News

Boise Booms! – Boise’s Rivers of Opportunity

Accolades come easy to this high desert community. National publications, ranging from Forbes and Inc. to Travel Tips and Sunset, laud its business savvy, urbane attitude and recreational bonanza. Locals embrace the spotlight gingerly. Few want to spread the word about Boise’s sparkling business climate/lifestyle combo. Long time citizens know that there’s not much news here, anyway. For more than a century, Boise, with its proximity to foothill trails, fishing streams, ski lifts and whitewater, has enjoyed a vibrant corporate culture unusual for its small-city demeanor.

Boise clings to an all-American hometown sensibility despite a population surge that’s gushed through the better part of two decades. There’s no end in sight. Longtime residents hazily remember the last significant downturn. In the early-1980s interest rates soared, a traditional natural resource-based economy faltered and urban redevelopment efforts stagnated. Census numbers took a dive.

The growth stutter was short-lived. The economy rebounded with gusto fueled by traditional corporate powerhouses such as Albertsons Inc., the nation’s second largest grocery chain, and agribusiness behemoth the Simplot Company, as well as relative upstarts including Micron Technology.

Since 1990, population has almost doubled in the aptly named “City of Trees” and its surrounding Treasure Valley. A vibrant, beautified downtown continues to expand with upscale condos, theaters and a revitalized warehouse district, as well as a plethora of financial institutions. More outlying neighborhoods and satellite communities attract national chains of every ilk. Traffic and crime, while on the rise, remain innocuous—by Southern California standards. Managing growth emerges as a communal priority.

By Colleen Birch Maile

Full Story: http://www.skywestmagazine.com/Features/SeptOct05/Boise.htm

Sorry, we couldn't find any posts. Please try a different search.

Leave a Comment

You must be logged in to post a comment.