The changing face of downtown Meridian
Creating new identity for the once-rural farm town could mean restoring some downtown buildings, razing others; Experts say city is on right track to revitalization
Idaho Statesman
07/19/2006
(Boise) - A snapshot of downtown Meridian shows little progress toward revitalization. In five years, that snapshot could look much different if plans by city leaders, economic development advocates and developers come to fruition. Plans call for multi-story housing, condominiums, more restaurants, shops and offices . City leaders say those projects will spur other redevelopment in the heart of Meridian's downtown and draw a new generation of shoppers, residents and businesses.
Here's and on Page 11 is a look at some of the major areas planned for redevelopment, compared to current and past photos.
Downtown Meridian may never again be what it once was, rural storefronts dedicated to a farming economy and tied to Idaho's agricultural past.
The city's skyline, once characterized by towering grain elevators and the weather-worn smokestack from the Meridian Creamery, could be transformed into a nouveau historic downtown with modern structures, parking garages, multi-story housing and thriving government, office and retail centers. Experts say downtown revitalization is crucial for Meridian to achieve its goal of developing into more than a bedroom community, more than just subdivisions.
National revitalization experts say city leaders and the Meridian Development Corp. are on the right track, although certain steps are necessary to achieve the city's ultimate goal -- a walkable downtown with housing, retail, jobs, entertainment and parking that entices people to abandon their cars and embrace urban living.
Mayor Tammy de Weerd wants the city to be known as the Treasure Valley's center, a real city with its own identity and not a bedroom community for Boise. Recent studies by the region's planning agency show the population center of the Valley has shifted to Meridian.
Christopher Leinberger , a Brookings Institution fellow and director of the real estate program at the University of Michigan, said Meridian's growing number of subdivisions must adapt to a national trend toward urban living in downtowns. Although slowing in 2006, Meridian's building department issued permits to build 3,166 single-family homes in 2005, the most ever in a single year.
"The market is changing. We in real estate have been used to building conventional development," Leinberger said.
Meridian's population has swelled from around 9,500 people in 1990 to more than 66,000 today. The vast majority of existing Meridian development -- sprawling, fenced subdivisions -- requires car transportation. The key to downtown revitalization success stories is walkability in a 1,500-foot radius, Leinberger said.
"It means you can get around on foot and you can get to real places," Leinberger said.
That could relieve a city struggling with vehicles from around the Treasure Valley converging on Meridian's congested roads. The Idaho Transportation Department is making over a seven-mile stretch of Eagle Road that counts tens of thousands of vehicles each day. And the Ada County Highway District will soon begin to re-work traffic through Meridian's clogged downtown.
Downtown development plans include the occasional homage to the city's heritage, but most call for larger retailers, pricey condominiums and a new city hall. Other older buildings, like the twin brick structures at the corner of Broadway Avenue and 2nd Street, have the best chance for renewal.
MDC, the city's urban renewal agency, is creating a plan to update the city's "streetscapes" with matching tree grates, brick paths, park benches and lights.
Preliminary plans for a City Hall on the site of the dilapidated Meridian Creamery include saving just one of the 1920 structures. The iconic smokestack appears doomed -- it's structurally unsound and may contain asbestos. The city has not decided whether the structure will be saved, razed or cut down, said Assistant City Attorney Ted Baird.
Holding on to the city's heritage may be the only way to improve the stagnant downtown core, said Jon Schallert, head of The Schallert Group Inc., an expert in creating "destination" environments.
Years ago, the city began a process to create a vision for Old Town, including a special taxing district for the MDC. One of the visions included a new look for the aging twin brick buildings at the corner of Broadway Avenue and 2nd Street.
One building had been a grocery store and sits empty next to local bars. The other building, covered in tan paint and stucco, is home to H&H Utility Contractors . That building is for sale, along with a large portion of the block, said owner Gordon Heath.
Meridian's downtown revitalization started in the late 1980s or early 1990s when a local law firm remodeled the 100-year-old Heritage building on the corner of Idaho Avenue and Main Street, said Meridian Development Corp. Executive Director Clair Bowman . But the effort won't be finished until the city manages to acquire and redevelop 20 acres of land along Bower and Main that is currently held by Union Pacific Railroad.
BUICH OFFICE COMPLEX
For years, Meridian residents drove through the aging downtown and filled their gas tanks at the old Shell gas station on the corner of Broadway Avenue and Main Street.
M&H Development of Eagle bought the property with plans to construct a three-story multi-use building next door to the old Meridian Creamery. The developer had filed an application for the project, generally referred to as the Buich Office Complex, but later pulled it when plans changed.
The city is still waiting for a final plan for the site, where the old gas station building slowly declines.
MERIDIAN CREAMERY
Meridian leaders say a new city hall is critical as the city continues to grow. City leaders want to create a multi-story, 80,000-square-foot building with room for a growing city staff that would house the majority of city services under one roof.
Earlier this year, the city agreed to buy the Meridian Creamery from developer RSCI, which had planned a retail and office development on the site. The price hasn't been disclosed, and the city's selected architect has not finalized drawings. The deal is expected to close Aug. 3.
"It takes a lot to get momentum going," said Meridian Development Corp. Executive Director Clair Bowman. "The City Hall will be a catalyst that will kick us into high speed."
Local farmers formed the Ada County Dairymen's Cooperative in 1927 and built the Creamery building in Meridian to create a steady market for their milk. The Creamery opened in 1929, serving as the mainstay of Meridian's economy for more than 40 years. Fewer than two decades after the Creamery opened, it was processing more milk than any other creamery in North America.
Unlike smaller creameries at the time, the creamery accepted whole milk. It also produced butter and dried milk before operations moved to Caldwell in 1970. Wyeth Laboratories continued making baby formula in the Meridian facility until the late 1970s.
OAAS LANEY AT THE OLD FEED MILL
The demolition of the Double D Service Center is the first visible sign of a new downtown as agricultural structures give way to modern buildings.
Crews demolished the old feed mill, silos and grain elevator at Bower and Main streets in March. Today, the lot sits empty, save for scraped dirt and a few pieces of heavy construction equipment.
For nearly 100 years, the concrete mill and grain elevator towered over downtown as one icon of Meridian's agricultural roots.
Developer Oaas Laney plans to build a three- or four-story building with shops and restaurants, offices and condominiums on the site. Steve Laney said preliminary plans include a "large retailer" on most of the ground floor, one or two floors of office space and a floor of condos.
The company is currently "test marketing" an interest in the condos and prices, he said.
"We were surprised at the interest level," Laney said. "That's what's leading us to add a fourth floor."
The company likely will file an application for the new building with Meridian officials sometime this summer, Laney said.
Editor's note: A version of this story ran on the Main cover of the Idaho Statesman, July 15.
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