Cole Road expansion could reshape housing

Garden City-based developer Kal Pacific has revived a long-stalled apartment proposal near Boise Towne Square Mall with a larger plan that would add 224 units at 580 N. Cole Road, according to filings reported by BoiseDev. The new concept, submitted in May by Huraa Architecture for a project called Cole Denton Apartments, replaces a 2021-era proposal for 136 units on the same site. The redesign comes as Boise is also pursuing affordable housing on a separate nearby Cole Road parcel and as Ada County Highway District crews are rebuilding part of the corridor through late fall 2026. Together, those moves are concentrating new housing and infrastructure attention around one of West Boise’s biggest commercial districts. ### How much bigger is the new apartment plan? The May 2026 filing described by BoiseDev would raise the project to 224 apartments on six floors, from 136 units on five stories in the earlier proposal. BoiseDev reported the unit mix as 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 a letter to the city, as quoted by BoiseDev, that the revised plan could add 88 units because it would use Boise’s updated zoning code rather than the older 2021 development agreement. Seaman said the site’s MX-3 zoning allows 70 feet of height and no density cap on dwelling units. (boisedev.com) ### Why did the project change after sitting for years? The 2021 version did not move forward, BoiseDev reported, even after becoming the first project eligible for Boise’s housing density bonus program. The current proposal revives that site after what BoiseDev described as a years-long pause. (boisedev.com) Boise adopted an updated zoning code in 2023, and Seaman told the city in his letter that the applicant planned to abandon the earlier development agreement and proceed under the new rules instead. That code change is the stated reason the applicant gave for fitting more housing on the property. (boisedev.com) ### What else is planned around Boise Towne Square Mall? The City of Boise moved in June to buy a separate 1.644-acre parcel at 709 N. Cole Road for $1.5 million for affordable housing, according to BoiseDev and the Idaho Statesman. Boise City Council unanimously approved that purchase in mid-June, the Statesman reported, with city staff expecting the deal to close after a 45-day due-diligence period. (boisedev.com) Kim Stretch, a deputy city attorney, wrote in a memo cited by BoiseDev that the 709 N. Cole Road parcel sits near Boise Towne Square Mall and transit stops on Cole Road, creating “an opportunity for an accessible affordable housing project.” The same site had previously been pitched in 2021 for 71 micro-apartments before that plan fell through. (boisedev.com) ### How does the road project fit into the housing push? Ada County Highway District is reconstructing Cole Road from Victory Road to Overland Road, a project the agency says is needed because the pavement has reached the end of its service life and no longer meets current standards. ACHD says the work includes a new roadway surface, pedestrian-signal upgrades at Entertainment Avenue and Century Way, and ADA ramp updates. (boisedev.com) ACHD says construction is expected to be complete in late fall 2026, though schedules can change. The agency posted a July 30 update saying paving was complete from Victory to Century Way and work at the Century Way and Cole intersection was starting at night on July 29, with sidewalk removal beginning July 30. ### What would residents actually see on the site? (engage.achdidaho.org) BoiseDev reported that the first floor of the Cole Denton Apartments would include a small retail space along Cole Road. The plan also calls for underground parking and additional ground-floor parking. A second-story deck in the proposal would include a pool, pickleball court, dog run, outdoor games and an indoor fitness center, according to BoiseDev’s summary of the site plan. (engage.achdidaho.org) Those amenities are part of the developer’s current concept and remain subject to city review. ### What happens next in the approval process? (boisedev.com) BoiseDev reported that the 580 N. Cole Road project still needs City of Boise design review approval before it can move forward. The city’s Planning and Development Services department says residents can track active planning applications through its Development Tracker and sign up for project notifications by area. (boisedev.com) Late fall 2026 is the current target for ACHD to finish the Cole Road reconstruction, while the apartment proposal’s next public milestone is the city design-review process for Cole Denton Apartments. Boise’s separate affordable-housing acquisition at 709 N. Cole Road also remains part of the mall-area pipeline. (engage.achdidaho.org) (boisedev.com)