At the State of the City Address in Boise, Mayor Dave Bieter told the crowd that it is time to think big.
"We need to do hard things ladies and gentleman," said Mayor Beiter. "Those are the things that will define us as a city, and, in doing hard things, we will do more things."
Highlighting his support for the mission at Gowen Field, Mayor Bieter says the Air Guard piece alone brings in $155 million to the local economy every year. Bieter says the Air Force's latest fighter jet, the F-35, could sustain activity at the base for the next 40 to 50 years. The Secretary of the Air Force is expected to announce the home for the new fighter jet any day now.
"Don't we want the people, future Boiseans, to have every bit the opportunity that Boiseans do, and people all across the valley, that they have now," said Mayor Bieter.
Saying explosive growth only happens once or twice a century, Mayor Bieter said now is time to take on the big projects -- from building a new main library, to building a proposed 5,000 seat downtown sports complex. Mayor Bieter said the developer of the $40 million project will bear most of the risk, and the city will own the project outright after 20 years.
"This great city council, our staff and I have worked tirelessly to make sure well-conceived, compact development is approved in the city of Boise," said Mayor Bieter. "So haven't we earned just a little bit of the benefit of the doubt?"
During the address, the mayor also handed out the highest award he can give to two major business leaders. Mayor Bieter presented the "Key to the City" to the former CEO of Micron, Mark Durcan, and the CEO of Albertsons, Bob Miller. Durcan took over after the death of Steve Appleton, and Bieter says Miller brought the old Albertsons back to life, and back to Boise. Mayor Bieter says the two leaders are a model of what you can do for your community.
