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BOISE, Idaho 鈥� ZGF Architects, the same Portland firm that designed the Grove Plaza in 1986, is returning for the plaza’s redesign.

ZGF will provide the basic vision for Grove Plaza 2.0, a renovation scheduled for the first half of 2016.

The Capital City Development Corp., which owns the plaza, on June 8 selected Boise architecture firm CSHQA to serve as the architect of record for the Grove 2.0 project, with ZGF taking the lead for the first third of the project. CSHQA will then draw the construction documents, said Doug Woodruff, CCDC’s capital improvements project manager.

The Grove Plaza was built in 1986 on a four-block vacant lot at what is now the heart of Boise’s downtown area. CCDC Executive Director John Brunelle has said the plaza needs to be refreshed for a new generation. Also, since the plaza was first designed, it has been fully enclosed by buildings, with the last project under construction now. CCDC’s goal is to complete Grove Plaza 2.0 work concurrent with the completion of that complex, City Center Plaza.

ZGF, which also authored a 1980s urban renewal plan for downtown Boise, has been collaborating with CCDC for the past year in the preliminary phases of Grove Plaza 2.0 planning. This included public input sessions that garnered 532 responses in an online survey.

鈥淧eople like that the plaza is flexible and generally flat,鈥� Woodruff said. 鈥淭here is a great appreciation of the fountain. They are asking for more WiFi, more seating and public restrooms.鈥�

The CCDC Board of Commissioners approved $50,000 to begin design services with $144,000 more available to fund design work.

CCDC’s goal is to complete design work by September. At that time, the agency will bring on a construction manager at risk to establish a guaranteed maximum construction cost. Construction is targeted to start in February and finish by next June, Woodruff said.