City Government
Boise Real Estate Speculation
August 6, 2018 
When Mayor Dave Bieter “just happened to have some spare time to meet with a developer pal who ran “J & M Land” during a visit to Palo Alto,” the GUARDIAN QUESTIONED methods used by the City of Boise to swap land, and speculate on development of the city-owned armory building while flipping industrial park land off Gowen Road. Here is the 2007 resolution approving the deal:
R-355-11, A RESOLUTION APPROVING A REAL ESTATE OPTION AND EXCHANGE AGREEMENT WITH J & M LAND TO PROVIDE AN OPTION TO PURCHASE APPROXIMATELY 30.85 ACRES OF REAL PROPERTY ALONG EISENMAN ROAD AND INTERSTATE 84, AND AN EXCHANGE OF THE PROPERTY FOR APPROXIMATELY 199.499 ACRES OF REAL PROPERTY OF EQUAL VALUE; AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR AND CITY CLERK TO EXECUTE AND ATTEST SAID AGREEMENT; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE
R-360-11, A RESOLUTION APPROVING A REAL ESTATE SALE AND EXCHANGE AGREEMENT WITH J & M LAND FOR THE PURCHASE BY J & M LAND OF APPROXIMATELY 13.02+/- ACRES OF REAL PROPERTY ALONG EISENMAN ROAD AND INTERSTATE 84; APPROVING AN EXCHANGE OF THE APPROXIMATELY 13.02+/- ACRES FOR APPROXIMATELY 5.18+/-ACRES OF REAL PROPERTY OF EQUAL VALUE AT THE BOISE ARMORY UPON SALE AND CLOSING; AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR AND CITY CLERK TO EXECUTE AND ATTEST SAID AGREEMENT; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE
Presenter: John Brunelle, Mayor’s Office
ACTION REQUESTED: Approve Resolutions
Today, seven years after the convoluted real estate deal, the armory remains vacant, windows are smashed, graffiti abounds, and the interior is the same shell it was nearly a decade ago.
The exterior appears to have been painted, the landscaping has improved and the vacant parking lot awaits cars.
The GUARDIAN has found that J & M has been regularly obtaining building permits for the project and has paid taxes on a regular basis. The 2017 bill was just over $44,000. The property is assessed at $2.8 million, according to the Ada Assessor records.
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Comments & Discussion
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Aug 6, 2018, 11:12 am
Over a good cup of coffee…
Eagle Scout project?!? *sips coffee slowly*
Aug 6, 2018, 11:40 am
This is very easy to explain.
J&M has not been given CCDC money by the city.
Few develop in Boise without handouts from the city.
Aug 6, 2018, 1:10 pm
To follow on Easy’s comment.
Boise should create a CCDC redevelopment district in the Saint Lukes Hospital area to include the armory. Since the Saint Lukes property is already tax exempt, they would do so without any tax revenue from that property or improvements or expansion improvements. They would truly be doing a public service without huge tax incentives.
EDITOR NOTE–J & M pays about $44,000 a year in taxes as it is.
Aug 6, 2018, 5:31 pm
in a sentence or two:
What what swapped for what?
EDITOR NOTE–City sold a parcel near Gowen, traded it and other piece back in exchange for the Armory. It was a three parcel exchange.
Aug 6, 2018, 6:27 pm
I thought Anthony Hopkins so!ved this after meeting a lady at Sizzler. She was a community drama club person and he was going to help.
Aug 12, 2018, 8:31 pm
When agencies start trading behind the scenes without consulting the taxpayers, you KNOW we need to ask hard questions. This is like the Black Budget schemes that Catherine Austin Fitts explains on the federal scale. We are being used a tax cattle. We are groomed and fed and slaughtered.