BOISE, Idaho — The Ada County Highway District (ACHD) has found a new home, with ACHD commissioners approving a $16.4 million purchase of a building on Meeker Ave in Boise to serve as their new headquarters.
ACHD commissioners finalized the purchase during their meeting on Wednesday, May 1.
The agency said the new HQ is an opportunity to bring all of its team back under one roof. ACHD Deputy Director of Development and Technical Services Ryan Head said the new location would also allow ACHD to centralize its location in Ada County.
"Five years ago, ACHD outgrew its current headquarters and began leasing some space on Orchard St.," Head said. "A few years later, we outgrew even that and had to lease some additional space and another building up off of Orchard St."
The district said they considered alternative options for a building, but the $16.4 million price tag was cheaper than reconstructing their current headquarters or building a new one.
"We've looked at options to reconstruct our current headquarters location," Head said. "That cost for a building about two-thirds the size of where we're at - so smaller than what we're we're buying at Meeker - was around $60 to $90 million."
With the purchase, ACHD will be selling their current headquarters in Garden City and letting the leases on their other buildings expire, moving 225 staff to the new building - with room to grow.
"We found this wonderful opportunity that allows us to buy this building, really below market rate," Head said. "Much below what it would cost to build that size of a building at this point in time, and it will be something we can use for 50-plus years to serve the district and serve the public."
Head said the agency will have all their staff shift over to the new headquarters building over the next 18 months.
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