Business development projects approved

Two business districts were approved by the Idaho Falls City Council on Thursday night.

The first is a business improvement district in downtown Idaho Falls. A public hearing took place before its approval. The bid was first established in the downtown in 1997 and was renewed in 2007. The proposed levy rate will be lowered from $4 million to $2 million, but the maximum assessment has been raised from $1,700 to $2,500.

The second item approved is having an urban renewal plan at Jackson Hole Junction on Sunnyside Road. The Idaho Falls Redevelopment Agency will move forward in creating a plan for the area and how it will be funded.

And these approvals are symbolic of the growth Idaho Falls is seeing.

“It’s just another sign that things are growing in Idaho Falls. There’s a lot of development, there’s a lot of interest both in terms of residential and commercial. It’s just really a lot happening,” Brad Kramer, the Idaho Falls community development director, said.