BOISE, Idaho — The Boise City Council approved a new design Tuesday to revitalize downtown's 8th Street, marking a significant step in transforming the popular pedestrian corridor.
The design, unveiled during the work session, focuses on the two car-free blocks between Main and Bannock streets. The city closed the area to vehicles during the COVID-19 pandemic nearly five years ago to allow for outdoor dining and social distancing.
"One of the things that I'm most excited about is the reorganization of some of the temporary solutions we've been living with," city planner Chad Rietze said.
The estimated $3 million project aims to make businesses more accessible by eliminating curbs.
"That'll make a more flat, [traversable] street for everybody to move from the business level to the street level," Rietze explained.
Additional improvements include enhanced green scaping, lighting, public art installations, bicycle parking and additional seating areas.
The design, which the planning department landed on after consulting with the public, was created in hopes of making the space more inviting, Rietze said.
"We want to make it a place where people can sit and activate a space and enjoy it and not feel like they just need to move through it," he said.
Local residents responded positively to the proposed changes.
"It looks like a promenade where people can stop and kind of hang around a little bit more," said Jennifer McCollum, a Boise resident. "There's ways of doing urban planning that make that so that people are happy to come and be around one another. It seems very neighborly and very community oriented, and I like that."
Nancy DeWitt, another local resident, praised the planning team's efforts.
"Making it a little prettier with more landscaping is a really good idea," she said. "I just think it's a great asset, especially for those of us who live here and come down here frequently, but also really attractive for people who are visiting the city."
Before construction can begin, the planning department must finalize the design, secure a contractor and conduct additional consultations with nearby businesses. Rietze said the city is exploring grant opportunities to help fund the project, with construction tentatively scheduled to begin in spring 2026.
"This is great work and super exciting to see the plans on paper," Mayor Lauren McLean said during the work session.
Council President Pro Tem Meredith Stead agreed.
"It seems that the recommendations are in line with capturing a lot of the goals our residents have," she said.
It is the final phase in the city's plan to redo the area.