CCDC
G-BAD Seeks To Skirt Voter Approval For Debt
The Greater Boise Auditorium District (G-BAD) is tiptoeing around the law once again. This time they are aiming to deprive voters of their constitutional right to approve long term debt for a $38 million dollar kitchen and ballroom. Article VIII, Sec 3 of the Idaho Constitution requires a vote of the people to approve debt. […]
Simplot, Gardner Projects Differ In Funding
The announcement by the J. R. Simplot Company to build a nine story headquarters at 11th and Front while Gardner plans a new project at 8th and Main brings to mind the differences in funding. Simplot’s project won’t depend on public money like the Gardner project which depends of lots of public money–just for the […]
Fate Of Downtown Boise Unknown In 2017
The GUARDIAN has been doing some preliminary inquiries regarding the fate of downtown Boise after the Central District urban renewal project expires in 2017. As it sits currently, no one can offer us a definitive answer to questions of ownership, management, and responsibility for certain Capital City Development Corp. properties. For instance, CCDC owns 8th […]
GUARDIAN Reader Seeks Second Opinion
Calling himself “Boise Cynic,” a long time GUARDIAN reader has taken it upon himself to seek a 2nd opinion on how downtown Boise should be managed with regard to traffic, pedestrians, and bikes. BY BOISE CYNIC Request to ACHD, Boise City, CCDC and/or BSU: Please pay for urban planner Robert Bruegmann to come to Boise […]
Caldwell GUARDIAN Vindicated Over Nampa Library
Thursday the Gardener Company sent Nampa Development Corporation (Urban Renewal) a letter backing out of the retail/officeportion of the Nampa Library Project. Caldwell GUARDIAN editor Paul Alldredge had filed legal action to allow citizens to weigh in on the indebtedness, but backed out when threatened with being forced to pay legal fees. In the letter, […]
Is Boise Losing “Small Town” Flavor?
With all the pressure Boise’s Team Dave is putting on the Ada County Highway District, Urban Renewal, Autitorium District, and Valley Transit, we growthophobes have to conclude their efforts are aimed at justifying a TROLLEY through urban growth. While they try to make a case for trains, trolley, street car or circulator there seems to […]
Bulging Boise’s Bungled Building Boom
At the risk of posting another typical “growthophobe” story, we offer up a major caution in the rush to embrace the Gardner folks’ latest plan for downtown Boise. As wise businessmen, they are gathering as much public funding as possible to build on some pretty small plots adjacent to the Grove Hotel and the U.S. […]
Kudos To City For Choosing Local Art
If the defective fountains on the front the Grove Hotel and in City Hall Plaza are any indication, Boise artists are just a drop in the bucket compared to the ancient Romans–at least their fountains work and don’t leak. Bowing to pressure from the GUARDIAN and public, an art selection committee has come up with […]
Bench Residents Ignored By Bike Plan
Boise City and Valley Transit plan to spend at least $650,000 in equipment and “stations” to start a 140 bike share program which ignores the vast majority of the city and its citizens. But hey, when you are talking $4,642 per bike you can’t trust them to those lower income Bench Dwellers. We need a […]
Downtown Has Moved To Eagle & Fairview
Eagle Road has become Main Street and Meridian is quickly becoming the new “China” for Boise planners, politicos and purchasers–threatening to either own or control everything from highway dollars to retail market share. While Boise has been preoccupied filling the former “hole in the ground” with a mirrored skyscraper, Meridian (Idaho’s third largest city) has […]
Nampa Urban Renewal Run By Out-of-County Residents
In yet another revelation of urban renewal misdeeds, word comes from Nampa that members of the local Urban Renewal Agency Board not only don’t live in the city, they don’t even live in Canyon County. The GUARDIAN has long been an opponent of urban renewal districts because they have no oversight by ANY government agency. […]
Boise Wins Political “Hockey Game” 3-2
Boise City’s Team Dave won a “hockey game” at Wednesday’s Ada County Highway District meeting where the issue of embedding hockey puck-like parking sensors in the street was discussed. In the end it was 3-2 in favor of allowing the pucks, but not before ACHD chair Sara Baker got in a few high stick swings […]
You Be The Judge On 8th Street
Tuesday morning the GUARDIAN watched over coffee at 8th Street just south of Bannock as an unsuspecting motorist fell victim to the heartless Boise Parking machine. The guy carefully backed into a parking spot behind a beer truck. He aligned his shiny black car within the lines, exited his vehicle and confronted the meter. A […]
Boise Bench vs Downtown War Brewing
We joke that “Downtown is so crowded that nobody goes there anymore,” but perhaps its time for everyone to just be honest about the intent of the city mothers and fathers and admit the rivalry (war?) between The Bench and Downtown. The latest chapter in the parking wars is a good example. The City is […]
City Ponders 50% Parking Rate Hike
Boise’s City Council, and the Department of Finance and Administration are forging ahead with plans to raise the rates 50% for on-street parking and extend the enforcement to include evenings and Saturdays. The avowed reason is to drive street parking motorists back into the parking garages, according to some reports. Boise WEEKLY has a good […]
Visit To Downtown Boise Can Have Hidden Costs
The GUARDIAN would never put forth a conspiracy theory about charging for on street parking to garner support for a trolley or to force motorists to use parking garages, especially when the parking people at City Hall say the intent is to merely create “turnover” between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. Its all part of […]
Boise Has No Authority For Trolley
Looks like that pesky IDAHO CONSTITUTION has gotten in the way of Team Dave once again. Mayor Dave Bieter is set to ask the City Council Tuesday for funds for yet another street car, trolley study. What he should be doing is sucking up to the ACHD Commishes because that group holds ALL the cards […]
Team Dave Suporters Run For G-BAD, Is Baseball Park The Motive?
While the upcoming election for the Greater Boise Auditorium District board is like a massive dose of Ambien to most folks, we see a potential behind the scenes “take over” by Team Dave which could be a dream or nightmare, depending on your point of view. Incumbents Stephanie Astorquia and Rob Perez are seeking reelection […]
Winter Doldrums, Not Much New To Blog
The GUARDIAN is still here, but there isn’t much new to share. Even the Statesman has resorted to devoting the front page to news that’s 100 years old–featuring Kuna and Eagle history books that have apparently hit the stores recently. Legislature is in town, Boise State football is over, Repubs and Tea Party still don’t […]
Time Running Out On CCDC Tax Gravy Train
The DAILY PAPER ran a piece recently about Anthony Lyons, the new director of CCDC (Capital City Development Corp) who was quoted as saying, “We want a city that has lots of cranes, lots of scaffolding, lots of construction signs. That’s the sign of a city that’s moving forward.” Part of the motivation to get […]
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