Recent changes to the development of a new YMCA and apartments on State Street have left a cloud of confusion over the project which previously had vocal confidence from both public and private partners. Elements of the project are still in limbo, with new ownership and building reductions proposed.
What Was Originally Planned?
The 54 year-old downtown Boise YMCA isn’t able to meet growing demands, so the YMCA has been planning a new and larger facility on the other side of State Street, south of its current location. Construction for that new building is still on the books.
In 2021 a collection of developers and Capital City Development Corporation (CCDC) announced plans for two buildings next to the new YMCA that would offer commercial space, parking, affordable housing, and senior living. CCDC said the projects had “catalytic” potential to add a major mixed-use residential project to the western downtown portion of State Street.
Now developers including deChase Miksis, Edlen & Co., and Elton Cos. say they won’t be able to complete the original plans because of rising construction costs, interest rates, and an impending deadline.
If the entire project was possible, it would be a massive homestretch finish for CCDC’s Westside urban renewal district, which expires in September 2026. Instead, that deadline is adding pressure.
What’s Changed?
One of the originally planned buildings might still take shape, but to do so the developers want to step back into a management role and let the Boise City Ada County Housing Authority (BCACHA) take over ownership. As BoiseDev reported, if BCACHA’s board agrees to take it, the entire building would be affordable apartments and it would be the largest in the authority’s portfolio.
The second building is facing even bigger changes. Originally it was proposed to bring commercial ground floor space, six floors of parking, and 155 apartments at market rate in the form of a new 15-story building. In August, developers told the Capital City Development Corporation (CCDC) that they would need to cut the apartments, leaving a parking structure with the slim possibility of adding apartments on top at a later date.
