Downtown Nampa
Nampa'a Downtown Renaissance
Nampa’s historic downtown stands poised for a renaissance. Idaho’s second-largest city has seen dramatic growth in its residential, commercial and industrial sectors. Recently the downtown core stirred with new life, spurred by creative and diverse retail merchants.
The City of Nampa helped spark this renewal with zoning changes, grants for historic facades, streetscape beautification and plans for public investment. Soon, a new library, park, public art, street beautification and a public safety building will further redefine downtown. Civic amenities enhance the excitement of a culturally rich urban core and translate into a dynamic market.
The Downtown Nampa Streetscape Plan helps guide downtown development.
The City of Nampa formed the Nampa Development Corporation in 2006, which guides downtown projects. It uses urban renewal district funding to accomplish the goals of its Economic Development Plan, which includes a new library, public safety building, parking garages and other amenities to leverage publicly-owned land for increased private investment downtown.
For information on the Main Street program and training, click here.
The Hugh Nichols Public Safety Building
The new public safety building houses police and fire administration and was completed in January 2012. The construction of the building is the first catalyst project for the overall downtown redevelopment efforts.
The library
Nampa’s existing library has been eclipsed by the city’s growth, providing space one-third the size it should be for a city of 80,000 residents. Now, the library sees more than 1,000 patrons each day. That is expected to at least double with the new library, providing an “anchor” for a variety of retail, office and residential demand. The new library will feature computers, meeting rooms, public art and modern campus-style amenities to serve as a cultural beacon to the city. Click here for more information on Nampa's Library Square.
Open space
The Redevelopment Plan calls for significant open space that can be used for gatherings, events and recreation. A subsequent land-use analysis by Carter-Burgess identified the value of a city-block sized park to enhance area mixed-use development and anchor a campus-style square that helps draw Nampans to the city center.
