01 Union 93 West, CZC, NARRATIVE, WEST BLDG1 | Page
TO: Community Development; Planning Department
33 E Broadway Avenue, Meridian, Idaho 83642
ATTENTION: Planning Staff
PROJECT: Union 93 (Formally Meridian Station)
REGARDING: CZC Application Narrative for UNION 93-West Building
PAST APPROVALS: Conditional Use Permit, May 19, 2020
NARRATIVE:
East Broadway Investment Company (“EBIC”)—a single-purpose entity controlled by Galena Opportunity
Inc.—is proposing to construct two apartment buildings at Broadway Avenue and 3rd. The proposed
West Building will be 7 stories tall, with 2 levels of parking and 5 levels of modular apartments above. It
will sit 40 feet west of the East Building, approximately 109 feet south of Broadway Avenue. The
proposed building will have a footprint of approximately 48,500 square feet and gross square footage of
265,000.
Balancing Meridian's rich history and vibrant future, Union 93 strives to infuse Meridian's commercial
core with energy. At 90 feet in height, the overall scale of this pair of buildings marks a new era of
increased density in downtown Meridian. In crafting the architecture, great care has been taken to
respect the surrounding existing urban fabric while still being honest to this project's scale and civic
presence. The East and West Buildings are configured with north-facing courtyards, with an additional
east-facing courtyard in the East Building opening to 3rd Street. This orientation provides a solid/void
massing rhythm in the street-facing façades. This serves to break the buildings down into smaller-scale
components with a series of articulated volumes, reinforced by materiality. The north-facing façades are
scaled to more appropriately interface with the existing urban fabric. With the Broadway-facing
courtyards, additional synergy is created between the semi-private outdoor residential zones and the
street-level activities and festivities.
Furthering the project's integration with downtown Meridian, as the buildings meet the ground, the
design creates a building base that is a welcoming destination for residents and supportive of local
business. With a variety of setbacks, the buildings create a dynamic set of inside/outside spaces on all
sides. Retail spaces front the entirety of the ground floor along Broadway and the associated plaza on
the site, bolstering and enhancing downtown's street vibrance.
The Treasure Valley's climate provides year-round opportunities to enjoy the outdoors. A key factor in
this, however, is shelter and shade from the hot summer sun. The architecture of Union 93 creates
shade and shadow, providing respite and protection from the high summer temperatures. The
elongated courtyards and the north-south axis of the mews provide just such environments. The
articulation of the building facades further enhances this notion of protection, with alternating recessed
bays and the expressed grid frame elements. The grid frame on the upper floors and the relief and
texture of the brick screens and pilasters at the building bases provide shading to all façades.
Additionally, the expressed grid framework provides a direct architectural correlation to some of Old
Town's most historic structures.
2 | Page
As a new project knit into an existing urban fabric – particularly one primarily used for housing, the
details and warmth of materials should provide a sense of "coming home." Brick is a key component of
Old Town architecture, and it is found around the entire base of both buildings in this project. Brick is
durable, but it also has a textural and human scale. The project proposes using Norman brick, which is
slightly longer than the more prolific Modular brick. The brick is complemented by panelized cladding.
The material tones, while somewhat muted, are generally warm and are typically drawn from the
existing surrounding context. Most importantly, it is the variations in colors that resonate. They serve to
break down the scale of the buildings, but the variations also create a sense of playfulness and urban
placemaking.
Overall, the project integrates the spirit and intent of the City of Meridian Architectural Standards
Manual. In most areas, the design is in full compliance with the requirements. In a handful of instances,
the project makes an intentional departure, seeking to simplify what might otherwise be, for example,
overabundant parapet height variations for buildings of this scale. The overall architectural form and
expression provide variation and modulation that keeps with the spirit of Old Town while still being of
the present day.
With 264,829 gross square feet, the seven-story West Building comprises two parking levels, with five
levels of apartments above. The building consists of two separated primary occupancies: an S-2
"Parking Garage" on the first two floors, and R-2 "Residential Apartments" above on floors three
through seven. The S-2 component is of Type IA construction and contains 197 parking spaces within
121 parking stalls (a mixture of standard and autostacker mechanical parking stalls) and 166 residential
bicycle parking stalls. Additional occupancy Groups (B; R-2; S) on the lower levels include retail spaces
along the entire plaza-facing side of the ground floor, amenity spaces in the southeastern quadrant of
the ground floor, trash, and mechanical spaces, and resident bicycle and unit storage. The upper
residential floors of the building contain 166 apartments of Type IIIA construction. The apartment mix is
made of 48 Studios, 59 1-Bedroom units, and 59 2-Bedroom units arranged in a "U"-shaped
configuration. Inside the U is a north-facing courtyard with outdoor resident amenity space that
overlooks the plaza below. A resident Lodge amenity room (Occupancy Group A) anchors the opposite
end of the U. On the seventh floor, another resident amenity space includes an outdoor roof deck
overlooking the plaza and downtown Meridian, with views to the distant foothills. The West Building is
separated from the East Building by a landscaped mews.
The main entrance into the West Building will be from Broadway, about halfway between Main Street
and 3rd Street. A 26-foot wide drive aisle is proposed on the east side of the building and will access the
parking garage on the building's bottom floor. There is also a second entrance to the east side of the
building from the East Building.
A community plaza – designed for daily use and community events – fronts the West Building along E
Broadway Ave. Areas for retail spill out allow for café tables and chairs along the building's north edge,
while a plaza is sized to accommodate small community events and gatherings. A lawn panel includes a
mounded area to support event seating and a flat area for lawn games. Planting areas rimmed with
seatwalls create a transition between the City standard sidewalk and the plaza, with wide openings for
porosity. Understory planting consisting of ornamental grasses and select specimen trees for shade and
a sense of permanence. Lighting provides ambiance and accent. The plaza paving includes salvaged rail
from the railroad tracks for added texture and interest – an homage to the railroad and city’s history.
3 | Page
The south end of the building is anchored with a large play area and pet area, contained by a
transparent welded wire mesh fence, connected with walkways, and buffered with planting. East and
West edges of the building include walkways to connect the plaza, retail areas, lobbies, and amenities.
The multi-use path adjacent to the rail spans between sidewalks and, per City guidelines, is lined with
trees and low planting. Dark sky-compliant lighting will provide wayfinding and safety along walkways
and gathering areas.
The streetscape, landscape, and outdoor spaces for the project create a connected network of amenities
that beautify and activate the public realm while enhancing livability for downtown residents. Emersed
in planting typologies of the region – High Desert, Foothills, and Boise River – the landscape connects
people to place and the natural beauty of the Treasure Valley.
The main trash and recycling storage room will be in the West Building, and it will have a roll-up door to
the access drive. Trash and recycling will be wheeled into the pickup area by Republic Storage. Trash and
recycling from the East Building will be hauled to the West Building storage room daily or every two
days.
Should there be any questions or need anything further to consider this application, please feel free to
contact the Owner’s representative, Mike Chidester, at 208.871.6844.