Nichols Accounting shifts from lease to own for its new Nampa office

Ontario, Ore.-based Nichols Accounting will solidify its Nampa presence by building a new 10,500-square-foot office just west of the Ford Idaho Center and likely relocate the company’s headquarters.

Nichols had been leasing 3,500 square feet since 2003 in the Legends Building just south of the Idaho Center.

“We’ve had conversations for the last two-three years because we’re running out of space,” Nichols CEO Bob Kemble said. “We have 15 people in Nampa. It’s pretty tight.”

Nichols has been based in Ontario since Pete Nichols founded the company in 1974.

“That will probably switch with the new building in Nampa,” Kemble said.

Right now, Nichols has about 15 employees in Nampa and also Ontario, but Kemble foresees the Nampa office growing to 30 people soon. The building can accommodate 50 employees long-term. Kemble initially intends to lease out 3,000 to 3,500 square feet and house Nichols in about 7,000 square feet.

LCA Architects drew up a design with stacked stone, oxidized steel panels and single-sloped pitched roofs with six-foot overhangs at both ends, each roof slanting off perpendicular to the other to give individual identity to each end of the building.

“We are trying to get a Northwest modern look,” LCA project architect Scott Wendell said.

Construction is set to start in September with Nichols Accounting anticipating a June move-in date. Russell Corp is the general contractor.

Kemble sought a design that “creates a culture of family” with places where employees can gather during the day.

Kemble decided to keep Nichols Accounting near the Idaho Center, an emerging eastern quadrant of Nampa with College of Western Idaho, the Nampa Gateway Center, the Idaho Center Auto Mall, Nampa Gateway Center and the Saint Alphonsus Medical Center Nampa I-84/Garrity under construction.

“We see the growth heading in this direction,” Kemble said. “We just feel it’s a great place to be as far as business goes.”