BOISE, Idaho — Boise's skyline is changing with new high-rise buildings under construction in the downtown area, including a major development along Fourth Street.
Currently, there are two large-scale buildings being built on Fourth Street between Idaho and Bannock streets, bringing a mix of retail, office space, and housing to east downtown Boise.
The last beam was placed on the 13-story high-rise office space to come, marking a milestone in the project.
Tommy Ahlquist, CEO of Ahlquist, says the project will provide much-needed housing options in the heart of the city.
"It's like doing a 69-home subdivision in downtown Boise really, so it's a very efficient way to have units that people could buy and not rent," Ahlquist said.
The development consists of two side-by-side buildings. The first building at the corner of Fourth and Idaho will be 13 stories tall, featuring main floor retail shops with office spaces above. The second building will rise 11 stories, also with retail space on the first floor and multi-family housing above.
The project will also become the new central headquarters for Idaho Central Credit Union.
While developers see opportunity in the project, some business owners in the area are struggling to embrace the change. Some told me off-camera that they feel the new buildings don't fit the neighborhood's character and worry about increased traffic as the towering structures cast shadows on existing businesses.
"In any market like this, there are a lot of apartments, there's a lot of single family homes, there's not a lot of condos so when we did a feasibility study it provides just another option for people to have lots of amenities but a lot of those things taken care for them instead of having a yard downtown," Ahlquist said.
Construction on the project began a year ago, with both buildings expected to open in spring 2026.
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