Sandcreek Commons adds its 12th building at Ammon shopping center

Blaze Pizza and Costa Vida will be the next national tenants at the 40-acre Sandcreek Commons in Ammon, the second largest shopping center in eastern Idaho.

These eateries will fill most of Sandcreek’s 12^th structure, which is now under construction along Sunnyside Road, said Eric Isom, chief development officer at Ball Ventures, the Idaho Falls developer of Sandcreek Commons.

The 8,600-square-foot retail strip still has 2,600-square-feet in the center of the building available for one or two tenants. Construction started at the beginning of June and Isom expects Blaze and Costa Vida to open in late fall.

The architect is Dixon & Associates of Salt Lake City, the designer of several of the Sandcreek Commons structures. The general contractor is R. Jay Taylor Construction of Ammon.

Blaze Pizza has four locations in Idaho. The first was built in Meridian in 2014, and others followed soon after in Boise, Nampa  and Twin Falls. The Pasadena, California pizza chain Blaze Pizza, established in 2012, is the second-fastest-growing restaurant chain in the nation, according to Nation’s Restaurant News, with more than 270 locations in 40 states.

Costa Vida, established in Layton, Utah in 2003, has eight locations in Idaho in Meridian (opened 2006), Boise, Eagle, Nampa, Twin Falls, Chubbuck, Idaho Falls and Rexburg.

“Sandcreek Commons has been vitally important to show the state and region that we are a strong location for business,” Ammon Mayor Sean Coletti said. “We decided to place our city sign right at that corner. It’s a starting point for more business south of Sunnyside and throughout Ammon.”

Sandcreek Commons opened at Sunnyside Road and 25^th Street in 2015 with its three anchors, Hobby Lobby, Broulim’s Fresh Foods and Cabela’s, and the already existing Zions Bank and Wendy’s. Since then, four more pads have been built out for Kneaders, Mountain America Credit Union, D.L. Evans Bank and Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen.  Several tenants fill a retail strip next to Broulim’s.

A 55,000-square-foot lot for an anchor remains unbuilt and six pads remain empty, Isom said.

The 40-acre Sandcreek Commons is a joint venture between Ball Ventures and Woodbury Corp of Salt Lake City. Woodbury also owns the Residence Inn and SpringHill Suites in Idaho Falls, and the Magic Valley Mall and neighboring Canyon Park East and Canyon Park West shopping centers in Twin Falls. Ball Ventures also is developer of the 450-acre Snake River Landing mixed-use development in Idaho Falls.

“It could take another three, four, five years to get (Sandcreek Commons) done,” Isom said. “I wouldn’t be surprised see us do one or two buildings a year.”

He expects to build out two pads in 2019. Except for the retail strip next to Broulim’s built on speculation, Ball/Woodbury have waited until buildings were substantially pre-leased before starting construction.

The big question is what will happen with the 55,000-square foot anchor pad between Hobby Lobby and the Broulim’s-retail strip wing.

“Mid-boxes are a challenging area in retail right now,” Isom said of mid-sized retail buildings. “The odds are that it would be split into two or three smaller tenants. A 20,000-square-foot is a little more manageable than 50,000.”

Isom estimates $40 million has been invested at the center a half-mile south of the Grand Teton Mall.