CCDC outlines how Boise's urban renewal districts work and when new districts are formed

Doug Woodruff, development director at Capital C Development Corporation (CCDC), told the Boise City Council that urban renewal districts are a tool to concentrate public investment and spur redevelopment across parts of the city.

CCDC, which Woodruff described as "Boise's urban renewal agency," operates six active urban renewal districts, owns and operates structured public parking and is governed by a nine-member board, he said. Woodruff said the agency's five-year capital improvement plan programs about $153,000,000 in public investments over the next five years.

Woodruff said urban renewal districts are funded by tax-increment revenues generated by redevelopment within the district and that "the districts itself receive incremental growth for 20 years," which he described as the standard timeframe under state practice. He said revenue generation is incremental and that districts can issue bonds backed by tax-increment revenue to accelerate projects.

The presentation identified four downtown districts (River Myrtle/Boise, West Side, Thirtieth Street and Shoreline) focused on catalyzing downtown infill, civic amenities and walkability; Gateway East at the city's southeast edge oriented toward manufacturing, logistics and tech-adjacent jobs; and a State Street district that aims to support transit-oriented development along State Highway 44.

Woodruff described five agency strategies'economic development, infrastructure, mobility, placemaking and special projects'and gave examples: CCDC conduit financing for convention-center expansion and subsequent hotel growth; ownership and operation of structured parking (3,150 stalls in downtown garages) that support retail and events; streetscape and undergrounding work; and historic-preservation projects such as facade restoration and the agency's work on the Avery Hotel and the Irma Hama House.

He said the current five-year plan includes 23 public-private partnerships designed to help deliver about 4,400 housing units downtown, approximately 600 of which are restricted as affordable units when possible. Woodruff said mobility investments include CCDC local match funds for a federal grant that helped build Main Street Station and bus-transit islands and that the agency has collaborated with ACHD and the city on bikeway projects.

On how new districts are formed, Woodruff outlined four stages: identify potential areas; eligibility (a technical/state-eligibility review and public engagement); feasibility (master-plan framework and financial feasibility modeling); and adoption (a six-to-nine-month public-hearing and ordinance process followed by filings with the state tax commission and county assessor). He said a district typically becomes active the following calendar year and receives its first allocation in the second year after formation.

Council member Corliss asked whether downtown parking garages are owned by CCDC. Woodruff replied, "The public parking garages are owned by CCDC," adding that some were initially funded with district revenues and that net garage revenues can be reinvested in maintenance or expansion.

Woodruff repeatedly emphasized alignment between CCDC priorities and citywide goals, said climate and utility readiness should be considered in district design, and noted that private investors, interagency partnership and community support are key criteria for successful urban renewal districts.

The presentation closed with Woodruff saying CCDC stands ready to assist the city in exploring new districts.