Mary Tate , November 10, 2010

Bend, OR; Urban renewal; Boise Planning and Zoning Commission; Design Review Committee; Boise Redevelopment Agency; CCDC; Richard Eardley; Parking; Downtown Boise Association; Foothills development; Boise Towne Square Mall; Bannock Street; Boise’s Chinatown; Library Board; Airport Board.

Minutes Summary Track One

00:00 Introduction

00:23 Tate spoke of her childhood and growing up in Bend, Oregon. She received her degree in history, then went on to have a career teaching. She also has four children, all of whom live in Boise.

01:19 Tate explained that she moved to Boise with her husband, who is from here.

01:55 Tate discussed the beginning of urban renewal in Boise. She mentioned buildings being torn down and expressed that at the time this seemed reasonable to her, though she now considers them a loss.

03:02 Tate spoke of her lack of public service experience before joining the city council. She discussed feeling overwhelmed upon being a part of the Planning and Zoning Commission.

04:15 Tate discussed the rapid changes taking place in Boise in the early 1980s as a component of her decision to run for city council. She explained that a major issue which prompted her to run was the development of a regional shopping center.

05:55 Tate explained that she had friends on the city council before she ran for a position.

06:48 Tate discussed how her involvement with the Planning and Zoning Commission sparked her interest in city government. She also spoke of her volunteering experience.

08:04 Tate described her time as the liaison for the Planning and Zoning Commission to the Design Review Committee.

09:42 Tate discussed the state of Boise’ urban renewal process when she joined the council. She explained that urban renewal was unpopular and that the process was more political than she had expected it to be.

12:20 Tate spoke of the shift of the Boise Renewal Agency to the Capital City Development Corporation (CCDC).

13:31 Tate described the dynamics of the council when she served. She explained that her fellow council members were not political, for the most part and that most of them considered the position to be akin to volunteer work. She described former Mayor Eardley as low-key, yet loyal.

15:55 Tate explained that the addition of a few new council members in1985 changed the dynamic of the council created a more political atmosphere. This was intensified by the disagreement surrounding the regional shopping center. 19:04 Tate discussed the project to redevelop downtown Boise. Parking was a key issue in the discussion as well as the idea of putting a shopping mall downtown. She spoke of the work that the Downtown Boise Association did to involve downtown businesses.

23:56 Tate discussed the availability of parking as being a necessity before residential development downtown was considered.

24:57 Tate spoke of the relationship between the city of Boise and ACHD. She explained that ACHD had a different philosophy than the city, leading to some struggles between the two.

27:20 Tate described her desire to keep a balance between the development of downtown and the expansion of Boise to the South and West. She mentioned some of the difficulties faced in expanding the city, specifically unconnected subdivisions.

30:42 Tate expressed her regret at the amount of development which took place in the foothills. She also spoke of the fire issue surrounding these developments.

32:31 Tate discussed the branding of urban renewal. She explained that though there were some stores downtown, it was for the most part unattractive and empty.

34:01 Tate spoke of how the direction of downtown redevelopment shifted after the mall was built. She spoke of having a common goal again: to bring activity to downtown, through small merchants, parking and increased activities.

35:30 Tate discussed the various reactions to the placement of the mall. She mentioned excitement at the new stores and an overall positive reception.

36:14 Tate spoke of the development which was supposed to take place around the mall. Instead the area became populated with strip malls, leaving no room for more residential development. The original plan had been to include residential areas as well as parks in the area surrounding the mall.

39:10 Tate described a theater on Bannock street which had been torn down. She also spoke of the destruction of Boise’ Chinatown.

41:03 Tate discussed what her goals for her time on the council had been. These included her own personal growth and developing a deeper knowledge of how the city worked. Another goal was to be as fair-minded and honest as possible.

42:32 Tate explained that a major turning point for Boise was the beginning of redeveloping downtown.

43:43 Tate discussed her time spent on the library board, the airport board and other city organizations. She spoke of making changes to department heads and bringing in more professional people.

46:19 Tate expressed her disappointment at the fact that more people do not follow or become involved in local government. She explained that many people do not become involved in city politics unless they have a specific issue affecting them personally.

47:33 Tate spoke of being on the CCDC board. She discussed when the agency was sued. She mentioned the negative feedback that CCDC often received.

end of recording.