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Boise needs housing. So why did these proposed apartments near downtown draw opposition?

Students, students, and more students. That’s what three buildings proposed by a national developer of student apartments would likely attract just west of the Boise State University campus and across the Boise River from downtown.

With the university still growing, and Boise suffering a severe housing shortage, the apartments — which the developer contends would also attract young professionals and families — could help meet a need. But when the City Council had to decide whether to allow them, they drew a less-than-warm reception.

The three buildings would have brought 122 apartments to the Lusk District, which is across Capitol Boulevard from Boise State: 88 straddling South Lois Avenue — along with 900 square feet of retail space — and 34 at 916 W. Sherwood St., plus more retail space. The building along Capitol would have 126 rooms, the building along Lois 139, the Idaho Statesman previously reported. That’s enough for 265 people.

Parking was a big concern. Because of the size of the units in the buildings and their location, they are eligible for reduced city parking requirements. Council members worried about the implication that the buildings would likely be rented to students, who often have cars. The buildings would have mixes of smaller apartments and units with up to four bedrooms, which could be rented by individual rooms.

Apartments on Elmer’s Restaurant site

One of the proposals was for a pair of apartment buildings: One at 1385 S. Capitol Blvd. at the site of Elmer’s Restaurant, with a ground floor of retail and apartments above; and a second across South Lois Avenue to the west, with only apartments.

The second proposal was for another, smaller building a couple of blocks north. It would have commercial space on the first floor and apartments above it.

All three buildings would include some internal parking spots. While several council members are in favor of reducing residents’ reliance on cars, they argued the interior parking spots provided for residents were not enough, and cars would end up parked on nearby streets.

They also said the larger complex didn’t appear likely to be marketed for anyone other than students, even though the developer says non-students and families could live there.

“It doesn’t necessarily seem that we’re trying to draw families into this space, the way that it’s designed,” Council Member Jimmy Hallyburton said at Tuesday’s hearing.

Neighborhood association: Too much student housing

The developer, CA Ventures, of Chicago, has developed student apartments in Boise before. It built a five-story student apartment building on Boise Avenue in 2018, and it is constructing a 195-apartment complex — with rooms for more than 500 students — near the proposed ones on Lusk Street along the Boise River.

Nate Heintzman, a representative for the Lusk District Neighborhood Association, opposed the projects. He said that if they are approved along with an additional planned apartment building in between them, 77% of the housing available in the neighborhood would be for students. The planned building would have 91 student apartments with 278 bedrooms at the site of a former Pizza Hut at 818 W. Ann Morrison Park Drive.

Council Member Elaine Clegg also said the building along Capitol Boulevard did not appear to encourage cycling and pedestrian use, as its design does not include tree space separating walkers from cars. But she ultimately decided that more housing is needed, so she supported the two buildings near Capitol.

An architect’s rendering of one of the two Latitude student apartments proposed by Chicago developer CA Ventures at 1385 S. Capitol Blvd., the site of Boise’s Elmer’s Restaurant. This is the one along Capitol Boulevard, right. West Yale Street is in the foreground. BDE Architecture via city of Boise
An architect’s rendering of one of the two Latitude student apartments proposed by Chicago developer CA Ventures at 1385 S. Capitol Blvd., the site of Boise’s Elmer’s Restaurant. This is the one along Capitol Boulevard, right. West Yale Street is in the foreground. BDE Architecture via city of Boise

“I’ve always had the philosophy that more housing is good,” Clegg said.

The council voted 3-2 to approve the larger complex. Hallyburton and Council President Holli Woodings voted against the two buildings, while Clegg and members Patrick Bageant and Luci Willits gave it their OK. There is a vacancy on the six-member council, since Lisa Sánchez vacated her seat.

The project is expected to go before the city’s Design Review Committee this month, meaning that changes could still be coming to the building designs.

These apartments would replace Elmer’s near BSU’s entrance. What would happen to it?

A view from the south of an apartment tower in Boise’s Lusk District, which received approval from the City Council on Tuesday night. The design of the building is still under review, as is the design of a second building across South Lois Avenue to the west. BDE Architecture
A view from the south of an apartment tower in Boise’s Lusk District, which received approval from the City Council on Tuesday night. The design of the building is still under review, as is the design of a second building across South Lois Avenue to the west. BDE Architecture

“We still need to do better,” said Tim Keane, the city’s planning director, at Tuesday’s meeting.

Sherwood Street building lacks ‘Main Street’ feel

A view of a proposed apartment building in the Lusk District, which the Boise City Council denied on Tuesday because of its lack of parking and limited first-floor retail space. BDE Architecture
A view of a proposed apartment building in the Lusk District, which the Boise City Council denied on Tuesday because of its lack of parking and limited first-floor retail space. BDE Architecture

The second, smaller building, on Sherwood Street, next to Jim’s Appliance & Furniture, induced the same parking concerns among council members as the first building did, with the added reservation that this building is in the center of the Lusk District.

Council members also said they were concerned about a raised first story of the building, which the architect, Trevor Schur of BDE Architecture, said was due to its location in a flood plain, as it is near the river.

Though the proposal would have retail space on its first floor, Hallyburton said he thought 1,200 square feet was not enough to provide a Main Street feel.

“To achieve that storefront Main Street that that specific two center blocks of Lusk Street are designed for ... it’s not meeting the need of that desired plan,” Hallyburton said.

The second proposal was voted down, 3 to 2, with Bageant and Willits voting in favor.

Bageant asked colleagues if there were ways the proposal could be revised without scrapping it. Woodings said there was no way without a parking tower in the area, while Hallyburton said he thought he might approve the project if it had larger retail space.

Clegg said she thought a pedestrian-commercial zone would be more appropriate. Both proposals were before the council as rezoning, meaning that they require the city’s approval to change how the land in the area would be used. An application for a different zone would likely mean the failed project has to start over with the city — a process that can take months.

A representative for CA Ventures declined to comment.