ACHD Scores Great Deal on New Headquarters

ADA COUNTY — The Ada County Highway District announces the pending acquisition of a new building on Meeker Street in Boise, which is planned to serve as the District’s headquarters building.

The District’s current headquarters spans four buildings. ACHD’s original building on Adams Street was built in the 1970’s. That same decade, ACHD built an addition to the building after outgrowing the original footprint. Then in the early 2000’s, an additional connected building was constructed. A few decades later, ACHD had once again outgrown the expanded headquarters buildings and in 2020, members of the Development and Technical Services department moved to a leased property on Orchard Street. Since then, the leased space has grown to include a portion of a building adjacent to the office space on Orchard Street.

The new building on Meeker will allow all of ACHD’s headquarters employees to be reunited under one roof.

“We’re so excited to have members of our team back in the same building,” said Shari Knauss, Deputy Director of Human Resources. “The move is not only cost-effective, it will also provide invaluable opportunities for increased collaboration and productivity.”

The building on Meeker Ave. is the former home of DirecTV’s call center. The ACHD Commission is expected to ratify the purchase of the 150,000 square foot building during their upcoming regular commission meeting. The final negotiated cost of the property is $16.4 million.

At approximately $110 per square foot, the building was purchased for significantly less than its replacement value, which was an estimated $90 million to build something comparable. Operating costs of the new property are expected to be comparable with monthly combined operational costs of the current facilities.

ACHD has been evaluating options over the past several years to reunite staff and allow for continued expansion of operations in order to meet the needs of a growing county. After weighing the options, ACHD found that the Meeker property was clearly the best option to benefit both employees and taxpayers.

Leadership considered leasing a nearby building, but found that the building would need further improvements in order to be suited to ACHD’s needs. While the property also met the needs of ACHD’s current size, it left little to no room for growth, which the Commission feared would put the District in the same predicament it is currently facing.

There was also hesitation to lease, as purchasing a building means all assets, improvements, and equity benefit ACHD and taxpayers, rather than a private owner.

“Making this purchase means that hard earned taxed dollars are invested in a property that those same taxpayers own at the end of the day,” said Alexis Pickering, ACHD Commission President.

The Commission also considered resurrecting past plans to build a new building on ACHD’s current property in Garden City. For a building half the size of the Meeker property, it was estimated the District would need to spend roughly $60 million, more than three times the price to acquire the Meeker property.

Another consideration was adding to the existing headquarters building, which presented its own challenges, such as the anticipated maintenance costs that come with an older building, and finding and paying for temporary office space during construction. The Meeker location has more updated facilities that align with current accessibility and safety standards.

While the new building will require some improvements to meet ACHD’s needs to best serve the public, the current open floor-plan lends itself well to its future uses.

The new office building will house 225 employees, with room for an additional 100 team members as the agency continues to grow with the county. Current employees will move into the building in phases over the next 18 months.

“This is not just a building for today, but for tomorrow,” said Ryan Head, the District’s Deputy Director of Development and Technical Services, who is serving as the project manager for the acquisition of and move to the new headquarters. “The size and location provide us room to grow and evolve with Ada County.”

One of the most notable improvements will be an updated auditorium, with enhanced audio and video capabilities for public meetings. The building will also allow for more accessibility for those participating in meetings virtually, a popular choice for many residents looking to get involved in District business.

Centrally located amongst the six cities ACHD serves, the location will allow for easy access to agency partners for continued collaboration. It is conveniently located on a Valley Regional Transit bus line, providing both employees and constituents with easy and affordable access to conduct District business. Meeker is also well situated in relation to the District’s current and planned traffic and maintenance facilities.

Ample parking and meeting spaces are a welcomed accommodation for ACHD to host public meetings, further collaboration with local partners, and house the agency’s fleet vehicles and Commuteride vans.

The District plans to vacate its leased spaces first, followed by the Adams property, which is expected to be vacant by 2027. 

ACHD has been setting aside funding in anticipation of future needs of the growing agency. The District has been in the process of building a new maintenance complex on Apple Street in Boise, which will become the new home to the staff and equipment located at the Adams Maintenance Yard. Vacating the headquarters building across the street simultaneously will allow the District to sell both pieces of property in Garden City at the same time. ACHD is optimistic this will increase the appeal for buyers of the public asset.

“The area we are in today in Garden City has dramatically changed over time,” said President Pickering. “What was once an industrial area has blossomed into a mixed-use destination. We agree with the City of Garden City that the area has great potential as it develops, and look forward to seeing what it becomes in the future.”

A ribbon-cutting ceremony and open-house are forthcoming to welcome the public to the new space.

“With easy access by car, bus, bicycle or on foot, we look forward to serving the community from this new centralized location for many years to come,” said President Pickering.

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