Community members are invited to share feedback about the future of the city-owned property at the Southwest corner of the Franklin and Orchard intersection. Earlier this summer, the city purchased the L-shaped 4.7-acre property that was once the site of the old Franklin School. The city is excited to help develop this key activity center into a neighborhood and community space that aligns with both the Central Bench neighborhood plan and the city’s Grow Our Housing and Energize Our Neighborhoods initiatives.
“The future of Franklin and Orchard is exactly the kind of opportunity we envisioned in our Grow Our Housing initiative,” said Mark Lavin, Director of Planning and Development Services. “It gives us the opportunity to involve the community in our long-term housing goals, and it encourages the public and private partnerships that will stimulate an increasingly vibrant activity center that includes public transit in an active and diverse neighborhood.”
In an effort to understand what would best serve the immediate neighborhood and the surrounding areas, the city will hold four open houses where community members are welcome to share their thoughts and preferences on site elements and design. Anyone wishing to provide feedback can do so at one of the following open houses:
Tuesday, December 10, 5:00 – 8:00 PM
Hillcrest Library, Lemhi Room
5246 W. Overland Road
Friday, December 13, 12:00 – 7:00 PM
On the Franklin and Orchard Property
Southwest corner of Franklin and Orchard
Saturday, December 14, 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM
On the Franklin and Orchard Property
Southwest corner of Franklin and Orchard
Wednesday, December 18, 5:00 – 8:00 PM
Hillcrest Library, Lemhi Room
5246 W. Overland Road
Community members can also share their thoughts through an online survey available at cityofboise.org/franklin-orchard. The survey will be open from December 10 , 2019 to January 5, 2020.
Feedback from the open houses and the online survey will be compiled, analyzed, and integrated into a Request for Proposal (RFP) that the city will release in early February 2020. Once a developer is selected for the site, they will hold additional community meetings before the project moves into the permitting and building processes.
“The ongoing work at Franklin and Orchard represents the city’s commitment to creating housing affordability in our community,” said AnaMarie Guiles, Housing and Community Development Senior Manager with the City of Boise. “We’re excited to learn about what our community hopes to see here, and even more excited to see it finally come together.”
