A dramatic new high-rise proposal could transform the Boise skyline — but only if the city agrees to bend several zoning rules.
Developers have unveiled plans for a soaring 451-foot residential tower at 11th & Front, which would rise more than 40 stories and eclipse every building in Idaho by a wide margin. For comparison, it would stand 128 feet taller than the current record-holder, the 8th & Main (Zions Bank) Building, making it not just the tallest in Idaho but also taller than any structure in Montana or Wyoming. It would even match the height of Utah’s Astra Tower.
The project, backed by Seattle-based owners J. Patrick and Lori Wiley with Portland design firm GGLO, includes:
The developers argue that the compact 0.9-acre site presents a “significant hardship,” making it impossible to comply with Boise’s recently updated zoning code.
To build at the envisioned scale, GGLO is seeking variances for both vehicle and bicycle parking requirements, as well as a conditional use permit tied to access from 10th Street.
City rules technically do not require developers to include car parking in downtown projects — but if they do, strict stall dimensions apply. GGLO wants flexibility to include compact car spaces, writing:
“(We) respectfully request a Variance to allow for a limited number of compact-sized stalls in certain areas of the garage that will allow for recessed areas in the facade, resulting in a more architecturally interesting design that is compatible with design standards.”
The team says it will match tenants with smaller cars to those stalls to ensure functionality.
The bigger battle, however, may be over bike parking requirements. Under the new zoning code, the building must accommodate 606 bicycles, with half of them on the ground floor — far more than GGLO believes is realistic.
In their filing, the firm wrote:
“These requirements create a significant and unreasonable hardship for an urban mixed-use highrise development, due to the large areas required that preclude the ability to provide structural systems, building services and other required street level uses.”
Instead of building a 13,844-square-foot bike room that would consume 35.5% of the entire ground level, GGLO proposes a much smaller bike lounge with 56 ground-floor slots, supplemented by distributed storage across parking and residential floors.
The site’s layout adds another twist. While all neighboring downtown blocks historically included alleys for deliveries and service access, this block’s alley was vacated decades ago, complicating logistics. GGLO is asking to shift all loading and service functions to 10th Street, arguing:
“The alley on the lot was vacated several decades ago, and requirements on 11th Ave. (sic) and Front St. West are more stringent, proving 10th Ave. (sic) as the best place for these uses.”
If approved, 10th Street could effectively function as a de facto alley, serving parking entries for multiple buildings, power transformers, and delivery access.
The towering proposal must survive three distinct approval stages:
No hearing dates have been scheduled yet. If approved, the tower would reshape Boise’s future identity, positioning it alongside growing Western cities embracing vertical living. If denied, it may force developers to dramatically shrink or redesign the project.
Originally reported by Don Day - Boise Dev Editor in Boise Dev.
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