Northeast Boise's Landmark

From the Idaho Statesman Opinion Page - 12/28/2011

“Boise’s vacant armory has its origins in the Great Depression. Boise’s 300-acre industrial park has its roots in the Brent Coles administration.The two properties have little in common, except for the fact that the current city administration has searched, in vain, for developers with an interest in either site.”

Read the full opinion here: http://www.idahostatesman.com/2011/12/28/1931272/signs-of-life-for-two-high-profile.html#storylink=cpy

December 12, 2011

Land deal could save and restore the Boise Armory

The city is working with two Silicon Valley businessmen on swaps that also involve acreages at the city’s industrial park.

By Cynthia Sewell – cmsewell@idahostatesman.com

Copyright: © 2011 Idaho Statesman

The city is working with two Silicon Valley businessmen on swaps that also involve acreages at the city’s industrial park.

The historic but dilapidated 1930s-era Boise Armory may get a new life, and 200 acres of desert scrub may see industrial activity if two city of Boise deals come to fruition.

The city has searched years for the right people to revitalize the Boise Armory and the city’s underperforming industrial park near the airport. Now two powerhouse California developers are interested: billionaire Silicon Valley real estate mogul John Arrillaga and PowerBar co-founder Mike McCollum. They are the J (John) and M (Mike) of J&M Land LLC.

See full story here

As we all know, time moves only one way. The Armory, like the rest of us, isn’t getting any younger. The Armory Subcommittee has so far been very impressed with the commitment shown by the Mayor’s office to pursue opportunities to preserve the historic structure and repurpose the site and interior space. We have learned that although offers have been made over time, most involve demolition of the structure.

Few developers combine an appreciation of the building’s history and Art Deco details with the resources to restore the building to a community asset. We also recognize the city could have auctioned the site off years ago, and Boise would have lost a historic reminder of our architectural and military legacy. That they have held out this long is an example of their sensitivity to neighborhood involvement and an appreciation for the strategic nature of the structure and site to Boise’s long-term vitality.

We are hopeful, and continue to hear from interested neighbors and Armory fans with great ideas for the location. The latest among these is a suggestion to create something along the lines of the Tech Shop in San Francisco. If you’ve never heard of Tech Shop, here’s a description from their web site:

TechShop is a membership-based workshop that provides members with access to tools and equipment, instruction, and a community of creative and supportive people so they can build the things they have always wanted to make.

Keep the great ideas coming!

Please stay tuned to this site for updates, put your thinking caps on and keep your fingers crossed. More soon!

The economic downturn has been rough for everyone in Boise. It has brought some development (and the economic activity generated) to a standstill. Not surprisingly, this has had an impact on the Armory process. On the positive side, it has also offered time for everyone involved to consider the site and its potential with the benefit of more time and perspective. 

The condition of the Armory structure has been a source of some speculation for decades. The City of Boise correctly recognized that a thorough engineering analysis of the building was necessary to estimate costs for preservation, stabilization and repurposing. City staffed recently commissioned a formal engineering study that speaks to seismic and hazardous materials considerations. This is not only valuable information from a city and neighborhood perspective, but puts the City of Boise in a much better position to work with a potential purchaser or entertain preservation and repurposing.

The site and structure continue to attract the interest of developers and businesses. We are hopeful that new signs of life in the economy will make it possible to see progress in the coming year. The structure continues to be the target of vandals despite the City’s vigilance, but we are hopeful the 2011 will be a good year for everyone concerned. With luck, the site will once again be a source of community pride, a center of activity and creative energy, and an engine for growth in the local economy.

Our hope is that the work of EENA and the Armory subcommittee, in partnership with the City of Boise and other interested parties, has contributed to the body of knowledge about the Armory. It must be said that throughout this process our members have consistently been impressed with the work and conduct of City staff, Mayor Bieter and Council. EENA’s goal from the start was to approach the process proactively and openly as partners. The City has responded in kind with respect and creative flexibility; most importantly, they have listened to neighbors pursuing practical solutions. This is how things are supposed to work.

Again, we are fortunate to have had the involvement and commitment of generous and talented neighbors throughout the process. Beside the Armory subcommittee, we all owe a debt of gratitude to neighbor Cheryl Flinn, whose contribution of web design and hosting make this site possible as a source of information for neighbors, City staff and potential developers and partners. This has been an invaluable gift.

It’s not over yet, but it’s moving in the right direction. More soon.

Just a quick update to let folks know the Reserve Street Armory team is still active and tracking progress. Last fall, CCDC engaged a professional consulting firm to conduct preliminary studies of the Armory site and its relationship to other publicly owned parcels nearby. As we await the results of this early work, the advisory team is considering next steps from a neighborhood perspective. Stay tuned for announcements in the next few weeks and months. Thanks to all who have commented and offered your help!

The Boise Armory project was recently featured in Next American City magazine as an example of how neighborhood groups can work with local government and developers on a common goal.

To read the entire article, click on the title below:

No Signs of Conflict at Boise’s Historic Reserve Street Armory

And folks are already commenting on the piece:

 

 

It is so refreshing to hear about a project that is actually suceeding in many ways; the options are an array of progressive, sustainable, local-grown, but also profitable possibilities that come from cooperation and collaboration.  This is a great model for other cities to use for similar situations. —Julia Dowling, New Jersey

Great news! Committee Chair Laura Shealy learned recently that the City of Boise has moved the proposed late 2008 Armory auction into the spring of 2009. Several factors influenced their decision, and we are grateful to have additional breathing room to explore the site’s future. There has been increased interest in the Amory from several sources in the past weeks and months, and we hope to make good use of the extra time to pursue some promising leads and potential collaboration.

A City of Boise spokesperson alluded to another interesting development:

The city of Boise is currently considering transferring the property to Capital City Development Corporation, the city’s urban renewal agency. According to city spokesman Adam Park, the CCDC would create a comprehensive redevelopment plan for the site before putting the property up for sale.

“The redevelopment plan would have heavy neighborhood involvement,” Park says, who was encouraged by the efforts of the East End Neighbors Association. “We’ve gotten good feedback from the neighborhood already. It’s been a positive process.”

The city has particular interest in the Armory’s potential to diversify the economic base of downtown Boise, where market-rate and luxury development has limited housing options for the workforce.

While we are excited to have new alternatives and options, we are aware of the enormous challenges ahead. This is a first step; our hope is that an open and inclusive process will result in a diverse coalition of community stakeholders who can move the project forward. Thanks to everyone involved so far: EENA, CCDC, NENA, DBA, the City Council and the Mayor’s office. We look forward to new partnerships with the Idaho Nation Guard and those interested in preservation and sustainable development that creates a net gain for Boise.

Some of the suggested uses for the Armory reflect the concept of creative live-work space as an economic engine and neighborhood asset. The following is an excerpt from www.knowledgeplex.org:

Leveraging Investments in Creativity (LINC) is a ten-year national initiative to improve conditions for artists in all disciplines which will enable them in their creative work and contribute to community life. With leadership support from the Ford Foundation, Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Nathan Cummings Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, and Surdna Foundation, LINC focuses on three strategic goals:

• Expanding financial supports for artists’ work;
• Improving artists’ access to essential material supports such as live/work space, insurance, equipment and professional development; and
• Bolstering knowledge, networks and public policies that enhance artists’ work and their contributions to communities.

Link to the final report: Artist Space Development: Financing

As the Idaho Green Expo concludes, it’s fitting to explore how preserving historic structures such as the Armory represents sustainable development and energy savings. Preservation supports environmental, economic and social sustainability in several ways. Here are some excerpts from a white paper on the topic prepared for the National Trust for Historic Preservation:

1. Embodied Energy
Conserving buildings preserves embodied energy (energy expended to create the materials and construct the building), and reduces the need for new materials.

2. Life Cycle Assessment
Life cycle assessment (LCA) reveals that retaining and rehabilitating buildings is more environmentally friendly than new construction. The Canada-based Athena Institute has developed a life cycle assessment tool that helps illustrate the numerous environmental merits of building conservation.

3. Waste generation
Preserving buildings reduces waste in landfills. Demolition of housing produces an average of 115 lbs of waste per square foot, while demolition of commercial buildings generates approximately 155 lbs of waste per square foot. For the Armory, this means we could potentially avoid sending 6.2 million pounds, or 3,100 tons of waste to the Ada County landfill.

4. Sprawl reduction
Preservation reduces sprawl, by encouraging the continued use and revitalization of our existing community. Preservation reduces pressure for development on the urban fringe, and thereby reduces accompanying environmental impacts of sprawl, such as loss of natural habitat, increased reliance on automobiles, and development of environmentally and economically costly infrastructure. This is particularly true of the Armory site and structure, situated at the crossroads of the North End, East End, Downtown and Foothills neighborhoods and within walking/biking distance of major employers in Boise’s core.

5. General operating efficiency
It is often alleged that historic building are energy hogs, and therefore should be demolished rather than rehabilitated. In fact, some historic buildings are more energy efficient than more recently constructed buildings. While some historic buildings may indeed perform poorly, data suggests that many outperform modern buildings. Numerous green rehabilitations of historic buildings also prove that where building energy performance is lacking, it can be improved in a way that is sensitive to historic fabric.

Keep in mind that the Armory is currently on Boise’s geothermal system, meaning a 30% reduction in heating costs relative to 2007 prices, and increasing savings as energy costs continue to spiral upwards.

6. Windows
There is a common perception that windows are a major source of heat loss and gain. Yet retaining historic windows is often more environmentally friendly than replacement with new thermally resistant windows. Government data suggests that windows are responsible for only 10% of air infiltration in the average home. Furthermore, a 1996 study finds that the performance of updated historic windows is in fact comparable to new windows. Window retention also preserves embodied energy, and reduces demand for environmentally costly new windows, typically constructed of vinyl or aluminum.

7. Economic development
Historic Preservation spurs economic development. Numerous studies indicate that preservation serves as a catalyst for additional investment in communities.

8. Job creation
Dollar for dollar, preservation creates more jobs than new construction. Several studies and an economic input-output model developed by Carnegie Mellon University demonstrate that preservation activities create more jobs than new construction.

9. Economic competitiveness
Historic resources can increase economic competitiveness by helping create a dynamic environment that draws highly skilled workers. Quality of place is a draw for an increasingly mobile, talented, and sought after class of workers. Historic buildings contribute to the richness and diversity of the built environment, and help to create dynamic places that attract talent.

10. Small-business friendly
Historic buildings are friendly to small-businesses. Older buildings often offer more affordable rents, and are a good match for the space needs of small businesses.

11. Service-based economic growth
Preservation promotes service-based economic development. As noted in argument 8, preservation is more labor intensive than new construction. Dollar for dollar, preservation creates more growth than new construction, while using fewer natural resources.

12. Affordable housing
Preservation is a powerful generator of affordable housing. Equity is a core tenet of sustainable development, and affordable housing is key to achieving equity. Historic buildings have served as a valuable source of affordable housing.

13. Enhanced building efficiency
Improving the energy efficiency of historic buildings makes them more economically sustainable to operate. An increasing number of case studies demonstrate that the energy performance of historic buildings can be improved in a way that is sensitive to historic fabric.

14. Higher-wage job creation
Generator of High Quality Employment. Preservation requires more specialized skills, generating higher-wage employment.

Read the attached white paper for more details about these 14 points.

Historic Preservation as Sustainable Development

The plaque recognizing the Armory as a historic WPA project was pried off and stolen recently. The plaque was located to the lower right-hand side of the main entrance at 801 Reserve. If you have information regarding this crime, please contact the Boise Police Department.

See photo