The City of Boise and the Ada County Highway District (ACHD) are working in cooperation with local businesses and citizens to revitalize an area of Boise that has been in transition for many years. The 30th Street Extension will provide a new North-South connection between Fairview and State Street and will border an existing neighborhood next to Whittier Elementary School.
This Thursday, April 2nd, there will be an Open House at Whittier Elementary for citizens to see the design and plans of the Extension.
The area of immediate impact has a long a history. Residential development in the area was slow to follow the growth seen east of 27th Street earlier in the 1910-1930’s. In the 1960’s and 1970’s the area saw more sporadic growth of “modest homes and apartments”. My mother remembers moving into their first Boise home in 1956 on 30th Street near the Chausse-Swan Sand & Gravel Company who’s remains have become the playground for swimmers, wannabe boaters and fisherman in the old dredge pond that is guarded by the Clocktower Apartments to the East and the mine tailings and leftovers of Boise Cascade & Consolidated Concrete Company to the North.
As a child, I remember watching cement trucks and gravel trucks thunder by as I picked Strawberries and Pear Tomatoes in my Grandparents garden. The neighborhood was a bit cleaner then and over the years homes fell apart and became run down until recently. During my first year in real estate in 2004, I sold my uncles property – formerly my Grandfathers – to a developer who bulldozed any remains of property and memory and replaced it with a multi-family home developement mimicking the others that had sprung up and setting an example for those that followed.
For the past few years, the buzz of the 30th Street extension has been heard and by the looks of it, could be closer to becoming more of a reality.
The master plan is very comprehensive and covers all of the research and details of the proposal.
Some of the highlights of the Plan:
- Improved zoning for residential, mixed use and commercial
- Pedestrian and Bicycle Friendly Pathways and Crossings
- Park Access into the Proposed Ester Simplot Park
- Open Spaces and Trails
- Public Green Spaces
- Redevelopment Opportunities for both residential and commercial interests
In conjunction with the 30th Street Extension, there are plans for a 55 acre Esther Simplot Park and The Ray Neef River Recreation Park along the Boise River.
You are invited to see details of the Draft, ask questions and leave comments in person this Thursday Night at the Open House.
Where?: Whittier Elementary
When?: Thursday, April 2nd from 5:30-7:30 pm.
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What did they share about the project at the open house?