Developer scraps hope of 200+ apartments at the Boise Armory. The owners have new plans

A new plan may be emerging for the old Idaho National Guard Armory building in Boise’s East End.

The building has either been vacant or used as a storage building for decades before Utah’s Alpha Development Group planned in 2022 to redevelop it into an apartment complex with retail and office space, according to prior Idaho Statesman reporting. Those plans, which would have created more than 200 apartments and townhouses, have since fallen through.

On Monday, Boise’s KM Engineering submitted an application to turn the site into a new location for Garden City’s River House Ministries church. The building at 801 E. Reserve St., just south of the Boise Bike Park and next to Boise Fire Station No. 1, would host church operations and services, according to the application.

A conceptual site plan shows a pavilion, pergola and space for food trucks during events on the north side of the building, while nose-in angled parking would fill the south side. A decorative concrete or stone walkway would be added to the eastern side next to the main parking area.

The new plans are still in the early stages and are likely to change during the development process. Under the zoning that applies to the property, the church would need the city of Boise’s approval for a conditional use permit .

The application is an early assistance / concept review , meaning the developers must meet with the city’s planning team to see if the project would be possible, and to receive feedback on their vision.

“The existing Boise Armory building has sat vacant for years now, and River House Ministries sees it as a prime building and location,” according to application. “At this time River House is looking to use the main space for sanctuary with an additional larger gathering space attached.”

Offices, meeting rooms and storage areas would surround the main sanctuary, according to the application.

Jordan Verner is the lead pastor of River House Church at 4950 N. Bradley St. in Garden City, just behind the Idaho Pinball Museum.

“Our vision is to be a community that cultivates a heaven-on-earth reality that reveals the beauty, love and redemptive power of our resurrected Jesus,” the church says on its website.

River House Ministries and KM Engineering did not immediately return voicemails requesting comment.

Dreams of apartments fizzle

Alpha Development Group had high hopes for the Boise Armory. Bryce Barker, the company’s principal, called the site a “jewel” of the East End, according to prior Statesman reporting .

Along with the homes, the original plans called for office space, a restaurant or coffee shop and public gathering space.

“We want to create a sense of ‘place’ for all who live in this neighborhood,” Baker previously told the Idaho Statesman. “Our vision is one of engagement and excitement from people who want to live on the property, who will ultimately work in the armory, and those in the neighborhood who will benefit from an enhanced connection and amenity in the area.”

In 2023, the company submitted permit requests valued at $48 million to build 3,000 square feet of retail space, 194 apartments and 11 town houses, according to prior Statesman reporting .

Plans called for a keeping the armory and building a “festival street” along with amenities like a pool, outdoor seating area with fire pits, hammock and slack line areas and a barbecue area with a covered pergola.

But those plans have since evaporated.

Brad Watson, development director for Alpha, told the Idaho Statesman that the company had sold its interest in the development after a disagreement with its equity partner.

“We got to (an economic) slowdown, and we couldn’t agree on how we were moving forward,” Watson said by phone.

Armory has a long history of changing hands

The 1930s Art Deco building has long remained an iconic building in Boise’s East End since legendary architects Tourtellotte & Hummel designed it. Tourtellotte & Hummel also designed well-known buildings like the Idaho State Capitol, Boise High School and bits of the Old Penitentiary.

The rear area of the Armory was built in 1931, and the central drill hall and first floor of the front section were built in 1936, according to prior Statesman reporting . The Idaho National Guard used the building as its headquarters before the state of Idaho bought it and used it for storage. The city of Boise bought it in 1996 but never found a use for it, according to the Idaho Architecture Project . It was added to the National Register of Historic Places three years later.

In 2012, the city sold it to a California firm, J&M Land LLC, a partnership between billionaire John Arrillaga and Mike McCollum, a cofounder of PowerBar, according to prior Statesman reporting.

Arrillaga developed large swathes of Silicon Valley into the tech hub it is known as today and donated millions to Stanford University, his alma mater. He died in 2022 at 84, according to the Stanford Report .

The property switched ownership from J&M Land to 801 Reserve Owners in 2021, according to Ada County Assessor’s Office records. That company is registered in Delaware but has a principal and mailing address attached to Kinship LLC of Madison, Wisconsin, according to business-registration filings with Idaho Secretary of State’s Office . Kinship “manages the business, philanthropic, financial, investment and trust interests for private clients,” according to LinkedIn .

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