Downtown Boise

Downtown Boise is the central business district of Boise, Idaho, located north of the Boise River. It is the largest city center in the state of Idaho.

Downtown Boise
Downtown Boise from the Aspen Lofts
Coordinates: 43.615°N 116.204°W / 43.615; -116.204
Country	United States
State	Idaho
County	Ada County
City	Boise
Subdistricts of downtown	List BoDo Boise Central Downtown Boise Cultural District Capitol District Linen District Old Boise Pioneer District
Area
• Total	1.02 sq mi (2.63 km^2)
Highest elevation	2,724 ft (830 m)
Lowest elevation	2,672 ft (814 m)
ZIP codes	83702
Area code(s)	208
Website	downtownboise.org

Economy

Largest employers

#	Employer	# of Employees
1	St. Luke's Health Systems	6,000 to 6,500
2	Boise Independent School District #1	3,500 to 4,000
3	City of Boise	1,500 to 2,000
4	JR Simplot Co	1,500 to 2,000
5	Ada County	1,500 to 2,000
6	State of Idaho Department of Health and Welfare	1,000 to 1,500
7	Idaho Power Co	1,000 to 1,500
8	Wells Fargo Bank NA	1,000 to 1,500
9	United States Postal Service	1,000 to 1,500
10	Century Link	500 to 1000

• Sources:[1]

Parks

Cecil D. Andrus Park is a two-acre park in the Capitol District, just south of the Idaho State Capitol. The park is home to brick walkways, lawns, shrubs, and trees, planting beds, benches and picnic tables. The Golden Garden Club began a beautification project in the park in 2007. In 2008, new streetlights were installed in the park. A central plaza in the park honor servicemen and servicewomen with plaques. The park is home to three statues: Lincoln created by (Alphonso Pelzer, 1915), Steunenberg depicting Governor Steunenberg (Gilber Riswold, 1927) and Hospitality at the Nez Perce, which depicts Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, Chief Twisted Hair and his son, Lawyer (Dough Hyde, 2006).

C.W. Moore Park is a small urban park in Old Boise. The land was given to the city in the 1930s by Charles Wilkinson Moore, who once served as president of the First National Bank of Idaho.[2] The land had been used off and on as a park, but it wasn't until 1983 that the park was re-established. The park has segments of old buildings and signs along the walls. The park is also home to a water wheel and an open cut section of the Grove Street Ditch, which was constructed in 1866.[3]

The Grove is a plaza located in the center of downtown, reached via tree-lined pedestrian ways that are segments of Eighth and Grove Streets. In the middle of the plaza is a fountain. There are a number of public art displays in the Grove. The plaza is also home to regular outdoor events throughout the year, including the local farmer's market.

The Idaho Anne Frank Human Right Memorial is an educational park dedicated to Anne Frank along the Boise River. The memorial features guided pathways, waterfalls and a 180-foot-long sandstone wall with quotes from various writers.

Julia Davis Park, at over 90 acres is by far, the largest park in downtown Boise. The park is home to a number of cultural and educational sites, including Zoo Boise, the Boise Art Museum, the Julia Davis Rose Garden, the Gene Harris Bandshell, the Idaho State Historical Museum, Discovery Center of Idaho, and the Idaho Black History Museum. The park also has a statue of Abraham Lincoln sitting on a stone bench. Paddleboats, including some shaped like pelicans and swans, can be rented to explore the lagoon and canal in the park. The park is also home to Coston Cabin and Pearce Cabin. Coston Cabin was located seven miles east of its current site originally and was built in 1863 by Isaac Coston from driftwood from the river.[4] Pearce Cabin was also built in 1863 by Ira B. Pearce from logs from the mountains.[5]

Kristin's Park is the smallest park downtown, at just over 1700 square feet. A short paved trail passes through the mini-park called the Pioneer Path. The trail ends on the sidewalk near the intersection of Myrtle and 11th Streets to the north. To the south, the path connects with the Boise River Greenbelt.

Pioneer Tot Lot is a small playground in the Pioneer District for children from 2 to 12 years of age.

Rhodes Park is a small park located at the southern edge of the Linen District and is named for a former Ada County commissioner. In 1992, Glenn Rhodes raised contributions and helped coordinate and build the park in park. The park, which is home to a skate park, basketball courts and picnic tables.[6] The site is located under Interstate 184, often referred to as the "Connector".[7]

Shoreline Park is a small park located on the Boise River along the Greenbelt. picnic tables, a grass overpass over the beltway, picnic table, and a river overlook. The park also serves as the location for the police volunteer ranger program.[8]

Tallest buildings

Rank	Name	Image	Height ft (m)	Floors	Year	Coordinates	Notes
01.01	Zions Bank Building	-->	01.0323 (98)	18	2014	43°36′58.3″N 116°12′13.2″W	Tallest building in Idaho since 2013
01.02	U.S. Bank Plaza		01.0267 (81)	19	1978	43°36′53.8″N 116°12′11.4″W	Tallest building in Idaho from 1978 to 2013
01.03	One Capital Center		01.0206 (63)	14	1975	43°36′58.7″N 116°12′20.9″W	Tallest building in Idaho from 1975 to 1978
01.04	Idaho State Capitol		01.0206 (63)	4	1920	43°37′3.9″N 116°11′59″W	Tallest building in Idaho from 1920 to 1975
01.05	Grove Hotel		01.0196 (60)	16	2000	43°36′50.8″N 116°12′14.4″W
01.06	The Aspen Lofts		01.0194 (59)	17	2009	43°36′50.8″N 116°12′21.3″W
01.07	Wells Fargo Center		01.0182 (55)	11	1988	43°36′57.2″N 116°12′16.6″W
01.08	Banner Bank Building		01.0181 (55)	11	2006	43°37′6.1″N 116°12′14″W
01.09	Key Center		01.0174 (53)	13	1963	43°36′58″N 116°12′5.8″W
01.010	Hoff Building		01.0165 (50)	14	1930	43°37′4″N 116°12′7.5″W

Transportation

Interstate 184 connects Interstate 84 with downtown. The interstate also carries US 20 and US 26 into downtown, which joins the freeway in Garden City. The freeway ends downtown at 13th Street, where it continues along two five-lane one-way streets. Myrtle Street carries eastbound traffic, while the three center lanes of the westbound Front Street become I-184 westbound. Broadway carries US 20/US 26 south to I-84, where it runs concurrently with the freeway heading east. Downtown is three miles north of the Boise Airport.

Bus service

Greyhound has a bus terminal in downtown Boise at Bannock and Thirteenth Streets. Greyhound operates buses to Salt Lake City and points beyond and to Pendleton, where one can continue on to Portland, Seattle or Spokane. ValleyRide offers numerous bus routes downtown that service the rest of the Boise metropolitan area.

River crossings

• Americana Bridge carries Americana Boulevard and two sidewalks over the river
• Pioneer Footbridge is a pedestrian bridge, which connects Anne Morrison Park and the Boise River Greenbelt[9]
• Ninth Street Bridge, built in 1987, carries the southbound lanes of Ninth Street and two sidewalks over the river[10]
• Eighth Street Bridge is a pedestrian bridge linking downtown with the Lusk Street District/JoPo neighborhood[11][12]
• Oregon Trail Memorial Bridge, concrete arch bridge built in 1931 carries northbound lanes of Capitol Boulevard and two sidewalks over the river[13]
• Friendship Bridge is a pedestrian bridge, which connects the Boise State University campus with Julia Davis Park[14]
• Broadway Bridge, built in 1956, is being replaced with a new, larger bridge. It carried Broadway Avenue and two sidewalks over the river[15]

References

1. "Top Employers in the Boise Valley". 2010/2011. Archived from the original on 2016-11-18. Retrieved 2013-10-10. Check date values in: |year= (help)
2. Charles Wilkinson Moore
3. C.W. Moore Park
4. Homestead Act in Boise Archived June 19, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
5. Federal Writers' Project. "Idaho: A Guide in Word and Picture." New York: Oxford University Press, 1950.
6. Rhodes Park
7. Idaho Transportation Department Archived August 9, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
8. Boise Greenbelt Guide
9. Boise River Greenbelt
10. Ninth Street Bridge
11. Lusk Street District Project
12. "Greenbelt map" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-03-21. Retrieved 2013-10-11.
13. Memorial Bridge Archived October 12, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
14. Greenbelt Guide
15. "Broadway Bridge Replacement Project". Archived from the original on 2013-10-12. Retrieved 2013-10-11.

External links

• Boise travel guide from Wikivoyage
• Downtown Boise Association
• Downtown Boise Living
• Downtown Boise map

External video
A cinéma vérité view of the redevelopment of downtown Boise in 1988