Blaine County’s boomtown
Hailey is at apex of surge
in commercial development
By GREGORY FOLEY
Express Staff Writer
On its way to nearly doubling in
population from 1990 to 2000, the city of Hailey welcomed a series of new
residential subdivisions into its dominion. The average annual growth rate for
the city during the 10-year period was a staggering 7.34 percent. The resident
population soared from a veritable small-town figure of 3,575 in 1990 to a
considerable 6,200 in 2000.
Although significant growth was measured
in Hailey in the 1980s, the development of the once quaint seat of Blaine County
in the 1990s was unparalleled.
Today, despite the nation‘s ongoing
recession and a relatively flat winter tourist season in the Wood River Valley,
Hailey is seemingly at the apex of a new surge in development, this time with a
focus on commercial ventures aimed at serving the growing populace.
"It’s always been busy. But in the last
few months things have been different," said Hailey Planning Director Kathy
Grotto. "It’s definitely picking up."
Dave Ferguson, the city’s building
official and fire inspector, said Friday that his office is handling more
development applications than at any other time. "It’s the busiest I’ve seen,
and I don’t see it slowing down," he said. "The word’s out. Land is cheaper
here, especially if you’re doing an industrial project … Everything’s coming
south."
Indeed, commercial land is significantly
more affordable in Hailey than in Ketchum, its primary counterpart. Paul Kenny,
broker for real estate firm Colliers International, said earlier this month that
commercial property in Ketchum now averages $125 per square foot, compared to
$30 per square foot in Hailey.
Commercial space available for lease
currently abounds in Ketchum, while thousands of square feet of new commercial
space is about to be built in Hailey.
The long list of commercial projects
pending in Hailey includes:
·
Bullion Square, a project to convert Paul’s supermarket on Main Street into an
entirely remodeled shopping center.
A group of developers represented by
Ketchum real estate broker John Sofro have received city permission to redevelop
the approximately 21,000-square-foot commercial structure at 117 Main St. into
eight retail units.
·
Copper Ranch, a project that proposes to remodel the former Ironwood Tennis
Club facility and build 135 condominiums on an adjoining 10-acres along Woodside
Boulevard.
The proposed project includes 29
condominium buildings ranging in size from approximately 7,200 square feet to
4,300 square feet, and three small commercial structures.
·
A pending application by Sun Valley-based developer Latham Williams to
construct an approximately 14,000-square-foot cinema complex on four contiguous
lots south of Albertson’s supermarket.
The site covers approximately 72,000
square feet of business-zoned land at the south corner of Main Street and Empty
Saddle Trail.
·
A temporarily suspended initiative by the developers of Northridge subdivision
to rezone an approximately 30-acre area adjacent to Wood River Middle School to
accommodate a business park and other limited commercial uses.
·
An approved project by Sun Valley Aviation, the airplane rental, storage and
maintenance company next to Highway 75, to construct along Aviation Drive a new
airplane storage hangar, maintenance hangar, terminal facility and maintenance
shed. The total square footage of all of the new buildings will be more than
50,000 square feet.
·
An approved plan by Ketchum businessman Clint Stennett to move the broadcasting
operations for the KSVT-Channel 13 television channel to downtown Hailey’s Croy
Street Exchange building.
·
Ongoing developments at Airport West Business Park, which has received final
plat approval, and is selling lots included in the city’s
Service-Commercial-Industrial zoning district. Hailey Nursery, the Main Street
nursery and garden center, is planning to relocate to the approximately 60-acre
subdivision, and the city is building a new city shop on the development’s west
side. Grotto said applications for projects in the site are expected to be
submitted "one right after the other."
In addition, city officials have handled
applications to accommodate two new restaurants on Main Street.
The city has granted restaurateurs Chris
and Rebecca Kastner permission to build a new 2,500 square-foot, two-story
restaurant at the northeast corner of Pine and Main streets, called CK’s. On
Monday, Hailey City Council members were scheduled to grant provisions to help
restaurateur Pete Prekeges convert the Sun Valley Rug and Tile building at 618
S. Main Street into a new restaurant called Broadford Grill.
The city in the last year has also
approved an application by the Blaine County School District to construct a
21,750-square-foot addition to the Wood River Middle School, as well as an
application by Blaine County to construct an approximately 30,000-square-foot
office building in the city’s downtown core.
Hailey Mayor Susan McBryant said she
intends to help manage the growth Hailey is expected to see in coming years, but
noted she is pleased developers have recently proposed a series of attractive
developments in the city. "I’m glad it’s happening," she said.
She added: "I am a supporter of growth.
But I don’t think you should grow for growth’s sake."