David Hale plans 'funky' growth near downtown
Joe Estrella
Staff
Developer David Hale has begun the initial work on a downtown redevelopment project he hopes will eventually become Boise´s answer to Greenwich Village in New York.
Hale, who saw a similar atmosphere develop around the Pearl District in his native Portland, Ore., has begun work on the Linen District, a six-block area on the western outskirts of downtown.
His Hale Development Co. last week began demolishing a 12,700-square-foot cinder block building attached to the old American Linen Building at 1402 W. Grove to make way for a new 36-space parking lot.
The proposed Linen District redevelopment project will run from 13th Street west to 16th Street, and from Main Street south to Front Street.
Hale´s plan is to take an industrial area that has been overlooked in the recent drive to rejuvenate the downtown core district and transform it into a "funky" section of town that will feature condominium living, trendy restaurants, coffee shops and art galleries.
"We´ve gotten a lot of positive feedback" since his plans were first announced, Hale said. "I´ve had a ton of inquiries from people who want to lease space or live down there."
The project has drawn praise from Boise Mayor Dave Bieter .
"It´s great to see developers recognizing the potential in reviving and redeveloping some of our older neighborhoods -- even former industrial neighborhoods," Bieter said "This is really the next stage in the evolution of Boise´s downtown into a vibrant, attractive place where people want not only to work and shop, but also live and play."
Once the cinder block building has been demolished, work will begin on turning the second floor of the renamed Linen Building into office space for Hale Development, Boise City Building Co., Sparks Commercial Contracting and Select Mortgage.
The other two primary structures scheduled for redevelopment in the district will be:
The Goodyear Tire Building, 1515 W. Grove, which has been renamed the Lincoln Building and will house donnie mac ´s Trailer Park Cuisine; 40 climate-controlled storage units and 2,500 square feet of retail and office space.
The Napa Auto Parts Building, 1419 W. Grove, now named the Furness Building. It will be home to Visual Arts Collective/Good Boy Rufus Design, the Support Housing Innovative Partnership and Guigon Olson Studios.
Hale said demolition work is expected to be completed by the end of this week. Work on the parking lot will begin next month, he added.
Once that´s completed, the old 1,000-square-foot Farm Store at 1414 W. Grove will be remodeled to house a second location for Big City Coffee, which currently operates a store at 5517 W. State.
"We´re very excited about moving into that spot," said owner Sarah Fendley , who hopes to lure customers to a coffee shop that also does all its own baking. "David Hale has a great vision and is going to be living right next door."
Fendley said the opening date for her new store will depend on how quickly the city moves on a new ordinance Hale is making a proposal that would rezone the Linen District area for residential, office and commercial use. Currently, the neighborhood´s zoning designation limits development to strip mall projects similar to those found on Fairview Avenue.
Hale said he is still drafting the ordinance and is unsure when it will be ready for consideration by the Boise Department of Planning and Zoning and the City Council.
The Linen District will sit partly in the Westside urban-renewal district approved by the city in 2001, and partly in the River Myrtle District authorized in 1995. Capital City Development Corp., the city´s urban renewal agency, is drafting its own revisions to the existing zoning codes for the area, but has said it will take Hale´s redevelopment plan into account.
CCDC officials also have said they may chip in with funding for support infrastructure such as sidewalk improvements or street-scaping in the new redevelopment area.
To offer story ideas or comments, contact reporter Joe Estrella at jestrellaidahostatesman.com or 377-6465.
Cutline:Initial work on the downtown Linen District has begun with demolition of a 12,700-square-foot building next to the former American Linen Building. The space will be converted into a 36-space parking lot.
