CCDC
Guardian Back On Duty
February 9, 2018 
Apologies to loyal readers of the GUARDIAN for the lack of topics recently. Editor Dave Frazier was in Florida for two months looking for warmth and it turns out the place for that has been Boise. Florida had record cold snap.
–We notice Boise is quietly hiring an architect to design a new Main Library building. Nothing wrong with updating the old one, replacing it, or any combination. As usual we are concerned about the lack of citizen input. Financing estimate is currently at about $70 million with what has become the usual vague details about who will pay and how much. We would like to see Team Dave get citizen approval for the debt after presenting a sales pitch instead of the cart-before-the-horse. We have seen the same combination of finance options with the proposed sports stadium.
–A reader sent us this little gem from the CCDC which uses public money to put awnings on a private building:
10th & Main Rendering
Sawtooth Development has secured a new tenant for their office building at 10th and Main (behind their recent new condo project – The 119). Kount will lease the upper floors of the building and 2 retail tenants will lease the ground floor. The developer will make various interior and exterior improvements to the building including installing awnings. CCDC can reimburse for these new awnings through the Type 1 Participation Program as long as they meet the Participation Program Policy requirements. Sawtooth Development submitted a Type 1 application in November, and the CCDC Board of Commissioners “Designated” the project as eligible to receive funding through the Participation Program in December. CCDC staff has finalized the Type 1 agreement with the developer and it was on the January 8, 2018 Board Meeting consent agenda for approval.
–After talking with some knowledgeable folks regarding the proposed park and annexation along Warm Springs near the Highway 21 bridge, we can see the city facilitating more development east of town under the guise of building a park. The area known as the “Barber Pool” has long been a nature preserve owned by Ollie Gregorson who is now deceased. We understand his daughter has a life time right to live there, but if the land gets annexed, it will be eagerly sought by developers.
We will have more posts in the near future.
To insure more advertising-free Boise Guardian news, please consider financial support.
Comments & Discussion
Comments are closed for this post.
Feb 9, 2018, 9:50 pm
Florida is overrated
Feb 9, 2018, 11:41 pm
Library.
How about Boise city sell that prime riverfront turf under the current building for big bank. Then cross the river and give BSU a few dollars to hang a small sign below the BSU Library sign that says ‘Boise Library too’. Ta-dah!! Lots-o-money in pocket plus fake pretend new library problem solved very inexpensively. No developer friends involved. Boise Library payroll zero. Tax payers win!
13 years in school, 4.0, not a moment in the library. It’s all done with computers. Don’t even use the local or BSU library files much. The actual physical books could be put in a museum.
Question, does the public library still let the bums loiter and enjoy girlfriend movies on the public use computers?
Feb 10, 2018, 5:25 am
In this age of eBooks and streaming, we no longer have a need for expensive physical libraries. We definitely don’t need to waste $70 MILLION in tax payer money on a building that already works.
CCDC is just another avenue to turn tax money into corporate pork. They and Bieter treat Boise as their own personal piggy bank.
Feb 10, 2018, 6:34 pm
Mr. Guardian…
Have you ever met Gena Gregorson? You have no worry about her selling. If I remember the land was put in a wildlife foundation. She has a lifetime estate… Maybe wrong there… getting old.
Also did you remember the lawsuit that good old Ollie had with Idaho Power about the fire? ( this before the fire that burned out his daughter)…. settled out of court if I remember…..and how Ollie tried to stop the bike path in front of his property? Got in a big fight with Ada County and one of the Parkinson that was working on the bike path. Also was fighting with Shakespeare about putting the theater so close to Barber Pool.
But he did loved his animals.
Feb 10, 2018, 10:32 pm
No Library Needed: Yes the few regular library patrons are the urban outdoorsman (bums/homeless whatever you want to call them) who sit at the computers all day and surf the internet. Many times you will see police cars out in front of the library but not because the officers are doing a presentation. they are there to break up a fight between the bums or because the library called and wants them removed.
So the city is going to spend $70 million so the homeless have a place to sit around all day on the internet. Never mind the actual patrons who might actually need to use the computer to find a book. What a waste! Speaking of waste there are 8 libraries in the Boise city limits. (9 if you count the one in Garden City). 5 are ran by the city. That doesn’t count all the school, college or law libraries. I agree with the previous comments that in today’s world of Google and Kindles, the need for libraries is becoming less everyday. Surely Team Dave could find something more useful to spend $70 million on. Maybe a park with a splash pad or new fire trucks and police cars.
Feb 12, 2018, 7:25 pm
Wait till you see what TD (team Dave) comes up with next: A fine arts museum that rivals the Guggenheim in San Sabastian. Hint, that’s in the Basque Country.
And you think $70 million is a lot of dough!
Feb 12, 2018, 7:37 pm
JUMP cost the Simplots about $31 million to build – now the Mayor wants to spend twice that to build a library?
Really?
Feb 12, 2018, 10:24 pm
It’s a scam and they know it. NYT says we don’t need print or a building anymore.
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/02/12/print-journalism-may-last-another-10-years-new-york-times-ceo.html