Garden City approved a second urban renewal district south of Chinden Boulevard, excluding the Boise Hawks stadium for now, to boost infrastructure and development.
GARDEN CITY, Idaho — Garden City’s City Council has approved a second urban renewal district south of Chinden Boulevard to support new development, without the Boise Hawks stadium included.
Mayor-elect Bill Jacobs said the stadium wasn’t ready to be included in the district but could be added later. The original plan had called for using district funds to power infrastructure upgrades to the stadium.
The new district stretches south of Chinden Boulevard between Glenwood Street and I-84, targeting an area attracting development interest but lacking adequate infrastructure.
“That part of the city, the south side of Chinden Boulevard, doesn’t have adequate infrastructure to accommodate new development,” Jacobs said. “The current services in terms of water and sewer can’t really support any new development.”
The district will allow the city to fund utility and infrastructure upgrades as well as new housing development.
“What could come is a variety of housing types, multi-use, and could really then expand the areas of the city where people could go and enjoy Garden City,” Jacobs said.
Urban renewal districts don’t increase homeowner taxes. Instead, they capture property tax revenue from increased property values above a set baseline. Incremental tax revenue goes to the district rather than to other taxing entities.
“You set a base number value, and then as those property values go up, the incremental above the base is what tax goes to the urban renewal district,” Jacobs said.
This is Garden City’s second urban renewal district. The first funded projects include new wineries and restaurants in the city’s east end.
No one testified in opposition during a Nov. 24 public hearing.
“People realize that as long as it’s not increasing their taxes, and then it’s going to bring potential better development in that part of town, which is going to improve the city,” Jacobs said.
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