Boise Diocese needs room to grow, buys larger building

Published: 2008-01-02

BOISE, Idaho (CNS) -- The Diocese of Boise has purchased an office building at 1501 Federal Way and is close to selling its existing facility less than a mile away, according to a real estate consultant working with the diocese. The diocese closed on the five-story building, featuring 48,000 square feet of office space, although the intention is to use only 35 percent of it for diocesan ministries, said Larry Hellhake, consultant for the project. "We needed more space," he said, adding that since the diocese moved into its current facility it has seen ministries grow, "adding one person at a time until we were maxed out." The new facility is about three-quarters of a mile south of the current Diocesan Pastoral Center, which measures about 16,000 square feet. Hellhake said the ground floor in the new building contains about 20,000 square feet, and each floor above it contains about 7,000 square feet. The diocese bought the property from View Pointe LLC, a group of investors, but Hellhake declined to disclose the purchase price, adding that it was at "market value."

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