BOISE, ID — You would think the state bird of Idaho might be the crane because of all the non-stop construction happening all over town. Specifically in the downtown Boise core and along the Boise river. New apartments everywhere. Don Day from BoiseDev has kept a close eye on this project.
"It's going to be the second tallest building in the state when it's completed. This is a long-time Boise developer. They did the Wells Fargo building on the Grove and the First Capitol building in the 80's and 90's, so they invested here for a long time. It's a Boise company that said let's take this lot and turn it into more than just a parking lot."
You hear it all the time from people asking where is everyone coming from and where are they working? Day points to Micron as just one example.
"Micron Technology which is going to expand adding two thousand employees, with many more to follow."
Just a little bit down in Garden City there's plenty going on. Because of its proximity to the river and downtown Boise, Garden City is exploding with hundreds of new apartments in every direction, leaving many long-time homeowners wondering what comes next. Day explains.
"Residents in the Garden City area may have a home, maybe they own the land, now they're seeing a giant apartment complex going up next door. They're faced with a choice, if they own the property they might be able to sell it, if they rent, the people who own the property may sell it for them and they have to move."
I spoke with one couple who have lived on Adams Street in Garden City for more than twenty-five years. They told me, Okay we can sell but then where do you go? Move into an area we can't afford? As far as Day and his crew at BoiseDev, all eyes are on 2023 for probably more of the same.
