Idaho Falls: Where the rich ride mass transit

I am always interested when Idaho Falls makes some magazine's national listings. Such articles are usually rating the area's quality of life (which, let's admit it, is pretty good for any number of reasons), but this one is way more unique, which is why I'm passing it along.

http://www.theatlanticcities.com/commute/2011/10/5-cities-where-rich-ride-transit/257/

Ammon Marketplace looking for tenants

If you're wondering what's happening with the dirt being moved at the southeastern corner of Hitt and Sunnyside (where Wendy's already is), it's the site of a development called Ammon Marketplace, a joint venture of Ball Ventures and the Woodbury Corp.

The concept for the development is mixed retail and dining. Total space available is 175,000 square feet, with a minimum of 13,000 square feet. Rental rates are negotiable.

The development is being marketed by Pentad Properties, which has worked locally with such companies as Bed, Bath & Beyond, Wells Fargo, T-Mobile, Family Dollar Stores, Artic Circle Restaurants and Harbor Freight Tools. For a look at their Web site, visit http://www.pentadidaho.com/.


The site of Ammon Marketplace, a development proposed for the southeastern corner of Sunnyside and Hitt Road.



Ammon Chick-Fil-A owners plan Dec. 8 opening

Chick-Fil-A of Ammon is looking at a Dec. 8 opening, say the owners Lauren and Nate Mosteller. The restaurant is located in the old Fazoli's, at 3003 S. 25th East.

Applications are being taken now, and the Mostellers plan to employ 65 people, including a cow mascot. You can apply in the trailer behind the construction site -- Mondays and Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5 to 7 p.m. -- or online at http://www.snagajob.com.

The Mostellers hope to start interviewing people in early November. The couple moved to Idaho Falls from Georgia earlier this year.

The restaurant's Facebook page address is:
http://www.facebook.com/index.php?lh=c52c3caa688cc567015910dcc6f0288b&#!/ammoncfa

Lauren Mosteller, who is opening the Ammon Chick-Fil-A with her husband, Nate, and the company's mascot.

Peaches moves, focuses on grooming business

Peaches Pets has moved from its longtime location on North Yellowstone to 1585 Hollipark Drive, off Lincoln Road.

Owner Chaz Houpt said they have closed the retail end of the business to focus solely on pet grooming. The move took place Aug. 8, and the name of the business has been changed to Peaches Parlor Grooming.

The new location has 1,500 square feet and a drive-thru drop-off bay. They employ three groomers, and have the capacity to handle about 20 pets a day.

Houpt said they've incorporated a lot of things they've wanted all along -- a regulated water system, a livestock dryer and a cool air cabinet dryers. Pets are bathed on an elevated rack, which is much more effective than a tub. The whole purpose is to get rid of dead undercoat and skin, which makes for a happier and better looking pet, not to mention a lot less shedding around the house.

As for the old location, near Fred and Wayne's Tire, Houpt said they decided to put it up for auction after a few unsuccessful tries at selling it. "We had a lot of people who were interested, but no one could come up with the money," he said.

Here is the video that Web Impakt did for Peaches Web site, http://www.peachesparlor.com/

New developments for downtown Idaho Falls

Idahoan Foods' new headquarters, on Constitution Way, should be finished by mid- to late-November.

Compared to a lot of American cities, Idaho Falls downtown district is looking pretty good.

With the recent additions of 3's Co. Catering and Il Castello and the expansion of Pachanga's, there is a growing variety of places to eat and drink. Two corporations -- Syringa Wireless and Idahoan Foods -- have located or are in the process of locating downtown.

"It's one building and one facade at a time" said Bob Everhart, executive director of the Downtown Development Corp.

DDC is the organization charged with finding new tenants for empty buildings, not to mention helping the owners make their buildings presentable. It is supported by tax money from a business improvement district, and any time there's money involved there's a big possibility that someone will feel left out or shortchanged.

But Everhart said he wants to help find grant money for anyone who wants to improve their property, and pointed to the new facade and sign on Karen's Park Avenue Club as an example of what can be done on a small scale to get big results.

The development of Idahoan's world headquarters, on Constitution Way, has gone slower than expected because of the excavation for underground parking, but Everhart said it is due to be finished by Thanksgiving. When it is, there will be 70 to 75 people commuting downtown five days a week.

A few things can be expected in the next six months. State Rep. Janice McGeachin is converting the old Hub Bar, at the corner of Broadway and Park, into an Irish pub, eyeing an opening in spring 2012. Everhart said he is negotiating with a local resident who hopes to open an old-fashioned bookstore in the space on Broadway next to Dave's Bike Shop.

A few big spaces remain to be filled: the ground floor at the southwest corner of Park and B and the old Inkley's building at Park and A, which has been vacant for a few years. Everhart said he would like to see the old Saving Center property put to some sort of use, but recognizes its size presents challenges with the economy the way it is.

Two Idaho Falls Drive-in Theaters for Sale

Idaho Falls' Skj-Vu Drive-In is closed for the season, and its owners are looking to sell both it and the Motor-Vu.

Idaho Falls’ two drive-in movie theaters, the Sky-Vu and the Motor-Vu, are for sale.

The company offering the properties, Desert Crest Corp., actually has two deals in the works. One is for the 9.1 acres surrounding the Sky-Vu. Being near the Snake River between Pancheri Drive and Sunnyside Road, one can assume that this land is potentially primo real estate.

Desert Crest is also offering for sale the two theaters. So if you’ve ever thought about running an “Ozoner” -- the term Variety came up with to describe the drive-in after the first one opened in 1933 -- here is your chance. The number is 360-5701.

Anyone who has been to a drive-in knows it’s as much about the experience as it is about the movie. I have two distinct memories from my childhood: Watching Bob Hope and Phyllis Diller in some feature whose name escapes me (I know, I know, how could I?) in my pajamas with my best bud at the time, Mike Kelly, and our moms. And seeing “True Grit” (the first one, with John Wayne and Glen Campbell) with my father in 1969.

There were a lot more drive-ins then than there are now. In 1958, the United States had close to 4,000 drive-in movie theaters, said Jennifer Sherer Janisch, who operates the Web site www.drive-ins.com. Today, that number is less than 400.

Two things brought about their demise in the ’70s and ’80s -- rising land values and the advent of VCRs, DVDs and the Internet. That trend slowed down in the ’90s, and although she recognizes drive-ins will never be the mass market phenomenon they were in the Eisenhower era, Sherer said she’s hopeful about the future.

“In the last several years we've seen drive-in expansion, drive-in re-openings, and even brand new drive-ins,” she said. “Aside from the unique atmosphere and the fact that it's so affordable, people want good, clean fun, and drive-ins have it."

The Danger of Overpricing Your Home

This is lifted from my friend Chris Pelkota Lee's blog, http://www.if-realestate.blogspot.com/

Thinking of Selling? It's a tough market out there still for local sellers. Still, homes are still selling, and everything will sell for the right price, right? If you just said "no," consider this extreme example: even that 3,000 square-foot fixer-upper house across the street with a three-car garage will find the right buyer quickly if it's priced at only $20,000.

I'm not saying every home should be priced so drastically. That's silly. But this article from Trulia.com points out a few reasons why as a seller it's so important to get your pricing right from the get-go, particularly in a tough market with more competition and limited buyers.
 
http://www.trulia.com/guide/home_selling/home_selling_strategies/the_seven_deadly_sins_of_overpricing/