Project on Ten Mile Road brings together Treasure Valley developers and builders for growing region

Growth is happening across all parts of the country and Idaho is no exception.

In Meridian, the state’s second largest city, The District at Ten Mile is considered one of the area’s biggest and bustling corridors.

It’s not just growing, it’s growing fast.

With the latest development at the site now underway, highlighted by a robust groundbreaking ceremony May 5, a phrase often used in the construction industry, “from dirt to done,” may best illustrate a project of this magnitude that aims to meet the city’s rapid expansion.

“This is the opposite of sprawl; it’s infill,” said Tommy Ahlquist, CEO of Ahlquist, whose firm is leading the latest development of roughly 220 acres situated on the west side of Ten Mile Road at the Interstate 84 interchange directly opposite of the existing Ten Mile Crossing.

“It’s exactly what we should be doing. It’s thoughtful development in the valley. It’s a big project. It allows people to live, work, play and be entertained.”

So big that construction crews have thus far moved approximately 173,0000 cubic yards of dirt at the site, equivalent to about 85 football fields each filled 12-inches deep with dirt.

Eventually settling atop the newly leveled commercial site will be an assortment of retail, office and industrial tenants, led by Meridian’s first Target, encompassing 148,000 square feet of shopping space. As part of the second phase of the development project, the store will become the valley’s fourth location, including two in Boise and one in Nampa.

“We have designed and built The District at Meridian around that idea where people can come and enjoy their work and really enjoy being in Idaho, be together as a community, and be part of a community like Meridian,” Ahlquist said. “It will redefine the shape of the Treasure Valley for generations.”

Other big names projected to join the roster of new District tenants include In-N-Out Burger, Chase Bank, Taco Bell, Panera Bread, Mo’ Bettahs — known for its authentic Hawaiian cuisine — Zao Asian Grill, Handel’s Ice Cream and Tide Cleaners.

Plus, the District will be home to a 100,000-square-foot Lifetime Fitness facility, two hotels and a law-enforcement focused daycare. An additional list of future tenants is expected to be announced soon.

“We’re quite grateful with the line-up so far, and we have several deals we are working on and hope to announce just as many in the coming weeks,” said Mark Cleverley, a chief leasing officer for Ahlquist. “The list continues to grow, and people are seeing what is happening out here and want to be a part of it.”

According to Meridian Mayor Robert Simison, one of several speakers to address the crowd of 200-plus who gathered for the ceremony, plans for the Ten Mile interchange have been on the table for about two decades.

“What happened before me is helping what is happening today,” Simison said. “Don’t forget, these people developed a plan before there was even an interchange here.”

And while there have been a few bumps in the road along the way, the mayor stressed that the city will deliver on the vision laid out for the entire community.

“Ten Mile has had some traffic challenges over the past few years,” he said. “But it’s about understanding what comes next. It’s understanding the impact Highway 16 will have. Understanding the Linder Road improvements.

“This is just the beginning. There is a lot more work to be done. The city is a proud partner alongside all of our development community and to make sure we execute on the vision for what this community has laid out.”

For Mike Adler, CEO of Adler Industrial, The District at Ten Mile represents a combination of “strong partnerships” and a “shared vision” to get things done.

“We’re proud to be a part of this joint venture,” Adler told the crowd. “This is truly a shared effort with each partner bringing their strengths and perspectives to the table and working together to bring this vision to life.”

Such projects are “how we operate,” he emphasized, and significant for the Treasure Valley to provide “one connected place” for office, retail and residential development.

“It’s the kind of project that reflects where the Treasure Valley is heading and how this community continues to grow,” he said. “Across the Boise Valley we’ve worked along great partners to develop great businesses, create jobs and support long-term strength within the community. Here at Ten Mile, that collaboration is on full display.”

Focused on the industrial side of the project, Adler has already begun construction on the first two of what will total six industrial buildings to be housed at the site. The two structures will offer more than 230,000 square feet of space for potential warehousing and distribution, food processing or light manufacturing operations.

The final four “flex” buildings are expected to be completed at an unspecified later date.

Projects like this, Adler said, require strong leadership and a willingness to work together to get things done right. “The District at Ten Mile represents more than just buildings. It’s about creating a place where businesses can grow, people can gather and the community can continue to thrive.”

As the project’s other major partner, Torry McAlvain Jr., president of McAlvain Companies, highlighted the financial impact the project will have, not just for the city of Meridian, but throughout the entire valley.

“The District at Ten Mile represents more than just buildings,” McAlvain said. “It’s about creating a place where businesses can grow, people can gather, and the community can continue to thrive.”

A plan the mayor strongly believes will serve not only Meridian residents, but all who will come from surrounding communities within the Treasure Valley.

“The plan really talks about the integration of uses, that really focuses on that live, work, play, raise-a-family components,” Simison said. “The area is meant to have everything — jobs, living and recreation. Whether you live right here or north or south of the interstate, you’ll be able to come here.”

According to the project details, the first phase of The District at Ten Mile is slated for completion and to be open to the public in spring of 2027.

“We’re sitting here on Phase 2, and the vision is bringing Phase 1 and Phase 2 together,” Cleverley said.

“With Phase 3, we’ll be bring in entertainment for families to hang out. And we’re really excited that when this is all done in three to four years from now, what an amazing project we have been a part of.”

For Ahlquist, taking on this new project in Meridian means coming full circle, with his outfit having initially completed the Portico project on Eagle Road and Franklin just north of the interstate 25 years ago.

“We’ve left an imprint in every part of the valley,” Ahlquist said. “But to be back here in Meridian where we’ve done Eagle View Landing and Top Golf, where we did Ten Mile Crossing, it’s truly a full-circle moment.”

And with more demands in an ever-changing society, the work doesn’t get any easier.

“These projects are hard, and it seems like they get harder,” he said. “And we love that. The harder it gets, the harder it is for others to compete.”

However, the challenge of such an enormous project is the one aspect of the work Ahlquist and his team thrive on. “I tell my team, ‘Who cares, dig in, let’s go figure it out.’ The City of Meridian has been amazing.”

And with some of the valley’s major developments credited to his firm, Ahlquist firmly believes there is only one sure-fire way to put the brakes on growing communities such as Meridian.

“The way you stop growth is to stop building other stuff and then your home prices will double,” he said. “We believe in doing it right, being thoughtful, to do it in a way that you want your family to be here and do the best you can.”

Or, as he simply sees it, “watching a construction site go from dirt to done.”

“The District at Ten Mile is truly the center of it all. It will redefine the shape of the Treasure Valley for generations. You think about Idaho, we are the envy of the entire United States for a reason. It’s the people, it’s the communities we live in and how much everyone loves this place.”

And with the secret of the Treasure Valley fully out, more people coming means more growth.

“The state is going to grow, the valley is going to grow,” he said. “But Meridian really sets the example of where to raise a family, where to work and where to play.”