5 minute read
THE DISTRICT AT TEN MILE
In addition to housing The District at 10 Mile, a 222-acre development in Meridian, includes retail, industrial, and office space.
BUILDING COMMUNITY WITH CARE AND VISION
WORDS BY ALAN HEATHCOCK
PHOTOS COURTESY AHLQUIST
Over the past many years, the Treasure Valley has become a breeding ground for construction cranes. With Idaho’s population boom, there’s hardly a corner of the valley not impacted. Conversations around development have veered into questioning how much is enough or too much, and how developers can implement projects with an eye toward the betterment of community and not at the detriment of existing quality of life. This is a challenge Tommy Ahlquist, CEO of Ahlquist Development, confronts with exceeding care and vision.
We're trying to remedy that supply issue in a considerate way.
-Tommy Ahlquist
Ahlquist recalls how the perception of development has changed over the years. Whereas the filling of “the hole” at 8th and Main (now the Zion Bank Building) in downtown Boise and the development of City Center Plaza were both met with enthusiasm, you now have an environment in which a lot of people are saying enough is enough.
“With growth comes opportunity and responsibility,” Ahlquist said. “We want to make sure things are done right. That we develop infill and don’t contribute to sprawl. Allow people to work closer to where they live. Have all the amenities in one place and make a community.”
One such opportunity comes in the form of The District at 10 Mile, a 222-acre development in Meridian, off I-84 and 10 Mile Road–not just another run-ofthe-mill building project, but an ambitious and mindful project to build an entire community. From retail space including restaurants and entertainment, to industrial and office space, and housing that crosses multiple demographics, the plan is to consciously create a self-contained community.
“When I was an E.R. doctor,” Ahlquist said. “I used to say that everyone’s interests should align. If patients have a great experience, then they’re happy. If the patients are happy, then the staff is happy. I tell our partners on the 10 Mile project that our interests should align with all the stakeholders.”
The location for The District was chosen to take advantage of existing infrastructure, the Highway 16 addition, optimizing undeveloped farmland and not adding to urban sprawl, while also considering much of the population growth in the valley is moving west. The plan holds land for 72 acres of residential development, including single family homes, townhomes, and at least 1,000 apartments. Though the choice of offering housing that covers multiple demographics is a wise business decision, considering absorption within each demographic, the community also benefits from allowing options for young and old, established homeowners, first time home buyers, as well as renters.
“The housing crisis in the valley is a supply problem,” Ahlquist said. “We’re trying to help remedy that supply issue in a considerate way.”
A project with the size and scope of The District requires a team of experts, and Alquist has partnered with Ball Ventures and Elevated Property Co., which is headed by Fred Bruning, the much-lauded developer behind the Boise Town Square Mall and The Village. “That guy is an unbelievable human being,” Ahlquist said, referring to Bruning. “He’s a very generous man, a visionary. He’s 73 now. Lots of people say what they think will work. Fred Bruning says ‘I’ve been doing this for forty years and here’s what does work.’”
Similar to Bruning’s vision for The Village, The District will offer a retail and entertainment experience that feels intimate and purposeful. The desire is to combine the retail environment of The Village with design concepts unique to The District, and with the addition of residential. The entire complex will be built for convenience and walkability. Though Ahlquist isn’t yet able to reveal the anchors already slated for The District, he says the abundance of users already committed will allow the construction phases to proceed on an accelerated timeline. Infrastructure has been going in over the past year, and the plan is to break ground on vertical construction in 2025. The entire project should take two to three years to complete.
Tommy Ahlquist has generations of his family in the valley. Legacy and community are important to him, and that means development with consideration toward making life better for those who live here. “The Treasure Valley offers a great quality of life,” he said. “We have access to the outdoors. We have unique art history here. Unique music history. We have Boise State University embraced by downtown Boise. People are going to continue moving here, so it’s important the community and its leaders come together to ask what’s the best way forward to retain and enhance what’s already great.”
