New blogs for Idaho Falls development junkies (Pocatello, Twin Falls: subsidized, pros and cons)

[evGTA15]

Originally Posted by Mtn. States Resident

They are sure staying quiet about what is being built first, while making sure all the media know to be there.
I thought when JHJ was announced there were two hotels on the property. The latest news I saw said one hotel. Maybe that is one for now.

Do you remember those original plans? I sure thought it was two. But maybe JHJ didn't get all the property they wanted. Or if Mat Morgan is a partial owner he needs his five years of experience with others in one hotel first.

Matt Morgan says build out will be 5-7 years. He emphasized all the Drive thrus and sit down restaurants, a C store/gas station etc.

He's so busy he may not have all the employees he needs to build faster.

Anyone want to guess what businesses may get their first shovel of dirt dug on Thurrsday? It seems odd how information is scare, but the media and public are invited

I am thinking the same thing about the number of hotels they had planned. BizMojo has the conceptual rendering, it shows 2 next to each other but the story mentions "a hotel." BizMojo Idaho: Jackson Hole Junction groundbreaking set for Thursday morning

[Mtn. States Resident]

Originally Posted by evGTA15

I am thinking the same thing about the number of hotels they had planned. BizMojo has the conceptual rendering, it shows 2 next to each other but the story mentions "a hotel." BizMojo Idaho: Jackson Hole Junction groundbreaking set for Thursday morning

I did look back and it said hotel (s) in July 2015 when JHJ was first announced. It may be the initial announcement was wrong, one hotel to be built currently, decreasing the number as plans may have firmed up for hotels around the Events Center or other. My original thought when I saw the design was a combination hotel. Kind of a new concept, Holiday Inn Express down one hall, a shared swimming pool, sometimes with a waterslide for indoors making the change to the other hotel, a Bainbridge. That combination seems to have very popular in neighboring states. It could be considered one hotel in many ways, but two in other metrics.

We know in the spring prior to the Springhill Suites breaking ground, two other independent hotel chains came to look at property, in Idaho Falls. Perhaps one or both of them are planning to build hotels. I'd like to see a Hyatt here.

Also on the hotel scene, the Guest House Inn is being "leased" as the FairBridge Hotel & Suites. It's booked under this name all summer. This was part of an Idaho change. Former Guest House Inn at Kellogg, Couer d'Alene, Sandpoint, Lewiston and Idaho Falls made the conversion during the spring. So did Missoula and Spokane. A Seattle based chain, I'm glad to see Idaho Falls considered a " premiere location in the west."

What's your guess, evGTA, what will the Big Box be?

[evGTA15]

Originally Posted by Mtn. States Resident

I did look back and it said hotel (s) in July 2015 when JHJ was first announced. It may be the initial announcement was wrong, one hotel to be built currently, decreasing the number as plans may have firmed up for hotels around the Events Center or other. My original thought when I saw the design was a combination hotel. Kind of a new concept, Holiday Inn Express down one hall, a shared swimming pool, sometimes with a waterslide for indoors making the change to the other hotel, a Bainbridge. That combination seems to have very popular in neighboring states. It could be considered one hotel in many ways, but two in other metrics.

We know in the spring prior to the Springhill Suites breaking ground, two other independent hotel chains came to look at property, in Idaho Falls. Perhaps one or both of them are planning to build hotels. I'd like to see a Hyatt here.

Also on the hotel scene, the Guest House Inn is being "leased" as the FairBridge Hotel & Suites. It's booked under this name all summer. This was part of an Idaho change. Former Guest House Inn at Kellogg, Couer d'Alene, Sandpoint, Lewiston and Idaho Falls made the conversion during the spring. So did Missoula and Spokane. A Seattle based chain, I'm glad to see Idaho Falls considered a " premiere location in the west."

What's your guess, evGTA, what will the Big Box be?

I cannot give a certain guess at the moment, but I am thinking possibly a Target or something similar since I can remember I heard something along the lines of a Super Target taking over the Kingston Plaza, though I may totally wrong.

Also, I wouldn't mind an IKEA here, though I'd say highly unlikely.

[Mtn. States Resident]

It appears, via NPG, today was more about formality and my guess is the stop light than anything. Matt Morgan talked almost exclusively about the road construction, stoplight etc. NPG should post that brief interview within an hour. Hmm, the interview gets edited two ways. But they both end the same.

Estimated at $200 million, the project will be 42 acres. I believe that is the original amount announced.

Construction on the buildings in JHJ will start Spring 2017.

[IFGuy]

Makes sense..they still need to build roads and place utilities before they can build plus platting and government things.

Wow, there sure is a ton of development on the horizon!

[Theotherdude]

Yes there is. Right now is the fastest I've ever seen our city grow. Many expect the events center to break ground in 17 as well.

When Jackson Hole Junction was announced last year I think I remember Matt Morgan saying there was to be another car dealer too. If that's still the case, I would expect that, a convenience store and a hotel to be among the first

[Mtn. States Resident]

Here is what NPG finally posted.

Ground broken for Jackson Hole Junction commercial center | News - Home

The P. R. was a little more thorough. Construction of the Access Road has already started. ITD has given approval for the stoplight. Approval of those two important infrastructure items was the litmus test for several who plan to locate at JHJ, per Matt Morgan. He reportedly said he has "handshake agreements" with several who want to locate there, but they wanted the stoplight and access road approved first. I believe those potential tenants just got Matt Morgan's end of his handshake delivered.

I remember some of the negotiations about the stoplight. It is a Big Deal when it has to be granted by ITD and not County etc. There was so much discussion about having two stoplights on W. Sunnyside between the I-116 access and the river.

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In a lot of ways it makes sense to me that 2017 is going to big a big construction year. Woodbury will look like a genius getting 7-8 months head start on the Springhill Suites.

Just a guess on my part but after Construction starts on the Events Center and JHJ, I think we'll see more commercial development. We. Sunnyside will be the area in 2017 along with a few others.

I'd heard rumors in early summer that the LDS Temple remodel had encountered additional obstacles and wasn't going to be finished in Oct. as originally thought. Again, the P.R. has this story in more thorough details today. I know some websites have had it basically as a one line comment. The P.R. lists what the construction crew has encountered that was an unknown at the time remodel started. Now the Temple will re-open first quarter of 2017.

There has now been a 4th project for homes/Townhomes on the west side of I. F. This isn't a mega size and will be built in phases. But this one is N. of Broadway, the first I've seen developing the area west of the airport.

It would almost appear some residential developers have read the numbers about INL hiring 500 last year and perhaps as many as 700 this year. NuScale is getting lots of press this week. It is far from the only INL-RELATED project. New Navy facility etc. I guess I'll sum it up this way. I'm aware of where INL Lab Director, Dr. Mark Peters, is building his new home - I know his soon-to-be be neighbor. I think he anticipates being here a while

[Theotherdude]

A development agreement was signed by the city for SRL. I think the area of interest is at the end of what will be "Events Center Drive" (that's the name for now anyway). Closest to the river. Although the zoning is C-1 my hunch is another dense housing project. As the events center picks up steam as well as the new Heritage park, I would expect developers to go crazy for land there, as well as JHJ, TC, and Sunnyside Crossroads. A large mid-rise housing building might look out of place there as of now but would fit right in in just a few years. I'm not saying that's what will go there but I wouldn't exactly rule it out.

[Mtn. States Resident]

Originally Posted by Theotherdude

A development agreement was signed by the city for SRL. I think the area of interest is at the end of what will be "Events Center Drive" (that's the name for now anyway). Closest to the river. Although the zoning is C-1 my hunch is another dense housing project. As the events center picks up steam as well as the new Heritage park, I would expect developers to go crazy for land there, as well as JHJ, TC, and Sunnyside Crossroads. A large mid-rise housing building might look out of place there as of now but would fit right in in just a few years. I'm not saying that's what will go there but I wouldn't exactly rule it out.

I'm confused. How can the city sign a development agreement?

Do you remember last year when you and I found the Falls apartments months prior to construction? At the same time I found what was a planned Condo Development called Riverside Village or The Village. Since that time Eric Isom has said SRL may opt for Townhomes instead of Condos.

Regardless of which is being built, I agree in the general area around the man-made lake east of SRL PARKWAY, which is in the Events Center general area. I'd be surprised if housing was directly opposite from the Events Center. Commercial development such as hotels, restaurants and even Big box or smaller stores tend to locate by arenas. But a few blocks north would be great for Condos or Townhomes.

You raise a fascinating question about a tower. I'll have to give that more thought. If it was north almost to Eagle Ridge I'd ask how many stories. But that far south, with the themes the city is emphasizing in Heritage Park, I honestly don't see more than two or three levels at that part of SRL by the river. I could see a 7-10 story tower west of SR Parkway much easier, or more north on the eastside.

If you haven't seen the themes and goals for Heritage Park it is worth the look on the city's webpage under Parks. It's got a really unique design and in some ways even splits visitors by age based on what can be done where.

[Mtn. States Resident]

Per East Idaho News, Kneaders will open in Sept. More info here: Kneaders plans to open in Ammon next month - East Idaho News