Historic Preservation Plan

Boise's Historic Preservation Plan

Boise’s Historic Preservation Plan is a long-range policy document that guides how the city identifies, protects, and celebrates historic places. Adopted in 1979, the plan provided the framework for establishing historic preservation as a priority in the city by outlining the background of historic preservation, the goals and policies of the Historic Preservation Commission, and specific goals related to implementing historic preservation to help ensure Boise’s historic buildings, neighborhoods, landscapes, and cultural resources are preserved for future generations.

As part of Boise’s Comprehensive Plan, the Historic Preservation Plan helps inform land use decisions, design review, community investment, and long-term planning efforts.

Updating the Plan

Boise is updating the Historic Preservation Plan to better reflect today’s community values, challenges, and opportunities. Since the plan was adopted, Boise has experienced significant growth and change, making it important to take a fresh look at how historic preservation works in Boise.

This update is partly funded by a grant from the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, and administered by the Idaho State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). This funding allows the city to take a comprehensive, community-informed approach to evaluating and strengthening its historic preservation policies.

Updating the plan allows the city to:

  • Reflect updated preservation best practices
  • Incorporate community feedback and lived experiences
  • Showcase the value of local heritage and the built environment
  • Determine the city’s future historic preservation priorities
  • Demonstrate the inherent connection between historic preservation and broader city goals, including housing, sustainability, equity and economic vitality

This update is an opportunity to take a fresh look at how historic preservation works in Boise and how it can better serve Boiseans now and for generations to come.

Why Historic Preservation Matters to Our Community

Historic preservation plays an important role in Boise’s identity and sense of place. Historic buildings and neighborhoods tell the story of who we are, where we come from, and how our community has grown and changed over time.

Preserving historic places helps:

  • Protect Boise’s unique character and neighborhoods
  • Strengthen community pride and connection
  • Support local economies and revitalization efforts
  • Encourage sustainability by retaining historic features and materials or reusing the existing building
  • Honor the diverse histories and cultures that shaped Boise

Historic preservation is not about freezing the city in time—it’s about managing change thoughtfully, so Boise can grow while still respecting and valuing its past.

Historic Ustick Bank
Historic Ustick Bank

Community Engagement

The City of Boise invites residents to learn more about the Historic Preservation Plan update by attending one of our upcoming open houses or exploring the same materials online.

Our open houses are informal, drop-in events featuring a series of informational displays that walk through the planning process, key findings, and the draft goals and strategies for the future of historic preservation in Boise. Residents can explore the displays at their own pace, talk with project staff, and learn how the plan will help guide historic preservation efforts throughout the city.

Can't make it to an open house? The same information is available below for you to review at your convenience. After exploring the materials, we invite you to share your thoughts through our online feedback form.

Whether you live in a historic district, own a historic property, work in Boise, or simply care about the city's history and character, we encourage you to learn more about this important planning effort and help shape the future of historic preservation in Boise.

Upcoming Open House

July 28 at Library! at Cole & Ustick

July 29 at Boise Depot - Great Hall

Historic Postcard from Boise

Read the Draft Plan

The display boards provide an overview of the draft Historic Preservation Plan. If you'd like to explore the complete document, you can review the full draft plan below.

VIEW PLAN

After reviewing the materials, share your comments on the draft Historic Preservation Plan. Your feedback will help inform the final plan before it is presented for adoption.

A large building in downtown Boise.

City Planning

An esteemed historic preservation program, with a well-trained Historic Preservation Commission that is well connected with other decision-making bodies within the city.

Issues Summary

For historic preservation to be both prioritized and effective in the city, future planning efforts need to ensure a connection between the historic preservation program and other city initiatives or policies that impact historic properties and resources, assets, and areas. Collaboration should also happen with other city departments.

Strategies:

  • City Planning Strategy 1. Incorporate historic preservation language—and reference to the Historic Preservation Commission and historic preservation ordinance—in all citywide and neighborhood planning documents and initiatives.
  • City Planning Strategy 2. Improve the historic preservation program’s procedures.
  • City Planning Strategy 3. Clarify the historic preservation ordinance.
  • City Planning Strategy 4. Train the Historic Preservation Commission.
Historic photo of houses on Warm Springs Ave during the winter.

Stewardship

The City of Boise leads the community in demonstrating stewardship of historic properties.

Issues Summary

The city owns and manages historic properties. The community survey responses highlighted the city’s responsibility to care for the properties in its ownership. By engaging in best practices, the city can demonstrate to the community that historic preservation is a priority and encourage private property owners to follow their lead.

Strategies:

  • Stewardship Strategy 1. Protect archaeological and historic resources.
  • Stewardship Strategy 2. Establish a regular survey program to update the city’s inventory of historic properties.
  • Stewardship Strategy 3. Plan for future landmark and historic district designations.
  • Stewardship Strategy 4. Encourage adaptive reuse and compatible infill.
Postcard showing Train Depot and Bob's Auto Park.

Incentives

Historic property owners in Boise have access to various incentives and programs to help them maintain and rehabilitate their properties.

Issues Summary

Many projects—new construction and adaptive reuse—rely on incentives to make them “pencil.” These incentives entice owners to proceed with the financial risk to develop projects that help our community maintain its unique identity while supporting a vibrant future. By preserving historic buildings, neighborhoods, and cultural resources, the city can celebrate its heritage, strengthen community identity, encourage sustainable development, support economic vitality, and ensure that the stories and places that matter to Boiseans remain part of the community for generations to come. To ensure the preservation of Boise’s historic buildings, it is imperative that incentives are available that assist a range of property types.

Strategies:

  • Incentive Strategy 1. Identify and share all the incentives available to historic property owners.
  • Incentive Strategy 2. Establish city-managed incentives to encourage maintenance and adaptive reuse of historic properties.
  • Incentive Strategy 3. Identify barriers to adaptive reuse projects and historic property maintenance in the city.
Historic photograph of a parade in downtown Boise

Public Outreach and Education

Boise residents understand that the city’s historic preservation program is a resource for information about historic properties in the city.

Issues Summary

Historic preservation is valued and well understood in long-established historic districts within the city. However, there are opportunities to expand and diversify both the properties designated as historic in the city as well as the neighborhoods and individuals who connect with preservation.

Strategies:

  • Public Outreach and Education Strategy 1. Establish a comprehensive public outreach program about the benefits of historic preservation in safeguarding the city’s heritage.
  • Public Outreach and Education Strategy 2. Connect with property owners of eligible historic property owners.
  • Public Outreach and Education Strategy 3. Pursue opportunities for interpretation of historic places in the city.

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