Downtown renovations

The Idaho Falls Redevelopment Agency has agreed to purchase one-and-a-half blocks of property in downtown Idaho Falls.

The vacant lot is located at the intersection of Broadway and Memorial Drive.

It was formerly known as the Savings Center and Melaleuca retail store.

The goal is to strengthen downtown and to attract more people, said Lee Radford, chair of the Idaho Falls Redevelopment Agency.

The next step on the agenda is to get developers interested, said Radford.

“We will be putting out requests for proposals to developers to see what developers would be interested coming to build private developments on those properties,to build the kind of residential living that we’re looking for,” said Radford.

The agency is also interested in renovating the historic Bonneville Hotel. It has approved the purchase of an option to purchase.

This option will allow the agency to offer the hotel to potential developers who are interested in the project.