Two-story bar planned in downtown Boise became ‘giant nightmare,’ won’t open after all
A two-story bar planned inside a historic downtown Boise building will not open after all.
The Stag Bar — which would have taken over the old Idaho Blueprint and Supply Co. space at 619 W. Main St. — is no longer going to happen, said Todd Asin, the concept’s mastermind.
“Been a giant nightmare,” he said in a text message. Asin declined to comment further.
Plans to improve the building and find a new tenant are still underway.
Tucked between Humpin’ Hannah’s bar and Coa de Jima restaurant, Idaho Blueprint was one of Boise’s oldest businesses when it shuttered in late 2022 — after 113 years. Local developer Jay Story’s company, West Bannock Dev, bought the 7,724-square-foot building and made it available for lease.
Asin previously said that he had hoped to open the Stag by the end of last year. He also owns the Atlas Bar in downtown Boise and co-owns the Royal Cocktail Co. in Hyde Park, along with owning the Alpine Bar in downtown Meridian.
Even with the Stag Bar off the table, the former Idaho Blueprint and Supply space could become a food or drink establishment. But it would need to go through a series of improvements, according to previous Idaho Statesman reporting.
Among those? A new sprinkler system and a relocation of the front door, according to Capital City Development Corp., Boise’s urban renewal agency. Plans also call for mezzanine upgrades including new staircases and restrooms.
“As owners,” Story said in an email, “we are committed to updating the building and bringing it up to current codes, which will allow us to bring in a tenant that will be synergistic with the area and neighboring businesses. We are excited and hopeful to find a tenant that will appreciate the historic and unique nature of this building, and can bring something the community will enjoy. We are still working with CCDC on the public infrastructure and appreciate their shared vision and appreciation for preservation of these historic buildings.”
Story said that he and his partners think it’s likely that a bar or restaurant will wind up being the tenant — “but we’re not ruling out use that could be retail or a specialty-type use. Also, because it’s three levels, a creative user could split the uses/businesses between the main floor, mezzanine and basement.”
The project to upgrade the building would cost $3.5 million, according to Kassi Brown, project manager for CCDC. “Interior renovations will allow the future tenant to operate a pub-style business, with flexibility for restaurant use in the future,” Brown said at a CCDC board meeting in February. “Improvements are estimated to be completed later this spring.”
CCDC is hoping to get in on the action. The agency’s board voted to negotiate an agreement with West Bannock Dev to fund nearly $82,000 in assistance. The agency pays for assistance like this mostly with property-tax revenue it collects from properties within its urban renewal districts.
Statesman reporter Nick Rosenberger contributed to this article.
