Developers could slice off chunk of Idaho’s 2nd-oldest golf course for homes. What’s next?

Plans to redevelop a piece of Idaho’s second-oldest golf course — and the oldest in Southern Idaho — could soon move forward after a neighborhood on the edge of State Street erupted into objections over similar plans six years ago.

The development from Meridian’s Brighton Corp. and Texas-based Lincoln Property Co. would slice off a chunk of The River Club golf course in Garden City and build 134 three-story town houses, according to a project application filed with Garden City on Feb. 10. Commercial buildings would hug State Street, with shopping and dining options wedged between them. The Expo Idaho Fairgrounds are directly south of the club, across the Boise River.

The City Council of Garden City previously gave the green light for Brighton to build up to 750 homes and town houses for the project, despite community objections that it would change the character of the neighborhood, add traffic and remove trees along State Street. The most recent application requests only 134 town houses, but the other homes could still be on the table.

“The project plans are continuing to evolve,” said Trever Nicoll, a senior vice president with Lincoln, by email. “We are currently planning to build less density with Brighton and expect that the number of townhomes will fall within the range of 125-150 units.”

The development would be built in several phases, starting with the town houses before moving onto the commercial, shopping and dining areas, according to the application. Construction on the town houses, Nicoll said, is expected to begin this fall.

“The sense of place will come largely from the golfing community and natural shared passion for the sport and lifestyle that River Club promotes and sustains,” according to the application from Jeremy Wright, an assistant project manager with Brighton. “This, combined with the purposeful design and integration of open spaces and landscaping, creates a place where people will want to come and stay.”

According to Wright, each town house would include three to four bedrooms, two-car garages and additional guest parking. The buildings would be grouped in combinations of three or four town houses and be connected by sidewalks, pathways and open space. A community pathway and linear park would be added next to the golf course.

“River Club Townhomes integrates well into the existing landscape while advancing a compact development pattern,” according to the application. “The increased density helps in the preservation of green space and enhances livability, long term.”

The density of the project is still below what the company could build there under city code, Wright said. Zoning allows a maximum density of 35 units per acre (or 225 to 260 units), such as with four- or five-story apartment buildings. The proposed development with 134 town houses would cap out at 13 units per acre and reach three stories high.

Most of the golf course would remain, including all 18 holes, though the companies still need to reconfigure the course, Nicoll said. The timeline for the redeveloped golf course would coincide with the construction of the market-rate town houses.

Though Nicoll did not provide an estimate of what one of their town houses would sell for, available market-rate town houses near the golf course range from about $490,000 to $600,000, according to Zillow.

Nicoll did not provide an estimate on how much the development would cost.

A loved, but turbulent, history in Garden City

The golf course has been a coveted space for generations of Idahoans, first opening July 18, 1917 as the Boise Country Club. Its owners changed its name fourteen years later to the Plantation Country Club.

Santa Barbara, California, developer Will Gustafson and his company, Glass Creek LLC, bought the club in 2018. Rumors quickly spread that he would close the golf course, or lower it from 18 holes to nine and build around 500 homes on it. Gustafson dismissed the rumors, saying the golf course would stay put.

Gustafson committed to spending $100,000 to improve the club house. He changed the name from the slavery-evoking Plantation Country Club to The River Club in 2020. The change followed a wave of protests that rocked the country over police brutality after former police officer Derek Chauvin murdered George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, in Minneapolis.

Gustafson sold the club to Lincoln Property Co. in 2022, though he continues to run the course. He said the sale was needed to finance an estimated $10 million worth of golf course upgrades.

Linking Boise, Eagle State Street corridor

The plans for the homes would tie into long-running plans to redevelop the commuter-heavy State Street corridor.

The street is one of the busiest in the region, running from downtown Boise and into Eagle before becoming State Highway 44. The Ada County Highway District, the city of Boise and its urban renewal district, the Capital City Development Corp., have spent years revamping State — and there’s no finish line in sight.

ACHD recently wrapped up construction on the eastern end of the street, behind the Idaho Capitol and the Idaho Supreme Court, and plans in 2026 to cut traffic lanes from four to three between 8th and 14th streets.

Closer to the golf course, ACHD started work in January on several changes to State Street and Pierce Park Lane. These include:

• Realigning Pierce Park Lane to improve safety and better visibility for drivers.

• Widening State Street and adding medians.

• Providing spots for U-turns.

• Adding pathways for pedestrians and bikers.

• Adding a crosswalk on State Street.

According to Wright, the project manager for Brighton, ACHD’s plans to expand State Street to three lanes in both directions along a stretch that includes the planned development “coincides nicely with the anticipated construction timelines” of the River Club Townhomes.

The company is working with the highway district to add car entry and exit points and to spread off-street parking throughout the site to help with congestion.

“Pathways provide circulation within as well as access to State Street’s walkways, bicycle pathways and upgraded bus stop locations as part of ACHD’s expansion,” Wright said.

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