On March 19, 2008, Forbes.com released its annual Best Small Places for Business and Careers with Idaho Falls ranking #28. The city was ranked in areas that include income growth, cost of living, cost of doing business and job growth. Just one more reason to do business in Idaho Falls!

The full story can be found at:

http://www.forbes.com/lists/2008/5/bestplaces08_Idaho-Falls-ID_IDIda.html

Idaho Falls wants to designate a section of land an urban renewal district so taxes can be collected and used for improvements.

Although the west side of the Snake River has received a facelift in recent years thanks to the Snake River Landing development, the land across the water has largely been neglected.

It’s dominated by industrial lots and the former King B beef jerky plant. Lava rock lurks beneath the surface, weeds and mud thrive, and there are no official public streets.

That could soon change, though.

City planners would like to designate a 33-acre patch at the corner of Pancheri Drive and Yellowstone Avenue as an urban renewal district.

That would allow a portion of the property taxes collected on the land to go to the Idaho Falls Redevelopment Agency, which would spend the money on improvements. And that, in turn, would improve the look of the land, theoretically luring tourists, businesses and newcomers, and boosting the city’s property tax coffers in the long run.

Council members took the first step toward the designation in April by approving its eligibility for urban renewal district designation. They’re set to take the final step — designating the area an urban renewal district — at their Dec. 13 meeting.

“This particular piece of property seems to be ripe for the type of development we’d like to see along the river,” City Councilman Joe Groberg said at a recent work session.

Idaho Falls Planning Director Renee Magee envisions a sprawling mixed-use development highlighted by a bike path, extensive landscaping, two hotels, offices, parks and restaurants. At least two of the landowners (there are five or six) are on board with the plan, which hasn’t sparked any opposition.

An 82-unit Candlewood Suites extended-stay hotel is in the works, and condominiums eventually could sprout up on the land.

The city’s plan calls for $1.8 million worth of work: removing lava rock ($350,000), burying power lines ($200,000), upgrading the water main ($300,000) and landscaping ($250,000), among other things. The redevelopment agency would pick up $1.5 million of the tab.

The agency uses tax revenue from existing urban renewal districts to tackle city-improvement projects.

If all goes as planned, the Pancheri-Yellowstone Urban Renewal Plan is expected to inject more than $18 million in value to the city’s property tax rolls by 2019, when the benefits afforded the district would expire.

The strategy has worked before — several times, in fact.

It helped the city transform Lindsay Boulevard into the “hotel row” it is today. The creation of an urban renewal district also helped spur development at Taylor Crossing and paved the way for Wal-Mart, Olive Garden and other big-name outfits.

“I think the biggest question the council has to ask itself is, ‘Will this happen by itself?’” Groberg said of the improvements proposed for the land at Pancheri-Yellowstone.

The answer is no, said Derek Ence, general counsel for Ball Management.

Had the City Council not embraced the plan in April, he said, Ball Management likely would have built the new Candlewood Suites in Ammon.

Now, though, he’s excited about the possibilities.

“The hotel is the first big change you’re going to see,” Ence said, but within a few years, Candlewood Suites could be surrounded by retail and other commercial outfits.

“And we’d like to see restaurants go in there,” he said.

First, though, the City Council has to act. At least a couple of its members seem to be fond of the plan.

“That’s one of the major entrances to the city, and it will certainly enhance it,” Councilman Thomas Hally said.

LEARN MORE:

The City Council will host a public hearing on the proposed urban renewal district at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 13 in the council chambers, 140 S. Capital Ave.

By the numbers:

34 - Number of urban renewal districts in Idaho.

$67 - Value, in millions, of assessed property on Lindsay Boulevard in the late 1980s, before it was deemed an urban renewal district.

$165 - Value, in millions, of assessed property on Lindsay Boulevard today.

$6.4 - Value, in millions, of assessed property in the proposed Pancheri-Yellowstone urban renewal district.

$2.74 - Value, in billions, of assessed property in Idaho Falls on Jan. 1 (minus homeowners’ exemptions).

1,000 - Number of jobs created in Idaho Falls as a result of the urban renewal district formed in the late 1980s with the construction of the Shilo Inn. It has spread along Lindsay Boulevard, east to the downtown area, south to Taylor Crossing and west to Wal-Mart and the surrounding restaurants and shops.

Story by Matthew Evans. Originally posted at: Post Register

Potandon Produce will be breaking ground at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday on a new corporate office in the Snake River Landing development.The largest marketer of fresh potatoes in North America and the exclusive sales agent of Green Giant Fresh potatoes and onions, Potandon has been operating in Idaho Falls since 1995 and employs 75 people.

Mergers with Idaho Fresh Cooperative, High Country Potato and Larsen Farms have strengthened Potandons position as the national leader in the fresh potato industry. Along with this growth during the past decade has come the need for additional office space.

Matt Morgan Construction will be managing the construction of the new 23,000-square-foot building, at the corner of Snake River Parkway and Pier View Drive.

The anticipated completion date for the building is July 1.

Excerpted from “Shoptalk” by Paul Menser. Originally posted at: Post Register

A 400-acre planned community is under way in Idaho Falls.

Developer Ball Ventures began demolition work for one of the first phases of Snake River Landing on June 28. Townhouses, apartments, condominiums and other housing types are planned on 135 acres of the development, situated along the Snake River. Ball Ventures is still completing its master plan and does not know how many homes will be in the development, Vice President of Development Eric Isom said.

More than 400,000 square feet of office, retail and restaurants are planned. Tenants would include First American Title, Iggy’s Sports Grill, Hard Hat Steakhouse and Grill, Potandon Produce and Ball Ventures’ corporate offices, according to Isom. Two office buildings are already under construction.
The development would stretch from Pancheri Drive to Sunnyside Road, close to Interstate 15.
Snake River Landing would include a greenbelt, trails and public parks, including a nearly 10-acre park by the river on land donated by The Smith Group to the city of Idaho Falls. It could also include a convention center, events center or recreation facility. Ball Ventures has set aside land for a community center of some kind and has offered it to the Idaho Falls Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Construction of two major roads in the development is nearly complete, and work is under way on sidewalks, landscaping and a pier on the Snake River.

Story by Lora Volkert. Originally posted at: Idaho Business Review

For ages civilizations have sprung up near water because of its sustaining powers, but in recent history the Idaho Falls banks of the Snake River left something to be desired.

Dane Watkins, who grew up in Idaho Falls and worked in his family’s Snake River Equipment Company on River Parkway, decided in the early 1990s to transform the stretch between the Red Lion Hotel and Broadway, reminiscent of the way things were when he was young and even before. Watkins had visions of people dining outside, admiring the falls and shielding their faces from the sun with colorful umbrellas. His brainchild would be a new phase of
Eagle Rock, he said. But before that could happen, he had to clean up what the family business had left behind.

In 1992 renovations began. Watkins wiped out the grease from the industrial dealership, knocked out windows, redid floors and plumbing and added Georgetown brick to the exteriors because it reminded him of the old days in America. The result was Eagle Rock Station, a strip of shops Watkins calls “a work in progress,” featuring local restaurants and companies. “We wanted to capture some of the old part of Idaho Falls, which was Eagle Rock. We knew it would be successful because of the emphasis on the falls,” he said.

The original “horseshoe” strip includes Rutabaga’s, Brownstone Restaurant, Whitewater Grill and several small businesses. Chili’s and Applebee’s have filled nearby blanks. Quiznos and Jalisco’s set up shop, making the area a restaurant center of Idaho Falls, Watkins said. Commercial Tire will open a store across from Applebee’s, and the recent addition of The Caboose, located in the parking lot just north of the Brownstone, and its shaved ice comes after five years negotiating with Union Pacific. “You can’t have Eagle Rock Station without something to do with a train,” Watkins said.

River development is booming, and one largescale project is Taylor Crossing on the River. Twenty-five years ago potato farmer Lorin Walker
ate his lunch from a lunchbox and looked across the Snake River at a landfill. Old fridges and cars were heaped on the opposite bank, but Lorin could visualize a future reception center with water lapping just outside. He called his brother Rollie and told him to come look. Rollie listened to the dream, smiled, and said, “Let’s do it.” Almost 20 years later with their dream still intact Lorin walked into HK Construction, the firm that owned most the
property where Taylor Crossing now stands, and bought the land on the spot.

He and Rollie purchased remaining chunks of nearby ground, and now the Walkers, as McNeil Development, are developing the Taylor Crossing on the River project on the west side of the Snake from Broadway to Pancheri. The company has constructed seven Georgian-style buildings and will begin their eighth and largest once the city approves the plans. The upcoming structure, with retail shopping and restaurants surrounding a three story atrium, will be built
west of the eagle fountain on the roundabout. But Lorin said Taylor Crossing isn’t all about the buildings; it’s about tapping the five senses. Details like
European-style, bricked-in canals and ponds with stepping-stones for the young and young-at-heart invite visitors to look closely and take part. A natural greenbelt at the water’s edge will include a legacy walkway with bronze statues depicting influential Idaho Falls citizens like Kate Curley and industries like cattle raising will serve as a major education piece for children and tourists, Lorin said. Corporations will sponsor River Gardens at Taylor Crossing, 150-foot lengths of the path with dense flowerbeds. Three restaurant pads lie near the river, and patio dining and waterway rides will be available. “Our passion is to do something different, not just more of the same. Our greatest achievement is being able to inch forward doing what we think is something
that will last and have meaning for our children and future generations. We are trying to do what doesn’t exist,” he said.

Other McNeil Development projects include a Marriott Residence Inn hotel where the Consolidated Wagon and Machine warehouse (that once housed the Army Surplus warehouse) now awaits demolition, and 200 condominiums to the south. The condos, which will be open for presale at the end of September, will feature river views in one direction and courtyard views in the other.

A separate high-rise condominium building with retail and office space on the first two floors will be constructed east of the hotel in the future. Another extensive riverfront project is Snake River Landing, south of Pancheri Drive. In 2001 Ball Ventures purchased over 400 riverfront acres between Pancheri and Sunnyside to develop into Snake River Landing, which will be a multi-use development including commercial office spaces, shops, private residences, public parks, restaurants and a pedestrian trail system. Approximately 135 acres are earmarked for residential development with twin homes, townhouses, condominiums and upscale apartments in neighborhoods that include a clubhouse, pool and other amenities. A community lake and community or recreation center are also in the plans.

The first building of Pier View, the project’s first phase, should be complete this week. Six years in the making Ball Ventures has kept their plans hush-hush
until solidified. The Pier View district will include offices, retail stores and restaurants. Occupants who have announced plans to occupy Snake River Landing include First American Title Company, Ball Ventures corporate office, Potandon Produce offices, Hard Hat Steakhouse and Grill and Iggy’s Sports Grill.

“Bottom line — this is my hometown and it is extremely important to me that this project have the necessary resources to ensure that it is done right,” said Allen Ball of Ball Ventures. “I wanted to create a place that everyone can feel a part of.” According to Idaho Falls mayor Jared Fuhriman, the crown jewel will be a city park built on 9.4 acres north of the Sunnyside bridge, donated by Stafford and Woody Smith of the Smith Group. The land features cascading
water and will be a convenient and inviting place for tourists to visit, Fuhriman said. Although the property could have been used for a personal project, Stafford - Smith said his family wanted others to benefit.

“There’s an opportunity to leave a legacy here, and there aren’t very many communities blessed with something as beautiful as the Snake River running through them. We thought that should be shared,” Smith said.

The first step in any project is finding property, and that’s where NAI Commerce One comes in. Company executives comb through town, eyeing prime real estate, searching out property owners and procuring property. Their next step is matching locations with companies that seem a good match for Idaho Falls.

“We find the need for something, and then we approach the people that fit the need,” Shane Murphy of NAI said. “We have an end goal in mind. We’re always
vying for the tenant. If you don’t have a tenant you don’t have anything.”

The company works also works as a liaison between developers and tenants, removing personalities and helping both parties get what they want. NAI has secured the land — 14 acres total — south of the west-side Wal-Mart and will announce their development plans, including the names of a hotel and two restaurants, near summer’s end when deals with tenants are confirmed, Murphy said.

NAI also played an integral part in marketing and representing Snake River Landing’s first phase. Other current projects include a Hilton Garden Inn on the river near The Sandpiper and a shopping center on Broadway including Sally Beauty Supply, Starbucks Coffee, Mountain States Wireless, Avis Rent a Car, Game Stop video game store and Ruby River Steakhouse.

Renaissance Partners is one group joining with NAI Commerce One to grow Idaho Falls. The two developed the land between Broadway and Pancheri for
Super Wal-Mart, Fairfield Inn and Olive Garden. Renaissance is also involved in the Ruby River and the strip center projects.

Most recently NAI, in conjunction with Renaissance, signed a lease with Shari’s Restaurants to build a restaurant next to Kicks 66 convenient store on Broadway, NAI business manager Steven Keim said. NAI acquired the property and finalized the deal with Shari’s, and Renaissance will build the building.

Development is a work in progress, and developers will continue to keep their plans under wraps until finalized. Watkins said he has plans that could materialize someday, like a bridge connecting the east and west banks of the river and a 23-story hotel based on a retro rendering sitting in his office.

While developers compete for the best land, tenants and projects, Watkins said companies have the same goal in mind: Improve Idaho Falls.

“We all benefit from it. It takes different people to do it. It’s a group of people and that’s what makes it fun — everybody does their part,” he said. “We compliment what the others are doing because it makes this a better place for people’s families.”

Story by Rebecca Long Pyper. Originally posted at: River City Weekly