Cole Road project could reshape mall housing

Garden City-based developer Kal Pacific is trying again on a long-stalled housing site near Boise Towne Square mall, this time with a larger apartment project and a different zoning path. A preliminary plan filed in May would put 224 apartments on six floors at 580 N. Cole Rd., according to project materials reported by BoiseDev. The earlier version of the project, first advanced in 2021, called for 136 units on five stories plus self-storage. The revised filing says the team now plans to drop the old development agreement and proceed under Boise's 2023 zoning code instead. ### Where exactly is the project, and who is behind it? The site at 580 N. Cole Rd. sits near Boise Towne Square mall on Boise's West Bench, in a part of the city plan that describes the mall area and nearby commercial corridors such as Cole Road as a regional mixed-use district. BoiseDev identified Garden City-based Kal Pacific as the developer returning with the updated proposal, and Huraa Architecture as the firm that submitted the preliminary plan in May. (boisedev.com) The 2021 concept wrapped around a Mattress Firm store and combined apartments with self-storage and retail, according to BoiseDev's earlier reporting. That version did not move forward, even after becoming the first project eligible for Boise's housing density bonus program, BoiseDev reported. (boisedev.com) ### How much bigger is the new plan? The new filing calls for 224 apartments, up from 136 in the prior proposal, for an increase of 88 units, according to BoiseDev's summary of the application letter. The unit mix would include 100 studios, 71 one-bedroom units, 28 two-bedroom units and 25 three-bedroom units, for a total of 302 bedrooms. (boisedev.com) Grant J. Seaman of Huraa Architecture wrote in the project letter that the team could add those units by using the current MX-3 zoning standards, which allow up to 70 feet in height and do not cap dwelling-unit density. Seaman said that approach would produce "a significantly larger number" of housing units than the 2021 development agreement allowed. (boisedev.com) ### What would be built besides apartments? Project plans described by BoiseDev include underground parking and additional parking on the ground floor. The first floor would also include a small retail space along Cole Road. A second-story deck would have a pool, pickleball court, outdoor game areas, a dog run and an indoor fitness center, according to the filing summarized by BoiseDev. (boisedev.com) Boise's design review rules require approval for multi-family residential projects and cover architecture, landscaping and site design. The city's Design Review Commission reviews those applications after uses are allowed or otherwise approved through the planning process. (boisedev.com) ### Why does the zoning change matter here? Boise adopted its updated zoning code in 2023, and the project team told the city it wants to abandon the 2021 development agreement and use the newer code. In Seaman's letter, as quoted by BoiseDev, the applicant said the MX-3 standards better fit what it called an "emerging urban framework" around the mall area. (cityofboise.org) The West Bench chapter of Boise's comprehensive plan describes the Boise Towne Square area as part of a mixed-use district with retail, food, entertainment and regional-serving commercial activity. That planning backdrop helps explain why the applicant is framing the site as appropriate for denser housing near existing services and transit corridors. (boisedev.com) ### How does this fit with other housing moves on Cole Road? In June, Boise approved a $1.5 million land purchase at 709 N. Cole Road for an affordable housing project, according to city records and local reporting. City attorney Kim Stretch wrote in a memo cited by BoiseDev that the parcel's location near the mall and transit stops created an opportunity for an "accessible affordable housing project." (cityofboise.org) That nearby city-backed site is separate from Kal Pacific's market-rate Cole Denton Apartments proposal, but both projects point to the same corridor around the mall as a focus for added housing. Boise has also highlighted another Denton Apartments project elsewhere in the city that opened in December 2025 with 191 affordable homes, underscoring the city's broader push to add units. (boisecityid.iqm2.com) ### What happens next, and where can residents track it? The Cole Denton Apartments proposal still needs Boise design review approval before it can move ahead, BoiseDev reported. Boise posts Design Review Commission meetings and agenda materials through its public meeting portal, where the next listed commission meeting is scheduled for August 12, 2026. (boisedev.com) Boise also maintains public permitting and development-tracker tools for active planning cases. Those city pages are where residents can look for the formal application record, meeting materials and any later appeals once the 580 N. Cole Rd. filing advances. (permits.cityofboise.org) (boisedev.com)