Landscape and Planning Objectives: Form, Function and Intent: The Grove Plaza

As Krisjan mentioned in an earlier post he and I have been doing a little bit of exploring around the great city we live in. There are many different aspects of Boise that really set it apart from many other areas. The small town feel with hidden spaces that seem to just be nestled into the fabric of a growing city.

One of the first areas that we decided we should document is maybe one of the most known areas to local residents, the Grove Plaza in downtown Boise. It is located near the middle of downtown Boise right between Qwest Arena, The Boise Centre, Main Street and Myrtle St.

Google Location of the Grove Plaza

The Grove Plaza is the home of Boise's popular summertime "Alive After Five" concert series and drunk fest as well as numerous other events throughout the year. There is just one restaurant with a patio in the Grove; The Brick Oven Bistro. The Grove is a pedestrian space only accessible by foot, bicycle, Segway or unicycle.

From a design perspective the Grove is a very successful space. The tree lined walkways form the North (8th & Main) and the South (8th & Front) create a pedestrian's paradise that feels both welcoming and comfortable. These spaces do feel a little bit unused because of the lack of shops or open patio areas that could really bring an unmatched atmosphere to the walkway.

South walkway from BoDo

North entry from 8th St

West entry from 9th St

South walkway from Bodo

The Center of the plaza may be one of the most used spaces. The overall design uses a circular pattern to define a definite center surrounded by two rows of Thornless Honey Locust trees. These trees are starting to reach maturation and create a beautiful tree canopy that allows for a sheltered, relaxing atmosphere. In the center of the plaza is an interactive fountain that allows children to enjoy the cool water in the summer and in the winter a large Christmas tree creates a happy gathering space.

The fountain in the very middle

There are a couple of things that could have made this plaza a little bit more successful. On element is the lack of shops lining the entrances that were mentioned before, and the other is the location of an open parking lot adjacent to the corner of 8th St. and Main St. This is problem that has plagued Boise for many years but they seem to be working on it. I for one cannot wait until they start the infill project to remove the small lot and replace it with more buildings or areas that will help bring the site together as a whole.

Brick Oven Bistro

Adjacent Parking Lot

From the installed art exhibits, Seasonal plantings of flowers and the maturation of a design open space this plaza is one of our favorites. It is inviting and we suggest anyone that has a second take a stroll through it and just enjoy the years of planning and construction that went into giving people a place to relax.