Boise, Idaho: Beautiful and Bustling Downtown

Downtown Boise – the ever growing, ever changing hub of beautiful Boise, Idaho!

“A brief glance at our skyline confirms that Downtown Boise is experiencing nothing short of a complete renaissance.  The exciting office, retail, hospitality, and residential projects that have been on the horizon are now our reality.  The next 10 years and beyond are full of promise.  It’s a great time to be a Boise resident!”

-Peter Oliver, Thorton Oliver Keller – “The State of Downtown Boise”

With an estimated 26,000 new residents moving to the Boise area last year, it is no surprise that Downtown Boise (known as BoDo) has also seen tremendous growth.  BoDo has experienced five years of expansion and growth and doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon.

In this blog we will discuss the construction, workforce, and lifestyle of Downtown Boise!

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CONSTRUCTION in BoDo:

Construction Fast Facts:
$1.3 Billion:  Value of Public, Private Investment Downtown Both Completed and Planned (2015 – 2020)
$111.5 Million:  Hotel Construction Current and Planned
$151.9 Million:  Projects Completed 2016

Take a look at the upcoming projects that have been or will soon be completed in BoDo:

SPRING 2017:
-Boise Centre Expansion
-Simplot World Headquarters

LATE SPRING 2017:
-Grove Plaza

SUMMER 2017:
-The Afton Condominiums
-Broad Street Improvements
-The Fowler Apartment Living
-Hyatt Place
-Downtown Boise Marriott
-Athlos Academy
-Watercooler Apartment Living

FALL 2017:
-Boise City Hall Plaza
-BSU Honors College and Housing

WINTER 2017:
-Pioneer Crossing Office / Retail
-Hilton Garden Inn

EARLY 2018:
-Idaho Historical Museum

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WORKFORCE in BoDo:

As you can imagine, the workforce is also growing in BoDo with approximately 37,363 employees.
Of all jobs in the Boise Metro Area, 13.1% are downtown!

BoDo’S LARGEST EMPLOYERS:
1.  Boise State University
2.  State of Idaho
3.  IDACORP/Idaho Power
4.  St. Luke’s Boise Medical Center
5.  City of Boise
6.  Boise Cascade Co/Boise Inc.
7.  J.R. Simplot Co/National Seed
8.  Ada County
9.  YMCA
10.  ConAgra Food Lamb Weston

Where Downtown Workers Live:
47.2% - Boise
11.4% - Meridian
5.3% - Nampa
3.2% - Eagle
2% - Caldwell

The average morning commute is only 19 minutes!

Downtown Workers Age Diversity:
20.9% - Age 55 or older
60.3% - Age 30 – 54
18.8% - Age 29 or younger

Downton Jobs Pay:
17.2% - $1,250 per month or less
34.5% - $1,251 - $3,333 per month
48.3% - more than $3,333

Top Downton Job Sectors:
25% - Healthcare and Social Assistance
9% - Professional, Scientific, and Technical
8% - Accommodation and Food Service
6% - Administration & Support, Waste Management, and Remediation
6% Finance and Insurance

Downtown Businesses
118 - Restaurants
192 - Shops
78 - Street-level Services

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LIVING in BoDo:  3.6% of Boise’s population lives downtown

57% - Downtown residents are under 35 years old
38% - Housing Units are within 800 ft. of a park
99% - Apartment occupancy rate
48% - Downtown Apartment Units Built since 2000
$335 - Average Condo Sales Price per square foot
20% - increase in number of people living downtown since 2000

BoDo is also home to some unique events!

Alive After Five: Alive After Five is celebrating its 31st year!  For 13 consecutive Wednesdays, local bands and vendors fill the Grove Plaza for a free summer concert series.  This event is always a hit in Downtown with last year’s attendance estimated at 38,500!

Capital City Public Market:
Our Saturday Market has been a staple in Downtown Boise for over 23 years.  According to the website for Capital City Public Market, “The Market generates millions of dollars for the local economy and helps independent, seasonal microbusinesses grow and develop their client base.”

On Saturday mornings from April until December, approximately 150 vendors line 8th street selling their unique product to thousands of shoppers.

Of course, those are not the only events that take place in BoDo.  Visit the Downtown Boise Association’s website to see a list of all the fun that Boise has to offer.

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With the new growth Boise is experiencing, it will be exciting to continue to watch Downtown transform!

**Source of information is the publication “State of Downtown” Spring 2017 edition

***created to for those looking to invest in or move to Idaho's Gem: Boise!***