Downtown BizPrint could give way to new residential & retail tower

A new 8-story residential and retail project could soon go up at the corner of 6th St. and Front St. in Downtown Boise.

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  The Vanguard

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Visum Development Group of Ithaca, NY has applied to remove the current BizPrint and replace it with the new project.

An application with the City of Boise shows the tower would include 75 residential units. It is also designed for retail on the ground floor.

Renderings filed with the city show a grey stone exterior with mustard accents.

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A site plan indicates space for up to two retail businesses on the ground floor. It would also include the residential lobby and a dog wash, as well as indoor storage for bikes.

Planners earmarked space for a streetside patio. The sidewalk in front of the project is wider than typical due to the early 1990s realignment of Front St. which articulated it away from the building.

Cahill Jones, who owns the BizPrint printing business currently on the site, is listed as the project owner. He said the business will move – but will not close.

The site has been for sale since 2016, and is still listed on the market for $1.395 million.

Parking: not here, but near

The site sits on the edge of Boise’s P1 parking district, which does not require parking for residential projects. The project does not currently include any vehicle parking for residents, according to the application. It does include 75 bicycle spots.

A large new Home2 Suites by Hilton project directly across 6th Street would include 600 parking spaces, more than needed for the 140-room hotel project. The hotel is also in Boise’s P1 parking district and does not require parking for the hotel.

The current BizPring warehouse building went up in about 1910 according to Idaho State Historical Society records. The survey says the building does not have “integrity of setting, materials, workmanship, feeling (or) association,” which detract from any potential historical nature.

The project would join a raft of residential proposals in the area, including 163 units at the Cartee at 4th & Broad, 174 units at 3rd & Myrtle and 24 condos at 5th & Broad.