Emmett seeks to be more than a commuter town

The city of Emmett and Gem County have created a new economic development position in a bid to stymie the flow of commuters who take jobs in Canyon and Ada counties.

Several economic development organizations have sprouted up in Gem County since Boise Cascade closed its lumber and plywood facility in Emmett in 2001, prompting about 400 people to seek work outside of the county. Now, about 60 percent of Gem County residents work in Ada or Canyon County.

In response to the Boise Cascade closure, local leaders created the Gem Economic Development Association to revitalize downtown, and a group called the Shadow Butte Development Association created an industrial park west of Emmett. But both organizations failed to shift their focus to new projects after those initial tasks were complete, said Emmett Mayor Gordon Petrie.

“There was a series of organizations that were supposedly dedicated to economic development that seemed uncoordinated and seemed to be getting nothing done,” Petrie said. “I knew we could do a better job.”

The mayor’s office worked with the Gem County Chamber of Commerce and the Economic Development Foundation Board to create an economic development position that would focus on all of the economic needs of the county.

The organizations hired Robbie Roberts to fill the position Oct. 1. Roberts said the groups also created strategic goals with the mayor, city council, county commissioners, state officials, and Small Business Administration.

“They wanted to make sure everyone has skin in the game,” he said.

Emmett and Gem County are listed at 36th out of 44 counties for per capita income by the Idaho Department of Labor. Their commuting workforce tends to shop elsewhere, so about 25 percent of the downtown storefronts are empty and only 30 percent of the industrial park outside of town is occupied, Roberts said. Emmett is about 30 miles northwest of Boise, on the other side of a local land mass known as Freezout Hill.

“What we are fighting in Emmett is twofold,” Petrie said. “There was the closing of the mill, but people need to get over that – it was 15 plus years ago and it may never return to its vibrancy. We are also fighting the commuter community which means people are over the hill to begin with and will do their shopping before coming home which is regrettable.”

Many local vendors operate on traditional workday schedules, meaning they’re closed before commuters return home, Roberts said. He’s encouraging them to stay open during evenings and weekends to give Emmett residents the chance to shop locally. He’s also working with the city to attract more shops.

“We need entrepreneurs who are willing to put in the niche kind of shops such as you might see in (downtown Boise),” Petrie said. “We don’t really need another pizza shop or a store selling antiques – we have plenty of those.”

Roberts also plans to work with the mayor’s office to see the city of Emmett become more pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly. He wants to lay fiber optic cables and create new parks.

“We have a great river that is every bit as nice as the Boise River that is underutilized recreationally,” Roberts said. “We are looking into what we can do to make parks and events such as the Harvest Festival and the Cherry Festival that will make Emmett more of a destination.”

Roberts hopes businesses seeking to leave Boise and Meridian will start to notice Emmett’s industrial park space and its proximity to camping and hiking spots.

“I think we have the existing charm to draw people here, but they first have to start seeing it as a destination,” Roberts said. “You are seeing a lot of the open space in Boise being developed, so when people want to make an escape and are ready to hop the hill and come to Gem County we want to be ready and to be attractive.”