Updated South Downtown plan unveiled to public

Downtown Idaho Falls is experiencing a boom in revitalization but not as much in one section, South Downtown.

“I think there is a lot of potentials, Brent McLane said. “A lot of opportunities for the whole community to really benefit from it.”

These benefits are what McLane is hoping to achieve in a three-phase plan to South Downtown.

“Honestly that neighborhood is a gem in Idaho Falls,” Brad Cramer said. “It has great housing, great businesses, great buildings.”

The area slated to be revitalized is between Broadway and Pancheri and from Capital to Yellowstone Highway.

“It’s an old area,” McLane said. “So there is lots of existing challenges with building stock and older buildings. But that is also an advantage to the area.“

“One of the challenges you know that we have on our end is remembering we don’t build this,” Cramer said. “This is more conceptual and visualizing in anticipation of growth.”

“I think sometimes we get caught up on the excitement and remember that it is going to take time,” Cramer said. “Think about how many times the downtown plan went through. For years and years and years before it finally caught.“

KIFI 2019