BOISE -- A century-old historic Boise landmark is officially for sale, as the Salvation Army inches closer to breaking ground on a new campus.
It's a worry for neighbors and preservationists - who fear the Booth Marian Pritchett School's potential demise is another sign of our city losing its heritage.
The Salvation Army has called the square block in Boise's North End home since the 1920's. As the charity's and community's needs grow, so does the need for more space and expanded services. But North Enders say with this sale and redevelopment comes change to the fabric of their neighborhood.
"It's a great old building. It would make a lovely home for someone," Salvation Army Treasure Valley Coordinator Maj. Robert Lloyd said.
It's somewhat of a staple in Boise's North End.
"It's got charm to it, it's got history," one neighbor, David Klinger, said.
The 1920's brick building was once a maternity hospital for unwed girls. In the '60's it became a school for pregnant and parenting teens, with more buildings added to the site.
The Salvation Army, however, believes the buildings at 1617 N. 24th St. have outlived their lives.
Through a capital campaign, the charity has been raising money for the last five years to move everything to a brand-new centralized, modernized 6.8-acre campus in West Boise off Emerald and Maple Grove.
"We've had a goal of raising $8.5 million cash, plus the property proceeds we anticipate getting," Maj. Lloyd said.
According to the Salvation Army, the cost to purchase the property in Boise and construct both phases of the new campus will be $15.6 million. The new campus has to be paid for entirely from local funding sources, which will include the sale of pre-existing Salvation Army properties and philanthropic support.
An informational pamphlet says, "Phase I will cost $11 million for the purchase of land and the construction of the multipurpose building that will house the school and community center. The Salvation Army will sell two of its existing properties for approximately $2.5 million to be invested directly back into the project. This leaves a minimum of $8.5 million in capital gifts required to pay for Phase I and $4.6 million for Phase II (Family Service Office and Food Pantry) of the new campus."
They're close to their goal, Lloyd told KTVB, so about two weeks ago they put out a call for offers. In an effort to open up by summer 2019, they need to start the process.
"We've been saying all along we need to wait for the right strategic moment to list the property and that just happens to be now," Lloyd added.
People like Klinger who live nearby have known about the Salvation Army's plan to move for years.
"We all recognize this property is going to be redeveloped. So this is not an issue of no development. This is how well are we gonna do it," Klinger told KTVB. "We've been reaching out as neighbors, as a neighborhood association and as Preservation Idaho, we have all been reaching out for the past two years. We want to be a partner in this effort. We think this has the makings of a win for everybody."
Once the charity packs up and moves on, many Boiseans would prefer to see this historic icon still standing and the site preserved, or at least re-purposed to a use that fits the neighborhood.
"We fear this community may experience the wrong future for the Booth Home," Klinger said. "Let's vest this property in the hands of a buyer who's going to do something good for this community and for Boise."
He wishes he and his neighbors were made aware when the call for offers was put out at the end of February, but they found out through other means.
"I think demolition of a historic core building would be a tragedy. It would be another example of part of Boise's legacy being lost when it doesn't need to be," Klinger said.
But the Salvation Army and the City of Boise tell KTVB because it sits in a low density residential zone, in a historic preservation district, there are a lot of protections in place and the bar for future use has been set "extraordinarily high".
"Whoever buys this property will have to go through a rather lengthy due diligence process so it'll be some time before property actually closes," Lloyd said. "There's a lot of systems in place right now to protect the building."
The 31-page packet given to interested buyers informs them of the demographics of the property, history, public process, application process and information about the neighborhood.
"It also shares information on the historical nature of the property and let's them know the property is not on a historical register but it does inform them they will have to get a certificate of authorization from the Historic Commission," Lloyd added.
In a latter sent to the commercial real estate agent working with the organization, the City of Boise said:
"Because the property is in a historic district, any new development, alterations or removal of existing structures will require approval of a Certificate of Appropriateness by the Historic Preservation Commission. Demolition of the main historic structure may not be allowed by the Commission. Any new construction would be subject to the Design Review standards for Residential Historic Districts. Lot coverage with new structures in the North End Historic District cannot exceed 35% unless additional coverage is granted by the Historic Preservation Commission. Such increase should be considered difficult to obtain. Aerial photographs also reveal that the block is heavily covered with mature trees, both within the public right of way and on the property. Any alteration to the landscaping must also be reviewed and approved by the Historic Preservation Commission. Sarah Schafer or Ted Vanegas of the Design Review/Historic Preservation staff in PDS should be consulted for further guidance in any of these matters.
"This property is located within the boundaries of the North End Neighborhood Association. Any development application will require a meeting with the association prior to submittal of the application to the City. Planning staff would strongly recommend that the property buyer should plan for an extended interactive process with the neighborhood."
"We want to make sure whatever their intent is will likely fly with the city and with neighbors... We want to make sure we choose a buyer who has an intent for the property that is consistent with the neighborhood, and a deal we know will go through so we don't waste our time entertaining an offer that doesn't develop," Lloyd added.
The Call for Offers packet created by the commercial real estate broker says the offer closes April 27.
Meanwhile, the North End Neighborhood Association and Idaho Smart Growth are holding a public meeting next Monday at Lowell Elementary School from 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. They are hoping to pull ideas and a vision for the two-acre lot so they can write a report to present to the Salvation Army, potential buyers and city leaders.