Boise site has residential and retail potential Developing area could bring activity to downtown January 29, 2008 What is the potential for the old Boise site and why should anyone but the developers care? To begin with, it's a unique opportunity to reclaim a 13-acre abandoned mill site downtown and turn it into a signature mixed-use development to anchor the south downtown area. It's a chance to bring more activity and vitality down to the Willamette River and park and to complete the transformation of Salem's waterfront that was started with A.C. Gilbert's Discovery Village and the creation of Riverfront Park. What kind of mixed use? We're still in the very early stages of the feasibility studies, looking at residential, retail and commercial needs downtown, but we believe there is a need for all three. Certainly, residential is an important component, whether condominiums or apartments or a mix. A key factor for success of downtown retail is the strong presence of people living within easy walking distance. That customer base creates a demand for services and extends the business day into the evening. This site offers some unmatched amenities for residential living -- it has Salem's premier park as its front yard; incredible views of the river, Minto-Brown Island and the West Salem hills; and access to a network of nature paths. It's all within an easy walk of the downtown core for shopping and entertainment. Attractive retail and commercial spaces at street level bring lots of activity to the sidewalks and gives people a reason to stroll around and check out the shops while they are in and around the park or attending events at the Salem Conference Center -- that's an interesting possibility to explore. We're looking at creating a synergy with the Conference Center, with the possibility of more off-street parking less than a block away and much easier access for everyone to the riverfront and the parks and paths network. On-site parking is a real possibility for reuse of some of the existing structures. We're looking at ways to help the downtown parking situation, not add to the shortage. It may be possible to provide more parking on-site than the development needs and make the rest available for the Conference Center overflow, city hall or monthly parking. A critical piece of the redevelopment will be rescuing part of Pringle Creek that has been covered by buildings, hidden from sight, for more than 90 years. Once it's open, we have the potential of working with the city to create an active riverwalk path for pedestrians, strollers and bicycles that links Riverfront Park under Commercial Street to the Civic Center mirror pond open space and the existing creekside path network that extends to Salem Hospital, Willamette University and Bush's Pasture Park. Once the city completes the conversion of the railroad bridge at the north end to West Salem and the bridge to Minto-Brown, Salem will have a downtown network of parks and paths that is unmatched in the country. The Boise site is the key that unlocks it all. This is an opportunity that only comes once. Whatever gets created on this location will be there for at least our lifetime; and our commitment is to do it right, so the full potential of this site for downtown and the city is realized. There will be significant challenges, and it's going to take the full cooperation and commitment to the vision by the development team, the city and the many state and federal agencies involved with the railroad, the state highway and the creek daylighting and restoration efforts. Creating the best possible access to and from the site -- safely accommodating pedestrians, vehicles and the railroad corridor -- will take months of discussions and planning. Delivering a restored Pringle Creek corridor that protects water quality but also accommodates pedestrians and bicycles, which brings people down where they can see and appreciate the water, will take years of work. What a great fit with the Mayor's Vision 2020 effort and what a wasted opportunity for Salem if the agencies can't share the vision for this site and can't find a way to cooperate to complete the transformation of the south riverfront and integrate it into the greater downtown. We expect at least a year of hard work before you will see physical changes on the site. We need to first create and solidify that common vision, work through the many permitting processes involved and ensure that the proposed development meets the city's zoning and Urban Renewal Agency goals. Economic success of the development is vital to create the maximum possible property-tax revenues for the city and change the face of the south downtown. Our development team is tremendously excited by the challenges, and this great opportunity to work with the community to create a signature development for Salem on this unique site. Tim Gerling is project manager for redevelopment of the Boise site in downtown Salem |