The Whole Foods and Walgreen's project will provide a "huge lift" to the east end of Downtown, Boise Mayor Dave Bieter said.
The project, first proposed in 2007, received City Council approval Tuesday. But in his weekly e-memo to constituents, Bieter bristled at criticisms about the project's timeframe.
Wrote Bieter: "Although the Whole Foods project was first proposed in 2007, the developer had put it on the back burner for economic reasons. A revised proposal was presented to the city's Planning and Zoning Commission last October. Four months from application to final approval of a project of this size and complexity is actually pretty brisk.
"And though aspects of the project failed to win approval the first time around, commissioners and city staff worked hard to find compromises to make the project work. These weren't meaningless delays; they were part of a process to ensure that every development fits the surrounding neighborhood, traffic patterns, and all of the other important factors that go into preserving and enhancing our livability."
Here's the full e-memo:
As you might have heard, the Boise City Council this week gave final approval to the Whole Foods/Walgreen's project on Broadway between Front and Myrtle.
This is a big deal — and not just to the many devoted fans of Whole Foods. It's a well-designed, mixed-use development, one that will provide a huge lift to an area at the east end of downtown that has been in the doldrums far too long. Construction of the two stores is scheduled to start by this summer, with completion sometime next year. That means more jobs, both short- and long-term, at a time when employment remains one of our most stubborn economic challenges.
Good news in every way. But I have to disagree with the way some have described this process — that Tuesday night's Council action was a "final hurdle," cleared after "months of delays."
In fact, although the Whole Foods project was first proposed in 2007, the developer had put it on the back burner for economic reasons. A revised proposal was presented to the city's Planning and Zoning Commission last October. Four months from application to final approval of a project of this size and complexity is actually pretty brisk.
And though aspects of the project failed to win approval the first time around, commissioners and city staff worked hard to find compromises to make the project work. These weren't meaningless delays; they were part of a process to ensure that every development fits the surrounding neighborhood, traffic patterns, and all of the other important factors that go into preserving and enhancing our livability.
Economic development is one of my top priorities as mayor. I've pushed our planners and inspectors hard to streamline their systems, to put customer service first, and to start with the presumption that the answer is "yes."
We still have room for improvement, but I'm pleased to see projects moving forward — not just Whole Foods, but JUMP and others that could be announced in weeks to come. Our goal is not only to do all we can to help new development happen, but also to ensure that it's high-quality, compatible development that will be an asset to the community for many years to come. With this project, we succeeded.
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