Construction on mixed-use development project to begin this fall where Rigby restaurant once stood
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RIGBY — Construction will soon begin on a new project on property formerly occupied by a longtime Rigby restaurant.
Last month, crews with Northern States Development filled in the hole at 100 West Main Street where Me ‘N Stans restaurant once stood. It was demolished in March 2021 after sitting vacant for four years.
Project Manager Boe Gilstrap tells EastIdahoNews.com the plan is to build a two-story, mixed-use building he calls “The Hub.” It will have condos on the top floor and commercial space on the bottom floor. Exactly who the commercial tenants will be is undetermined at this point because he and his team haven’t finalized an agreement with the interested parties.
Construction is slated to begin in October.
“We’re looking at finally closing on the property and finalizing things in October. We’ll be starting construction then,” Gilstrap says.
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A nice family restaurant has been the city’s No. 1 request for many years. Gilstrap told us in April 2022 he was hoping the project would attract some type of eating establishment. Though he’s in talks with several hopeful tenants, Gilstrap didn’t indicate one way or the other whether one of them was a restaurant because there is “no commitment” at this stage in the game.
Additional details will be available once the details are finalized.
An influx of people in the area is the reason behind the housing units.
Gilstrap is a partner in the business with Greg Nelson. Northern States Development has been working with the Rigby Urban Renewal Agency to buy the Me ‘N Stans property since spring 2022. Gilstrap’s original proposal was for a three-story building. Parking accommodations have been an ongoing concern with the project.
Discussions with the city over the last 16 months about this and other issues is the reason for the delay and the changes.
“There’s some redesign and different things that had to happen on the building,” Gilstrap explains. “When dealing with government entities, there (are) lots of different guidelines and requirements you have to meet before you can go to the next level. Those things take time and it’s just a process. Construction is not something that happens really quick. There’s a lot in the planning stages.”
Construction is estimated to take about two years to complete. Gilstrap is looking forward to finalizing a deal with a commercial tenant and seeing the project move forward.
“We disappointed a lot of people by filling in their community swimming pool,” Gilstrap jokes, referencing the hole that had been there for more than two years. “There’s quite a few people we’ve talked with that are pretty excited to see something go in there, so I think it’ll be good.”