301 29th Street – Whittier Elementary
A new Whittier Elementary School has been planned for many years, and initial discussions between CCDC staff and the Boise School District regarding CCDC participation began during the 30th Street District formation dating back to 2013. In March 2017, the school district passed a $172.5 million bond, which included funding for a Whittier construction.
The original Whittier Elementary School was built in 1948 and is now only large enough to accommodate half of the students, and the other half are housed in temporary classroom buildings on site. The Boise School District is currently building a new 68,000 SF elementary building with off-street parking and drop-off areas, a playground, a public plaza, additional site landscaping, and substantial right-of-way improvements. The existing elementary school will remain in use while the new building is under construction, and will be renovated for use as a community center after the new school is operational.
The school property, located on Whitewater Park in the 30th Street URD, will be improved with new streetscapes and landscaping on 29th, Idaho, and Jefferson Streets, and a large public plaza at the corner of Jefferson and 29th streets. They will also be reconstructing portions of the streets and rerouting a sewer line. These construction expenses are eligible for CCDC Participation through the Type 4 Participation Program.
The construction at Whittier will be completed in two phases. The first phase includes building the new school and reconstructing Jefferson Street streetscapes. This phase is currently underway, scheduled to be complete in December of 2018. The second phase includes 29th Street, Idaho Street, and the public plaza and is scheduled to begin in April 2019 to be completed late that year.
As part of the Participation Program, approved by the Board of Commissioners in 2014, the Type 4 program was approved. The Type 4 Participation Program coordinates capital improvement activities with other public agencies and allows CCDC to enter into intergovernmental agreements to cooperatively participate in joint capital improvement projects. Projects eligible for Type 4 participation are generally those identified in the adopted Capital Improvements Plan (CIP). Improvements around Whittier Elementary have been included in CCDC’s 5-year CIP, with a to-be-determined dollar amount.
Project Summary and Timeline:
- Located on between Whitewater Park, 29th, Jefferson, and Idaho Streets (30th Street URD)
- 2-story, 68,500 SF elementary School
- 20,000 SF public plaza
- 29 classrooms, library, cafeteria, and gym
- $15.5 Million estimated Total Development Costs
- June 13, 2017 – Condition Use Permit Approval
- October 9, 2017 – Construction Start
- February 12, 2018 – CCDC Board Type 4 Agreement Designation
- March 12, 2018 – CCDC Board Approval of Type 4 Agreement
- December 2018 – Phase 1 of Construction Complete. 1st Reimbursement made.
- April 2019 – Phase 2 of Construction begins.
- July 2019 – Phase 2 of Construction Complete. 2nd Reimbursement made.
CCDC Project Manager, Laura Williams, is overseeing this project.
