportation& Parking.

Implement the Action Steps related to CapitolBoulevard as stated in Chapter 6, Street Character,Civic Spaces & Pedestrian Ways.

Implement the Streetscaping Standards in the 2025Downtown Boise Redevelopment Plan when streetimprovements are required as part of adevelopment project or whenever improvementsare made to streets in the Warehouse/CulturalDistrict.

Install streetscaping improvements along Myrtle,Fulton and River streets to create a distinctive senseof place in the area planned to be an urbanneighborhood. Design and construct distinctivegateway treatments at the entry points to thisneighborhood.

Install streetscaping improvements along 8th Streetfrom Front to the Boise River consistent with itsrole as the primary pedestrian connection betweenthe CBD and the Boise River. Theseimprovements should be similar in character to theimprovements on 8th Street between Main andBannock.

Pedestrian/Bicycle/Transit ConnectionsConstruct the Pioneer Walkway as a grand,boulevard-style pedestrian link from the BoiseGreenbelt through the Warehouse/Cultural Districton Broad and 8th streets to The Grove Plaza andCBD. Install streetscaping improvements alongBroad consistent with this objective.

Implement the downtown circulator to include aroute along Capitol Boulevard and 9th Street thatwill link the Warehouse/Cultural District to theCBD and other subdistricts in downtown. Create

transit stops in the Cultural District.

ParkingImplement the Action Steps related to parkingstated in Chapter 6, Transportation & Parking.


Construct a public parking garage to serve thedestination retail center at the north end ofWarehouse/Cultural District. Expand the P-1parking district to include the service area for thisgarage.

Consider construction of a public parking garage toserve the south end of the Warehouse/CulturalDistrict if neeced. Expand the P-1 parking districtto include the service area for this garage if it isbuilt.

East Connector/Parkside

Existing ConditionsThe East Connector /Parkside subdistrict runs approxi-mately from Capitol Boulevard to 2nd Street and fromFront Street to the edge of Julia Davis Park. It includesparcels located between Front and Myrtle, which formthe Broadway-Chinden Connector, and parcels south ofMyrtle Street bordering the park. This area between thetwo sides of the connector is wider than it is west of 11th

Street. Broad Street runs east-west between Front andMyrtle and serves as a people-oriented, slow street muchmore suitable for pedestrian and bicycle travel than theConnector.

Development of this area began with the establishmentof an elegant residential neighborhood in the late 1890sand early 1900s. The land for Julia Davis Park wasdonated to Boise City in 1907, which resulted in thecreation of an exceptional urban park along theneighborhood’s south edge. The coming of the railroadto downtown Boise in 1894, however, meant tracks were

eventually extended along Front Street cutting thisneighborhood off from the rest of downtown. Laterwarehouses were built along the tracks and the neighbor-hood began to slide. Houses built during the Depres-sion were much more modest. Many of the houseshave since become rentals and are in deterioratingcondition.

The 1990s were marked by an influx of low-rise,suburban style office buildings, encouraged by a changein the zoning to Residential-Office in 199_. Theneighborhood is now a mixture of older, single familyhouses, warehouses, offices and vacant land wherebuildings have been cleared.

The Connector exerts a strong influence on this area as itdoes in the West Connector subdistrict. It worksagainst the development of housing along its edgesbecause the current design and traffic speeds create aharsh environment. At the same time, the Parksideneighborhood has assets that make for a desirableresidential neighborhood. These include close proximityto Julia Davis Park, Boise State University and a large-scale grocery store, several major employers withinwalking or bicycling distance, and close proximity torestaurants, shopping and cultural offerings in Old Boiseand the downtown core. The plan recommends thatsteps be taken to encourage housing as part of the landuse mix in this subdistrict even though the tendency ofthe market will be toward office.

Desired CharacterThe area east of 6th Street between Broad Street and thenorthern edge of Julia Davis Park will become acompact, urban residential neighborhood interspersed


with low- to medium-rise office buildings. Wherepossible, housing should face housing along BroadStreet. Broad Street will become a delightful neighbor-hood street with neighborhood-oriented retail usesclustered on the west end close to Capitol Boulevard orin the center section around a neighborhood node onBroad Street between 3rd and 4th streets. Higher intensityoffice uses will line the Connector and Capitol Boule-vard, with the possibility of ground floor retail onCapitol. The Connector is not expected to become ashopping street given its characteristics with highvolumes of commute traffic. Fourth Street will be re-established as a through connection to Old Boise–Eastside. The entrance to Julia Davis Park at 3rd Streetwill become much more prominent and 3rd Street willbecome a strong pedestrian and bicycle link from thepark to the Ada County Courthouse and then to Grove,Idaho and Main streets which will provide connectionsto the Old Boise commercial district and the downtowncore.

Development ObjectivesCreate a balance between office, retail and residential usesin this subdistrict and prevent office development fromovertaking the entire area. Focus office developmentalong the Connector and Capitol Boulevard. Locatehousing along Broad Street, to take advantage of thispedestrian-oriented street, and in the area between Broadand Myrtle streets because of its proximity to Julia DavisPark. Create a neighborhood node on Broad Streetbetween 3rd and 4th streets, and pedestrian and bicycleconnections on 3rd and 4th to Old Boise–Eastside andthe downtown core. Encourage neighborhood-orientedretail uses to cluster at the neighborhood node anddowntown-oriented retail uses to locate on CapitolBoulevard.


Land Use & Built FormEC-1 Utilize the Preferred Development Concept in

Figure 5 to guide development patterns in the EastConnector/Parkside Neighborhood subdistrict,and in making decisions on public investments.

EC-2 Use the Built Form map in Figure 7 to guidebuilding heights and development densities in theEast Connector/Parkside subdistrict.

EC-3 Work to create a compact, urban neighborhoodin the area bounded by 6th, Broad, 3rd and MyrtleStreets. Encourage locating housing developmentsso they face each other across Broad Street or areoriented to Julia Davis Park.

EC-4 Encourage housing densities of 80 to 120units per acre in order to create an urban level ofintensity and to maximize the number of housingunits developed in the East Connector/Parksidesubdistrict.

EC-5 Focus office development along the Connectorand Capitol Boulevard.

Historic ResourcesEC-6 Assess the historic value of the existing houses

in the Parkside Neighborhood.

EC-7 Evaluate the possibility of creating a historicpark within the River–Myrtle planning area,preferably in the River Street Neighborhood wherea collection of the best examples of historicresidences could be relocated, renovated andpreserved.


Civic SpacesEC-8 Create a neighborhood node on Broad Street

between 3rd and 4th streets similar to the BasqueBlock. Encourage neighborhood-oriented retail tocluster around this node.

Street Character & ConnectionsEC-9 Apply the Streetscape Standards in the 2025

Downtown Boise Redevelopment Plan to streets inthe East Connector/Parkside District.

EC-10 Apply the Design & Development Guidelinesrelated to the Connector stated in Chapter 6, StreetCharacter, Civic Spaces & Pedestrian Ways andTransportation & Parking.

EC-11 Apply the Design & Development Guidelinesrelated to Capitol Boulevard stated in Chapter 6,Street Character, Civic Spaces & Pedestrian Ways.

Pedestrian/Bicycle/Transit ConnectionsEC-12 Establish strong pedestrian, bicycle and transit

connections between the East Connector/Parksidesubdistrict, the CBD and other subdistricts indowntown. Recognize 3rd and Broad Streets asprimary pedestrian and bicycling streets.

EC-13 Create a more prominent entrance to JuliaDavis Park at 3rd Street. Improve 3rd Street so itbecomes a strong pedestrian and bicycle link fromthe park to the Ada County Courthouse and thento Grove, Idaho and Main streets, which provideconnections to the Old Boise commercial districtand the downtown core.

Figure 11D: East Connector/Parkside



Implement the Action Steps related to CapitolBoulevard as stated in Chapter 6, Street Character,Civic Spaces & Pedestrian Ways.

Implement the streetscaping standards in the 2025Downtown Boise Redevelopment Plan when streetimprovements are required as part of adevelopment project or whenever improvementsare made to streets in the East Connector/Parksidesubdistrict.

Install streetscaping improvements on 3rd Streetand Broad Streets that identify them as primarypedestrian streets and encourage the use of thesestreets for walking and bicycling.

Pedestrian/Bicycle/Transit ConnectionsImplement the downtown circulator to include aroute along Capitol Boulevard that will link theEast Connector/Parkside subdistrict to the CBD,Old Boise Eastside and the Warehouse/CulturalDistrict.

ParkingImplement the Action Steps related to parking asstated in Chapter 6, Transportation & Parking.

ParkingEC-14 Apply the Design & Development Guidelines


Action Steps

Urban Design, Land Use & ZoningAcquire land suitable for housing development,enter into development partnerships and writedown land prices when necessary to stimulatehousing development in the East Connector/Parkside subdistrict.

Conduct information sessions with propertyowners about plans for the East Connector/Parkside subdistrict and prospects for urbanhousing to encourage them to choose to develophousing on their properties.

Civic SpacesInitiate the design process for a civic space on BroadAvenue between 3rd and 4th Streets and include thisimprovement in the five-year capital plan for 2006-2010.

Work with Boise City Parks Department to makeimprovements to the 3rd Street entrance to JuliaDavis Park.


Courthouse Corridor

Existing ConditionsThe Courthouse Corridor is bounded on the north sideby property owned by Ada County, Broadway Avenueon the east, Julia Davis Park on the south and 3rd and2nd streets on the west.

Development of the Ada County property is the mostsubstantial event to happen to the River–Myrtle Districtsince 1994. In 1994, this property was vacant except for awarehouse building at the east end—a vestige of therailroad era. Construction of the 322,825 square footAda County Courthouse and 424-space Courthouseparking garage was completed in January 2002. It wasfollowed by complete excavation of the parcels betweenAvenue B and Broadway to construct a one-levelunderground parking garage with 381 spaces, develop-ment of 399 affordable housing units and retail space onParcels 2 and 3 (referred to as PA2 and PA3), andconstruction of the 207,300 square foot Idaho WaterCenter, which provides office and lab space for theUniversity of Idaho, Idaho Department of WaterResources and US Forest Service. CCDC made asignificant investment in creating a pedestrian prom-enade that runs east-west between the CourthouseCorridor and the Idaho Water Center and along the frontface of the Civic Plaza Apartments. It has been fur-nished with brick paving, planters and seating whichcreate a high quality public space. The sidewalks alongFront Street have also been upgraded with brick pavingand lined with trees to provide a more protectedpedestrian environment.

The developments in the Courthouse Corridor haveraised the level of intensity at the east end of the River–Myrtle planning area and created more ambitiousexpectations as to what will happen in the future. Thescale of the Ada County Courthouse, Civic PlazaApartments, Idaho Water Center and the Kreizenbeckoffice building sends a clear message that downtown ismoving outward and that the intersection at Broadwayand Front has become a gateway to downtown.

The current mix of uses includes larger-scale officebuildings, a warehouse-style grocery store, the Civic PlazaApartments and ground- floor retail space in thecourthouse and Kreizenbeck building. More retail spacehas been built as part of the Civic Plaza Apartmentsproject but has there have been difficulties leasing it. Theoriginal development program for the Ada County-owned property envisioned an additional 800,000 squarefeet. In April 2004, CCDC, Ada County, University ofIdaho and Civic Partners conducted a mid-course reviewof the project, which resulted in a number of sugges-tions for completion of the development. Theseincluded:

Addressing the challenges created by the Connectorfor adjacent development and the need to tamethese streets if development is to be successful.Recognizing the difficulties facing retail uses andthe need to broaden the mix of tenants sought forthe retail space.Adding more residential to create a stronger senseof community for the existing Civic Plazaapartments.


County Courthouse in downtown was an importantobjective of the original River Street–Myrtle Street UrbanDesign Plan, which has been met with the completionof the new courthouse.

Challenges remain in linking the Courthouse Corridor tothe CBD and to other activity centers in downtown. TheDowntown Boise Mobility Study is recommending thata downtown circulator be put in place that would havetwo loops, one of which would run on Main and Idahoand connect to the Courthouse Corridor.

Desired CharacterThe Courthouse Corridor will continue to be a focalpoint for larger-scale development because of its locationon Front and Myrtle streets and Broadway Avenue—allof which are high volume thoroughfares. Much of therecent development is government-related or privateoffices. As new development occurs, it should include abroader mix of uses—more housing, retail, hotels andeducational facilities. Otherwise there is a possibility thatthe corridor will be lifeless after hours and on weekends.Creating a mix of uses will also make better use of theabundant parking facilities now in place along the northside of the corridor.

Care should be exercised in how these larger-scalebuildings are designed to avoid them becoming toomonumental, too far from human scale and toodisconnected with the street level. The visual impact ofthe existing Civic Plaza buildings on the north side ofFront Street needs to be softened. The vacant landsituated between these buildings and Front Street offersthe opportunity to create a public space around whichadditional buildings could be clustered—buildings withmore varied massing and more street-level presence. A

Adding a hotel or educational uses to the mix.Retaining open space on the parcel in front of PA3,and clustering development on either end to createa sense of place.Softening the current institutional look to theCorridor as new buildings are added.

These recommendations have been incorporated into thedevelopment guidelines for the Courthouse Corridorsubdistrict where applicable.

The Winco grocery store is located on a site equivalent tofour city blocks with approximately 1/3 of the siteoccupied by the building and 2/3 occupied by theparking lot. It departs from the urban character that thisplan encourages; however, it is a significant asset in theeffort to increase the amount of housing in downtown.

There is a significant opportunity site on the southwestcorner of Broadway and Front. The University of IdahoFoundation purchased the property to build IdahoPlace—where University of Idaho, Boise State Universityand Idaho State University had hoped to create aneducational center serving the State of Idaho andbeyond. This project is on hold at the present time,which creates uncertainty about what might occur on thisproperty. The River Street–Myrtle Street Master Planenvisions a significant mixed-use project at this location.

Moving the Ada County Courthouse from the CBD toits current location on Front Street between 1st and 3rd

streets has changed traffic patterns; the degree to whichthe County work force uses the downtown core forshopping and dining at lunch time; and the downtownoffice market as legal and other related office tenantsmove to be closer to the Courthouse. Retaining the Ada


public open space would also provide a gathering placefor people and serve as the living room to the apart-ments already in place.

Adding housing to the Ada County property and to theCourthouse Corridor in general will benefit the existingapartments by creating a stronger sense of neighbor-hood in the area.

The property on Broadway Avenue between Front andMyrtle represents one of the most significant develop-ment opportunities between Portland and Salt Lake City.It is most important that it not be underdeveloped. It isideally suited for a major mixed-use developmentincluding residential, office, retail and a hotel at a scale tomatch or exceed the Idaho Water Center. Such develop-ment will help address the balance between differenttypes of uses in the Courthouse Corridor. At the sametime, the building form should be approachable andconnected to the street level. It should not be self-contained and separated from the surrounding city.

The idea of creating a higher education center, withrepresentation from the three major universities in thestate still has merit given the growing population in theTreasure Valley and the importance of education tokeeping Idaho competitive in the world economy. TheCourthouse Corridor is a logical location for suchfacilities although the size and configuration may differsubstantially from the original concept. Other possiblelocations are in the West Connector and East Connec-tor/Parkside subdistricts, the CBD and the WestsideDowntown district. If such a center is undertaken, itshould be located so it becomes a part of the downtowncommunity and not a separate campus-style facility.

Figure 11E: Courthouse Corridor


As noted earlier, the Broadway–Chinden Connectorexerts a powerful influence on the types of developmentseeking to locate along its edges. It also affects theconnectivity between the north side and the south sideof downtown Boise and how comfortable people feelwalking or bicycling on or across these roadways.

Development ObjectivesGiven that the Courthouse Corridor is a focal point forhigh intensity development, attention should be givento assuring that this development is well-designed,approachable and not overwhelming. New develop-ments should incorporate elements that reduce themonumental effect of massive buildings and retain ahuman scale at the street level. Use of design techniquesthat make large-scale buildings appear to be a collectionof smaller buildings will be encouraged. Incorporatingopen space in high intensity development to create asense of place and stimulate more dynamic activity at thestreet level will also be encouraged.

New development should incorporate a mix of uses thatencourages a 24-hour level of activity, and avoids theCourthouse Corridor becoming a collection of officebuildings. Creation of a major mixed-use project on thewest side of Broadway between Front and Myrtle is themost significant plan proposal related to increasing themix of uses in the corridor. It is most important thatthe development potential of this site, and its prospectsfor contributing to the downtown and regional economynot be underestimated. An emphasis should also beplaced on adding more housing to create a neighbor-hood for both new and existing residents. Additional

housing would also reinforce efforts to create an in-townneighborhood in the East Connector/Parkside subdis-trict to the immediate west of the corridor.

Every effort should be made to moderate the impact ofFront and Myrtle on adjacent properties by creating amore appealing pedestrian environment along theiredges. This plan envisions the Connector transformedinto a set of boulevard-style streets that continue toprovide a high capacity vehicular route to, from andthrough downtown, but are also compatible with adowntown setting. More intense streetscaping will beused to create a buffer between the sidewalk and theroadway to encourage walking and bicycling and allow awider range of uses to develop along its edges. Publicspaces should also be placed at strategic locations alongFront and Myrtle Streets to vary the visual width of thecorridor as people travel through it and to create morevisual interest and a stronger sense of place.

Connectivity for pedestrians and bicyclists should beimproved by establishing a pedestrian connection on theAvenue A alignment from Front Street to Warm SpringsAvenue and on the Broad Street alignment from 2nd

Street to Avenue B, and by adding traffic signals atselected intersections on the Connector. The Court-house Corridor should be better served by transit.Because the Courthouse Corridor is being developed athigher intensities, it will have a concentration of workersand residents. It is important to provide connections forthese people to the retail districts in the CBD, Old Boisecommercial district and the Warehouse/Cultural District.



Land Use & Built FormCC-1 Utilize the Preferred Development Concept in

Figure 5 to guide development patterns in theCourthouse Corridor subdistrict, and in makingdecisions on public investments.

CC-2 Use the Built Form map in Figure 7 to guidebuilding heights and development densities in theCourthouse Corridor subdistrict.

CC-3 Encourage the development of a major,mixed-use project west of Broadway betweenFront and Myrtle, to include residential, office, retailand possibly a hotel at a scale to match the IdahoWater Center.

CC-4 Broaden the mix of uses in the CourthouseCorridor subdistrict to include more housing, retail,hotels and educational facilities and reduce theconcentration of office uses in order to add vitalityto the area after hours and on weekends.

CC-5 Add housing to the Courthouse Corridorsubdistrict to create more of a neighborhoodfeeling for existing housing.

CC-6 Encourage housing densities of 80 to 140units per acre in order to create an urban level ofintensity and to maximize the number of housingunits developed in the Courthouse Corridorsubdistrict.

CC-7 Discourage the construction of mega-structures that fill entire super-blocks unless thisbuilding type is essential to a particular use. Usebuilding designs that break down mega-structuresinto a series of building masses that are morehuman-scaled and less monumental, and appear tobe a series of smaller buildings.

Civic SpacesCC-8 Work with developers to incorporate public

spaces into private development projects and to usethese spaces as a focal point in arranging buildings.Use these spaces to create a sense of place, createconnections between buildings, enliven the streetlevel and provide a counterpoint to high intensitydevelopment.

Street Character & ConnectionsCC-9 Apply the Streetscape Standards in the 2025

Downtown Boise Redevelopment Plan to streets inthe Courthouse Corridor subdistrict.

CC-10 Apply the Design & Development Guidelinesrelated to the Connector stated in Chapter 6, StreetCharacter, Civic Spaces & Pedestrian Ways andTransportation & Parking.

CC-11 Work with property owners to improve theBroad Street alignment from 2nd Street to BroadwayAvenue as a pedestrian promenade, which providesa walking and bicycling connection through theirproperties. Recommend this connection beincorporated into the design of new developmentprojects when the Broad Street alignment crosses orabuts these projects. Reconstruct a street on theBroad Street alignment where feasible.


Pedestrian/Bicycle/Transit ConnectionsCC-12 Establish strong pedestrian and transit

connections between the Courthouse Corridorsubdistrict, the CBD and other subdistricts indowntown. Recognize 3rd, Avenue A and AvenueB as primary north-south pedestrian and bicycleconnections.

ParkingCC-13 Apply the Design & Development Guidelines


Actions Steps

Urban Design, Land Use & ZoningWork with Ada County, University of Idaho andCivic Partners to implement the recommendationsfrom the Courthouse Corridor mid-course review.Refine the urban design plan for the remainingdevelopment to be built in the corridor.

Work with the University of Idaho to conduct amarket analysis of the development possibilitiesfor the property on Broadway Avenue betweenFront and Myrtle streets. Conduct a design charetteto develop scenarios for building massing andurban design elements. Give attention to creating apedestrian connection through the property fromBroadway to Avenue B along Broad Streetalignment.

Collect examples of large-scale buildings designedto appear as a series of smaller buildings, ways inwhich to keep large-scale buildings approachableand ways to retain a human scale at the street levelregardless of the massiveness of the building.Include examples of developments that use openspace as a way to arrange high-density developmentinto attractive and welcoming places. Use theseideas in working with developers proposingprojects in the Courthouse Corridor subdistrict.

Develop an overall urban design scheme for theCourthouse Corridor subdistrict that shows howto coordinate site layout between developments sothey create a series of places rather than stand-aloneprojects.

Evaluate the R-O zoning district to determine if itremains appropriate for the Courthouse Corridorsubdistrict given the intensity of developmentbeing built in this subdistrict. Consider rezoningthis area to C-5 or a mixed-use zoning districtcreated to better address the type and intensity ofdevelopment occurring in the Courthouse Corridorsubdistrict.

Civic SpacesWork with Ada County and the developer in theCourthouse Corridor subdistrict to create a publicopen space between the Civic Plaza Apartments andFront Street.



Implement the streetscaping standards in the 2025Downtown Boise Redevelopment Plan when streetimprovements are required as part of adevelopment project or whenever improvementsare made to streets in the Courthouse Corridorsubdistrict.

Work with property owners to re-establish BroadStreet from 2nd Street to Avenue B. If a streetconnection is not possible, establish a pedestrianconnection on the Broad Street alignment.

Pedestrian/Bicycle/Transit ConnectionsImplement the downtown circulator to include aroute through the Courthouse Corridor subdistrictthat will link this subdistrict, the CBD and othersubdistricts in downtown. Create transit stops toserve the Idaho Water Center and Ada CountyCourthouse as well as other destinations.

ParkingImplement the Actions Steps related to parkingstated in Chapter 6, Transportation & Parking.

Old Boise–Eastside

The subdistrict map in Figure 11 shows two additionalareas: a portion of the Central Business District and theEastside Neighborhood. These two areas comprise theOld Boise–Eastside planning area.1 The creation of theRiver Myrtle–Old Boise urban renewal district in 2004added the Old Boise–Eastside study area to the originalRiver Street–Myrtle Street Urban Renewal District, whichhas been renamed the River Mrytle–Old Boise UrbanRenewal District. In addition the City Council approvedmaster plans for this combined urban renewal district:one covering the River–Myrtle planning area and onecovering the Old Boise–Eastside planning area. Pleaserefer to the Old Boise–Eastside Master Plan for informa-tion about specific plans, guidelines and actions stepsthat pertain to these two subdistricts.

1 The original River Street–Myrtle Street Urban Design Plan included a subdistrict called the Old Boise Expansion Area. This areawas located between Capitol Boulevard and Grove, 3rd and Front streets. It is now included within the Old Boise–Eastside planningarea and so is covered by the Old Boise–Eastside Master Plan.

RIVER STREET–MYRTLE STREET MASTER PLAN Implementation 93

8: ImplementationConstruction of the AdaCounty Courthouse andAdministrative Offices atFront and 2nd streetsfulfilled an objective in theoriginal River Street–Myrtle Street UrbanDesign Plan to maintaindowntown Boise as thecenter of federal, state,county and citygovernment institutions. Italso served as a catalystfor additional developmentat urban intensities andexpanded the commonlyaccepted boundaries fordowntown Boise.

However good a plan may be, its benefits will not berealized until it has been implemented. Implementationoccurs through many avenues including private andpublic investments, grant programs, the use of regula-tory tools such as zoning and design review, constructionof catalyst projects and other actions. Boise hasexperienced successful redevelopment in the CentralDistrict, where investments of public funds haveprecipitated a five-fold investment of private funds.Construction of the Grove Plaza, reconstruction ofdowntown streets and installation of brick sidewalks,street trees and planters, turning 8th Street into apedestrian-oriented street where restaurants and shopsthrive, creating the transit mall and building publicparking garages have brought about a transformation of

Boise’s downtown core. Entering into partnerships withprivate developers and using land write-downs hasresulted in renovation and reuse of historic buildingsand new development.

This success has continued in the River Street–MyrtleStreet Urban Renewal District with development of theRiver Plaza Apartments and office building and construc-tion of the Ada County Courthouse, Civic Plazaapartments and parking garages in the CourthouseCorridor.

The River Street–Myrtle Street Master Plan sets forthobjectives, design and development guidelines andaction steps that describe how this area should developover the next 20 years.

RIVER STREET–MYRTLE STREET MASTER PLANImplementation94

This plan will help guide public and private actions asdevelopment proceeds so that they complement eachother and yield greater results than what otherwisewould occur if no plan were in place. These results willnot be achieved, however, without commitment,dedicated effort and investment from both the publicand private sectors. This section of the plan describeswhat resources are available and what steps must betaken in order to implement the River Street–MyrtleStreet Master Plan.

Resources for Public Investment

Tax increment financing (TIF) is the primary means forfunding public improvements in an urban renewal area.Idaho State Code allows for the establishment of urbanrenewal districts and the creation of revenue allocationareas to provide a source of TIF funding for urbanrenewal activities. When a revenues allocation area iscreated, a portion of the property taxes generated fromincreases in assessed valuation are allocated to the urbanrenewal agency. (See sidebar on p. 12 for more informa-tion on TIF.) These funds must be used in the urbanrenewal district for activities that are intended toredevelop and revitalize the area.

Other sources of funding for redevelopment activitiesinclude:

Revenues from public parking and transit systemsoperated by the urban renewal agencyRevenue bonds

Improvement districtsFederal and state funding programs for transporta-tion and transit projects, housing, communitydevelopment, business development and otherfunding programsFederal tax credit programsGrants and donations

River Street–Myrtle Street FinancialPlan

The initial financial analysis for the Old Boise–Eastsidestudy area showed that it might not generate sufficienttax increment revenue to pay for anticipated improve-ments. As a result, the CCDC Board of Commissionersevaluated combining the Old Boise–Eastside area withthe existing River Street–Myrtle Street Urban RenewalDistrict as part of this master planning process. Theadvantages of having a larger land area in an urbanrenewal district are discussed in Chapter 1.

At the conclusion of the master planning process forboth the River–Myrtle planning area and the Old Boise–Eastside planning area, Keyser Marston Associatesprepared a financial analysis for a combined River Myrtle–Old Boise Urban Renewal District and for Old Boise–Eastside as a stand-alone district. In both cases, thefinancial analysis projects that sufficient resources fromtax increment revenue and other sources will be availableto pay for the proposed improvements. In the interven-ing time between the preliminary and final analysis forOld Boise–Eastside, the assumptions regarding the


value of future development and the cost and extent ofimprovements were refined for this area and led to apositive result. (The financial analyses for the combinedRiver Myrtle–Old Boise District and Old Boise–Eastsideare available from CCDC.)

As noted in Chapter 1, during the public review of thisplan, property owners in the existing River Street–MyrtleStreet district expressed concerns that adding Old Boise–Eastside would drain resources from the River Street–Myrtle Street district and leave some areas of this districtwithout resources. To address this concern, this planincludes CCDC’s commitment to work with a stake-holder committee to prepare a capital investment plansfor each successive five years remaining in the life of thedistrict. The stakeholder committee would includeproperty owners, business owners and residents in thedistrict. This committee would make recommendationsto the CCDC Board of Commissioners on the type andtiming of public investments in the various subdistrictsof River Myrtle–Old Boise Urban Renewal District.These subdistricts are shown in Figure 11.

The CCDC Board of Commissioners recommendedand the Boise City Council elected to proceed with acombined River Myrtle–Old Boise Urban Renewal

District because of the advantages of larger districtdescribed earlier.

This financial analysis includes the following:

Assumptions about the amount, type and timingof development that would occur during theplanning period. Development assumptions areused to estimate the amount of property taxrevenue that would flow to CCDC from therevenue allocation area.Assumptions about the number and size ofparking garages that would be built and estimatesof revenue that would be generated.Estimates of other likely sources of funding.List of potential projects CCDC would undertaketo revitalize both Old Boise/Eastside and RiverStreet–Myrtle Street areas during the next 20 years.These projects are intended to be catalysts that willtrigger private investment in the district.

The table below lists the type and estimated costs forproposed revitalization projects expected to be built inRiver–Myrtle during the 20-year planning horizon. Itprovides a description of the anticipated public invest-ments in the River–Myrtle area.


Revitalization Projects & Costs

Parking Garages (4) $19,312,500Transit Facilities/Downtown Circulator $20,400,000

Local $ 4,080,000Federal $16,320,000

Pioneer Corridor $ 5,522,000Streets

Broad Street Extension $ 1,074,40010th Street Extension $ 638,000

Streetscaping/Sidewalks/Curb & GutterBroad Street $ 867,68010th Street Extension $ 237,600Capitol Boulevard $ 2,000,000BoDo $ 1,100,000Grove Street (6th to 5th) $ 420,000Other Streetscape $ 3,937,500

Property Acquisition $ 1,800,000Sewer/Storm Drainage $ 750,000Water Quality Treatment $ 300,000Utility Undergrounding $ 1,000,000Telecommunications Facilities $ 800,000Geothermal Capacity Increase $ 600,000Traffic Signals $ 800,000Road Re-surfacing $ 200,000

Julia Davis Park Expansion $ 480,000Other Park/Open Space $ 200,000Housing $ 600,000Façade Easements/Improvements $ 100,000Improve Vehicular/Pedestrian Access $ 300,000Special Projects $ 400,000Cultural Investments $ 169,438

Total $64,009,118

It should be noted that the financial plan does notguarantee that all of these improvements will be made.Over time, the amount of tax increment produced willdepend on the development activity in the River Myrtle–Old Boise Urban Renewal District. The flow ofrevenues may be higher or lower than projected in thefinancial plan, which would lead to adjustments in theimprovements undertaken. The amount of fundingallocated to each type of improvement may be adjusteddepending on opportunities that arise or needs thatdevelop. The financial plan is a approximate picture ofthe types and amount of investment that will occurgiven what is now known, based on assumptions aboutthe amount of development activity and its value, taxrates, financing, construction and operating costs andother factors.

River Street–Myrtle Street Master Planas Part of Boise City ComprehensivePlan

City decision makers use the Boise City ComprehensivePlan to evaluate development applications. The BoiseCity Zoning Ordinance states that approval for zoningrevisions, land subdivisions, conditional uses and designreview requires a finding that the proposal underconsideration be consistent with the comprehensiveplan. Existing urban renewal plans for the Central, RiverStreet–Myrtle Street and Westside Downtown districtshave been adopted by reference as part of the compre-hensive plan, and thus are used in determining consis-tency when a development proposal is located in one ofthose districts. Initiating an amendment to the compre-


hensive plan to include the River Street–Myrtle StreetMaster Plan update is one of the important next steps inimplementing this plan, so it will also be used in makingconsistency findings.

Zoning Revisions

Zoning is one of the key tools for implementing anylong-range plan for revitalization and development. TheRiver Street–Myrtle Street Master Plan establishes a visionand desired direction for this area, expressed throughplans, objectives, design and development guidelinesand action steps. The Boise City Zoning Ordinanceactually regulates how property owners can use theirproperty. Plan implementation is more effective whenthere is consistency between urban renewal plans and thezoning regulations.

Current zoning designations in River Street–Myrtle StreetDistrict are shown in Appendix B. A majority of theproperty in the district is in the C-5D, C-5HD and R-ODdistricts. A minor amount of land is in the C-2 and C-3districts. The City of Boise has achieved some success inimplementing the Downtown Boise Plan by establishingthe Central Business (C-5) and the Residential Office (R-O) zoning classifications. Development has responded

as planned for the most part, although there have beensome intrusions of suburban-style development alongthe Connector. Typically these developments placesurface parking lots between the building and the streetand densities are lower than desired.

This section discusses the current zoning districts in placein the River–Myrtle planning area that may needattention in order to create greater consistency betweenthis plan and zoning regulations.

C-5 and R-O Districts

The C-5 district encourages urban density, pedestrian-oriented development while R-O is oriented toward amix of lower intensity residential and office develop-ment.

For the most part, C-5 is in the center of the planningarea between 11th and 5th streets. R-O fills the wings ofthe planning area extending east from 5th to Broadwayand west from 11th to Americana. C-5 more or lesscoincides with the West Connector, Warehouse/CulturalDistrict and part of the East Connector/Parksidesubdistrict west of 5th Street and R-O with the RiverStreet Neighborhood, East Connector/Parkside east of5th Street , and Courthouse Corridor subdistricts.


One of the issues identified during the planning processwas the effect of the R-O district on the housingsituation in the River–Myrtle planning area. This zoningdistrict treats residential and office uses as equal, but inreality market pressures in the River–Myrtle planning areaencourage converting houses to offices and replacingresidential structures with office buildings. The RiverStreet–Myrtle Street Master Plan includes developmentguidelines to retain and increase the supply of housingin the River Street and Parkside neighborhoods, and toencourage the development of more housing in theCourthouse Corridor, all three of which are under R-Ozoning. Possible revisions to the R-O district, ordevelopment of an urban residential district should beconsidered to address how to encourage housingdevelopment in downtown.

Another issue related to the R-O zoning district pertainsto the Courthouse Corridor. The level of developmentintensity being built in the corridor is much greater thanis typical for the R-O district. The typical height limit forR-O is between 35 and 47.5 feet; the Ada CountyCourthouse is 100 feet and the Idaho Water Center is 75feet in height. These developments received approval forheight exceptions which are allowed by City Code withapproval by the Planning & Zoning Commission. The

allowance for these larger buildings was in keeping withthe location of the corridor on the Connector, which is amajor thoroughfare. These projects have now set abenchmark, and developers are likely to seek heightexceptions for future projects. Whether the CourthouseCorridor should continue under R-O zoning or whetherit should be changed to C-5 or a new zoning districtallowing higher intensity, mixed use development needsto be evaluated.

C-2 and C-3 Districts

The C-2 district provides for commercial areas that fulfillneeds for travel-related service and retail sales areas alongtravel routes and within community shopping centers.Allowed uses include automobile sales lots, servicestations, minor auto repair shops, car washes andconvenience stores. The C-3 district provides for servicebusinesses that are more intensive than those permittedin other commercial zones and which are semi-industrialin character. Examples of businesses allowed in thisdistrict include auction establishments, automobile-related businesses including sales lots, services stations,minor and major auto repair and car washes, construc-tion businesses, heavy machinery supply, seed andgarden supply, storage businesses, warehouses, truckstops, transit terminals and convenience stores.


The overall intent of this master plan is to promoteurban intensities and a pedestrian-oriented character inthe River–Myrtle planning area. C-2 and C-3 promote alower intensity, auto-oriented character more typical ofoutlying areas. Many of the allowed uses in thesedistricts would be inappropriate in a downtown settingand are prohibited in C-5 and R-O, which cover much ofthe downtown area.

This plan recommends that the C-2 and C-3 be replacedby a different zone category more conducive to achievingthe goals of the plan.

Evaluating and possibly revising the zoning designa-tions in River–Myrtle planning area is an important stepin creating consistency between the plan, existing landuse patterns and development regulations. The planincludes action steps regarding the C-5, R-O, C-2 and C-3 zoning designations in the subdistrict plans for theWest Connector, River Street Neighborhood, EastConnector/Parkside and Courthouse Corridor.

DD and HD Overlay Districts

The Boise City Zoning Ordinance includes a “down-town design review” or DD designation that applies toproperties located in an urban renewal district. Thisdesignation requires that development applications bereferred to CCDC for comment prior to the city takingaction. CCDC provides comments on the degree towhich the development proposal implements the planfor that district. The Planning & Zoning Commission,Design Review Committee and City Council take suchcomments into consideration when making decisions ondevelopment proposals.

The zoning ordinance also includes a “historic designreview” or HD designation that applies to properties incity-adopted historic districts. In some cases, propertiesare included in both a historic district and an urbanrenewal district. Where such overlaps occur, the proper-ties are shown on the zoning map with an HD designa-tion rather than both an HD and DD designation. Theregulations governing the HD designation do notinclude a requirement that development applications forproperties that are in both a historic district and an urbanrenewal district be referred to CCDC for comment. Inactuality, Boise City staff refers such cases to CCDC forcomment in order to maintain a consistent process for allproperties in urban renewal districts. Revising thezoning ordinance to include referral of developmentapplications to CCDC when properties with an HDdesignation are also in an urban renewal district wouldrecognize this practice.

RIVER STREET–MYRTLE STREET MASTER PLAN 101Appendices

Appendix A:River Street–Myrtle Street Urban Design Plan - Excerpts

A. OVERALL GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

1. New, mixed-use redevelopment should reinforce activities in greater Downtown Boise:

Expand the focus of regional employment, services, entertainment, cultural, government uses withadditional residential, office, and retail uses-—including neighborhood and community shoppinguses;Re-establish River Street and Myrtle Street areas as mixed use neighborhoods;Capitalize on the recently adopted R-O zoning to expand the choices of housing types forBoiseans;Ensure an affordable component in new housing projects;Limit the concentration of social service programs within the study area;Maintain Downtown Boise as the center of Federal, State County and City institutions particularlyAdministrative, Judicial, Legal and public uses;Accommodate long term expansion of Central Business District uses primarily on large,undeveloped parcels west of Capitol Boulevard;Encourage pedestrian activity and increase pedestrian safety.

2. Build on existing attributes within the area:

Extend the character of the Greenbelt and Julia Davis Park into adjacent subdistrics;Expand the rage and strength of cultural uses in the 8th Street area. Incorporate public art toidentify, define and enhance streetscapes, public spaces and neighborhoods;Reinforce established uses that contribute to the diversity of activities in Downtown Boise;Preserve and reinforce areas of existing urban character.

3. Foster an urban character in redevelopment:

Respect existing urban neighborhood development patterns: blocks, grid streets, mid-blockparking, street oriented buildings and detached sidewalks with street trees;Encourage a pedestrian orientation of new development in the design and location of buildings,streets, parking and open space;Provide flexibility in the design of buildings for the changing nature of uses, anticipating theinfluences of information technology, live-work, etc.;Provide a continuity of pedestrian connections such as sidewalks, entry paths and signalizedcrossings;

RIVER STREET–MYRTLE STREET MASTER PLANAppendices102

Develop and overall parking strategy for the greater Downtown area that includes the following:Maximum as well as minimum parking requirements for various uses (the initial phase of

a metropolitan area plan);Neighborhood protection ordinances for spill-over parking;A transportation management plan for larger projects with incentives for shared parking,

car pooling, transit use, bike use, shuttle service and pedestrian orientation ofdevelopment;

Incentives for below grade and structured parking as well as air rights development oversurface parking and/or structured parking.

4. Create memorable and dignified streets that complement the activity and design ofadjacent uses:

Reinforce a hierarchy of streets in Downtown Boise not only by traffic capacity but also by designtreatment of sidewalks, crosswalks, street trees, lighting and furnishings:

The five distinct design treatments are Urban Street, Parkway, special Parkway at CapitolBoulevard, Neighborhood Street and Visual/Circulation Access Corridor (see StreetCharacter Framework for detail description);

Ensure coordination between the pedestrian and bicycle route system and the publicopen space system;Incorporate public art to identify, define and enhance streetscapes, public spaces andneighborhoods.

B. THE CONCEPT

1. A vital central city made up of urban, mixed use subdistricts will be strengthened and diversified.

2. A framework of streets, paths and open spaces will build on existing Downtown Boise networks andstrengthen connections to the river.

3. Residential uses with an affordable component will be re-established in River Street and MyrtleStreet areas.

4. The character and benefits of the Boise River Greenbelt and Julia Davis Park will be extended intoand connected to the subdistricts.

5. An emerging cultural focus in the Eight Street subdistrict will be reinforced and expanded.


Appendix B: Zoning Map


RIVER STREET-MYRTLE STREET MASTER PLANSUPPLEMENTAL CHANGES MADE TO AUGUST 23, 2004 DRAFT ADOPTED BY THECCDC BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS AND TRANSMITTED TO THE BOISE CITYCOUNCIL IN THE OCTOBER 12, 2004 FINAL DRAFT

This list contains changes that were made to the August 23, 2004 Draft of the River Street–Myrtle Street Master Planadopted by the CCDC Board of Commissioners, which were accepted by the Boise City Council as part of its actionto approve the River Myrtle–Old Boise Urban Renewal Plan, except as otherwise noted. Text that was added isunderlined; text that was removed is shown by strikeouts. The reason for each change is noted in parentheses anditalics at the end of each item. The plan document titled Final Draft for City Council–October 12, 2004 incorporatedthese changes. A separate list identifying these changes was entered into the record at the October 12, 2004 publichearing on the River Myrtle–Old Boise Urban Renewal Plan.

In the August 23, 2004 draft, there were comments highlighted in blue that explained where text might need to bemodified, added or deleted based on Boise City Council action or when information was pending. Where thesecomments were resolved prior to October 12, 2004, they were removed without a note being included in the listbelow.

A limited number of very minor changes to the August 23, 2004 Draft were not included in the list sent to the BoiseCity Council. Examples include adding a horizontal line at the top of a page consistent with the page format usedthroughout the plan, bolding subheadings, removing background street names on maps to reduce clutter, andcapitalizing words that are consistently capitalized elsewhere but got missed in a particular instance. (The Boise CityCouncil was made aware of this caveat in the transmittal of the list.)

Please Note: After City Council action on November 30, 2004 to approve the River Street–Myrtle Street MasterPlan, minor changes were made to the plan document to prepare it for publication. These changes do not affect thesubstance of the document. They are listed at the end of this appendix.

Cover1. Final Draft for City Council – October 12, 2004

Credits2. Corrected Zimmer-Gunsul-Frasca to Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Partnership (remove hyphens; use correct

name)

Appendix B: Supplemental Changes


Table of Contents3. p. ii, List of Figures: 11:A: West Connector (Former Raily Yards) (maintain consistency with how “rail yards

appears elsewhere in plan)

Chapter 1: Introduction4. p. 6, 1st column, 1st bullet: …Broadway and Avenue B on the east to 17thth Street… (change th to superscript to

maintain consistency with format used throughout plan)5. p. 14, 2nd column, 2nd paragraph: Recognizing that property owners, business owners and residents in Old

Boise/Eastside have a desire for a master plan that focuses on their area, t The urban renewal plan for thecombined River–Myrtle/Old Boise district has been structured so it includes two master plans: one for theoriginal River Street–Myrtle Street area urban renewal district and one for the Old Boise/Eastside study area,with some modification of the boundary between them. The map in Figure 1 Figure 11 on page 63 showshow the two areas relate to one another.: The Central Business District and Eastside neighborhood shownon the map are in the Old Boise/Eastside planning area and the remaining subdistricts are in the River-Myrtle planning area. This approach maintains continuity in the planning work done for the River-Myrtlearea. It Preparing two master plans also recognizes that the property owners, business owners and residentsin Old Boise/Eastside who participated in the development of the initial development concept anddevelopment goals and policies for this area have a desire for a master plan focused on Old Boise/Eastside.(Text that appears in August 25, 2004 plan was taken from the Old Boise/Eastside Master Plan and needed to berewritten so it fits in the River-Myrtle Master Plan.)

Chapter 2: Eligibility for Urban Renewal Activities6. p. 16, 1st column, 1st paragraph: …dipicteddepicted in Figure 1: (correct spelling)

Chapter 3: Planning & Policy Context7. p.18, 1st column, 1st bullet: The Downtown Boise Plan indicates anticipates that the CBD will extend into

the area…(better wording given this is a plan)8. p. 18, 1st column, 1st bullet: Regardless of the differences between these plans on the extent of the CBD,

Tthese plans are in agreement with the Downtown Boise Plan, except for the nature when describing thetype of development expected in the CBD, which is expected to have i.e. high intenseity, compact develop-ment, with a diverse mix of uses, high level of pedestrian use and 24-hour activity. (Clearer wording contrastingthe differences in the plans re: the extent of the CBD and agreement between the plans on the types of uses anticipated inthe CBD.)

9. p. 20, 2nd column, last paragraph to p. 21: During the preparation of the River-Myrtle Master Plan, it becameobvious that describing a vision and writing goals and objectives, and doing mapping for each individualdistrict often causes duplication. It also tends to obscure the message that there is one unified vision for thelong-term revitalization of downtown Boise. . the vision and many of the design and development


guidelines for downtown redevelopment are common to all of the urban renewal districts. (better wording; nochange in meaning)

10. p. 21, 1st column, 1st paragraph: In addition, it is helpful to look at certain elements such as land uses,streetscaping, public civic spaces, bicycle and pedestrian routes, and transportation and parking on a down-town-wide basis to see the overall picture. (civic is term used consistently in plan)

11. p. 21, 1st column, 1st paragraph: One of the goals of downtown redevelopment is to arrive at a point werethese districts function as interconnected places, and where land uses and activity centers in one districtcomplement and support the other districts and downtown functions as an organic whole. (better sentenceconstruction)

12. p. 21, 1st column, 2nd paragraph: The 2025 Downtown Boise Redevelopment Plan was created to illustrate theseamless nature of downtown and to describe both the overall vision and goals for its revitalization and thedesign and development objectives and guidelines shared by all the districts. It depicts the common elementson maps that show all of the districts and the periphery around them so these elements are put into context.Plans, development objectives, and design and development guidelines and action steps that apply to aparticular district are stated in the master plan for that district. (better match text in 2025 Plan; no change inmeaning)

13. p. 21, 2nd column to p. 22, 1st column; list of overall goals for downtown revitalization:

Urban form: …Develop subdistricts, activity centers and in-town neighborhoods so that each have their own uniqueidentity has its own character and sense of identity. (better sentence construction; subject-verb agreement)

Transportation system: Transform the existing Create an effective multimodal transportation system into a well-designed, integrated and effective multimodal system in downtown Boise that promotes walking, bicycling,carpooling and transit, as alternatives to the use of automobiles and reduces dependence on automobiles.Ease traffic flow in downtown by improvements to street design and signalization and by traffic demandmanagement. Develop a multimodal transportation system for the region that addresses potential trafficimpacts caused by future growth in downtown, and makes travel to, from and within downtown byalternative modes practical and attractive. (2025 plan includes revised version of this goal; revisions make transportationgoal more comprehensive; recognize automobiles as a factor in transportation; address traffic flow, traffic demand managementand regional transportation system)

Parking system: Provide an adequate supply of parking while minimizing the use of land for surface parking lots.Achieve maximum utilization of parking by developing land uses that have offsetting parking demands,making private parking available to the public when not needed otherwise and connecting parking faciltiies toactivity centers by alternative means of transportation making public parking facilities easily accessible from thevarious subdistricts and activity centers in downtown. (clearer wording; correct typo in facilities)


Chapter 5: Preferred Development Concept14. p. 27, Figure 4: add Americana Blvd to map (helpful reference for reader)15. p. 32, footnote: In spring 2004, CCDC conducted a consumer survey of people living in Boise and in Ada

County to measure the level of interest in downtown living. Two of the questions focused on what areas ofdowntown were considered most desirable as a place to live. The Cultural District ranked third after the Heartof Downtown and Old Boise. The River Street and Parkside districts ranked fourth and fifth ahead of theWesside District, which ranked last. When respondents were asked whether they were interested in living ineach of six different areas of downtown, they chose the Cultural District more frequently than River Street,Parkside and Westside districts but less frequently than the Heart of Downtown or Old Boise. When askedto pick their top choice among the six areas, approximately 12% of the respondents chose the CulturalDistrict, 12% chose the River Street District, and 9.7% chose the Parkside District as their first choice. (use moreaccurate and more understandable description of survey results)

Chapter 6: Overall Plans, Guidelines and Action Steps16. p. 35, Figure 5: add Americana Blvd to map (helpful reference for reader)17. p. 36, column 2, 1st paragraph: It shows a concentration of mixed use, office, institutional and service

commercial uses along the Connector, Capitol Boulevard, Broadway and Americana. These streets areclassified as principal arterials and carry high volumes of traffic, relative to other downtown streets. Giventheir functional classification and design, traffic and these volumes on these streets are expected to increase asdowntown intensifies over the next 20 years. (Estimates of traffic demand in 2025 on streets in the River-Myrtle planning area are discussed in Section 5: Transportation and Parking of this chapter. These estimateswere derived from traffic modeling modelling done as part of the Downtown Boise Mobility Study in 2004.)It is difficult to locate residential uses…(Response to question raised by CCDC Board member; correct spelling.)

18. p. 39, Figure 6: add Americana Blvd to map (helpful reference for reader)19. p. 42; column 2, Guideline 3.2: Apply the Design and Development Guidelines regarding building and site

design contained in the 2025 Downtown Boise Rredevelopment Pplan to development proposals in theRiver-Myrtle planning area. (maintain consistency with references elsewhere to 2025 Boise Redevelopment Plan—includeBoise in title; use caps)

20. p. 43, Figure 7: add Americana Blvd to map (helpful reference for reader)21. p. 45, column 2, 3rd paragraph: Descriptions of the types of streetscape treatments used in the 2025 Down-

town Boise Rredevelopment Pplan are provided below. Figure 8 shows where these treatments are expectedto be used in River-Myrtle planning area. (maintain consistency with references elsewhere to 2025 Downtown BoiseRedevelopment Plan—include Boise in title; use caps)

22. p. 47, Figure 8: add Americana Blvd to map (helpful reference for reader)23. p. 49, Figure 9: add Americana Blvd to map (helpful reference for reader)24. p. 51, 2nd column, Guideline 4.3: Use the Streetscape Character map (Figure 8) to identify the type of

streetscape treatment required for the streets in the River–Myrtle planning area. Apply the streetscape design


standards from the 2025 Downtown Boise Rredevelopment Pplan when streetscapes are improved in theRiver–Myrtle area. (desire to use consistent term for this plan throughout document)

25. p. 54, 1st column, 1st paragraph. This analysis shows that the intersections of 3rd, 5th, 6th and 95h streets withFront Street will operate at a level of service (LOS) F during the PM peak hour, and steps need to be taken toprevent downtown from choking on commute traffic in the future. (Waiting on results from DBMS—mayneed to be rewritten.)

New material added based on preliminary results from Downtown Boise Mobility Study as follows:

The DBMS proposes a policy for that a level of service (LOS) of D is acceptable during peak hours ondowntown streets (see sidebar). This policy recognizes that downtown is more congested than is typical inother areas of Boise, and a certain level of congestion is an acceptable tradeoff in order to maintain down-town Boise as the region’s urban center. The traffic analysis showed that a number of intersections in theRiver-Myrtle planning area will have a level of service (LOS) of E or F in 2025 during peak hours. Theseinclude all intersections on Front and Myrtle except 11th and Myrtle, Grove and 9th, Grove and 6th, Main and9th, Main and 6th, Broadway and University, Lincoln and University, Capitol and Univeristysity, River and 9th

and Americana and Shoreline.

Most of the congestion predicted by the traffic model is associated with commuter traffic between the regionand downtown since downtown is expected to continue growing as an employment center.

Creating a multimodal transportation system for downtown Boise that encourages the use of transit,bicycling and walking as alternatives…

26. p. 54, column 2, paragraph 2: For example, for neighborhoods south of the Boise River and on the BoiseBench, there are only three main crossing points over the Boise River into downtown using that useroadways: Broadway at the east end of the River-Myrtle planning area, Capital Boulevard-8th Street-9th StreetBroadway at the east end and, in the center, the three bridges carrying 9th Street, 8th Street and Capitol Boule-vard—and. There are also two pedestrian bridges that provide a means of crossing the Boise River from thesouth.1 For people crossing at Capitol Boulevard-8th Street-9th Street the center point, 8th Street as the route toand from downtown… (clearer wording for reader not familiar with Boise)

27. p. 57, Figure 10: add Americana Blvd to map (helpful reference for reader)28. p. 58, Guideline 5.8: Evaluate Parcel A (bounded by 15th, 13th and the Connector) and Parcel B (bounded by

13th, 11th and the Connector) in the West Connector subdistrict… (explains location of Parcels A and B)

Chapter 7: Subdistrict Plans, Guidelines & Action Steps29. p. 63, Figure 11: add Americana Blvd to map (helpful reference for reader)


30. p. 66, Guideline WC-16: …the the Warehouse/Cultural District, The Grove Pplaza and CBD. (maintainconsistency in name of The Grove throughout plan)

31. p. 67, 2nd column, 2nd bullet:

n Implement the streetscaping standards in the 2025 Downtown Boise Redevelopment Planwhen street improvements are required as part of a development project or wheneverimprovements are made to streets in the West Connector subdistrict.Implement the streetscaping standards in the 2025 Downtown Boise Redevelopment Plan when

street improvements are required as part of a development project or whenever improvements aremade to streets in the West Connector subdistrict. (fix wacky format in plan)

32. p. 75, footnote: …Also across Capitol Boulevard is the Basque Block, where the Basque Museum and CulturalCenter is located, and the Flicks Theater. (add comma)

33. p. 80, 2nd bullet: …for Fall for Boise, the city’s annual month-long celebration of the arts, to breathe life intothis concept. (add comma)

34. p. 85, 1st column, 1st paragraph: The Courthouse Corridor is bounded on the north side by property owned byAda County, Broadway Avenue on the east, Julia Davis Park on the south and 3rd and 2nd streets on the west,.the University of Idaho property on the west side of Broadway between Front and Myrtle Streets, Kreizenbeckoffice building at 251 E. Front Street, Adams property on the northeast corner of Myrtle and Avenue A andthe Winco warehouse grocery store. It is bordered by the West Connector/Parkside subdistrict, Old Boise/Eastside planning area, St. Luke’s Regional Medical Center, MK Plaza, and Julia Davis Park and the Boise River.(duplicate and confusing deleted)

35. p. 89, Guideline CC-11: Work with property owners to improve the Broad Street alignment from 2nd Street toBroadway Avenue as a pedestrian promenade, that works aswhich provides a walking and bicycling connectionthrough their properties. Recommend this connection be included when reviewing new developmentsprojects traversed by this alignmentwhen the Broad Street alignment crosses or abuts these projects. RestoreBroad Street as Reconstruct a street on the Broad Street alignment where feasible. (clearer wording)

Chapter 8: Implementation36. p.96, 1st column, list of figures: Correct amount for parking garages from $21,187,500 to $19,312,500; for

property acquisition from $2,550,000 to $1,800,000; cultural investments from 196,875 to $169,438. Correcttotal from $66,661,555 to $64,009,118. (correct figures based on revised economic feasibility study))

37. p.97, 1st column, 3rd paragraph: The City of Boise has achieved some success in implementing the DowntownBoise Plan by establishing the Central Business District (C-5) and the Residential Office (R-O) zoning classifica-tions. (use correct district name)

* * * * *


Additional Corrections for PublicationAfter City Council action on November 30, 2004 to approve the River Street–Myrtle Street Master Plan, necessarycorrections were made to the plan document to prepare it for publication. These corrections were very limited and didnot affect the substance of the docuemnt. They include the following items:

The usage and capitalization of the terms River Street–Myrtle Street Urban Renewal District, River Street–Myrtle StreetMaster Plan, River–Myrtle planning area was made consistent throughout. References to the Old Boise–EastsideMaster Plan, which is a companion document, and to the Old Boise–Eastside planning area have been changed so theformat of the name is as shown rather than Old Boise/Eastside.

Duplicate or misspelled words, stray punctuation and errors in subject-verb agreement have been corrected. Pagenumbers and figure numbers that were highlighted in blue (in order to assist in proofreading the document) havebeen changed to black. Notes in blue indicating text that needed to be edited once the outcome of the City Council’saction was known have been removed, and the text has been edited appropriately and changed to black.

References to the 2025 Downtown Boise Redevelopment Plan (which sometimes appeared under this name andsometimes under 2025 Downtown Redevelopment Plan) have been changed to be consistent throughout except forthe title in the sidebar on page 16—where the title would be too long if the full name was used.

In the specific plan for the East Connector/Parkside subdistrict, the following corrections were made:38. p. 82, EC-4; p. 84, 1st bullet, 2nd bullet: Change West Connector/Parkside subdistrict to East Connector/

Parkside subdistrict (error in name of subdistrict)39. p. 83, EC-9; p. 84, 7th bullet: Change reference to Warehouse/Cultural District to East Connector/Parkside

subdistrict (word processing error from copying text)

In the specific plan for the Courthouse Corridor subdistrict, the following corrections were made:40. p. 88, 2nd column, 2nd paragraph: Every effort should be made to moderate the impact of transform Front

and Myrtle into boulevard-style streets to moderate its impact on adjacent properties. with by creating a moreappealing pedestrian environment along their edges. This plan envisions the Connector transformed into aset of more boulevard-style streets that continues to provide a high capacity vehicular route to, from andthrough downtown, but are also compatible with a downtown setting. (correct incomplete, scrambled sentence)

41. p. 89, 1st column, title: Design and & Development Guidelines (correct format to match other titles)42. p. 89, CC-4, CC-5; p. 90, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th bullets under action steps; p. 91, 4th bullet: Change Courthouse

Corridor to Courthouse Corridor subdistrict (make reference consistent)43. p. 89, CC-9; p. 91, 2nd bullet: Change Warehouse/Cultural District to Courthouse Corridor subdistrict (word

processing error from copying text)44. p. 90, 5th bullet under action steps; last line: Change Corridor to Courthouse Corridor subdistrict (make

reference consistent)

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