Idaho SIOR Sees Improvement in the Office Market

It's great to hear news like this from fellow Idaho commercial real estate professionals!

From Idaho Business Review Reports...

Debbie Martin, president of the Idaho chapter of the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors, maintains a positive attitude about an office market that remains sluggish but offers some opportunities.

She is “taking the market we have and dealing with it,” she said. Instead of waiting for conditions to improve, she’s staying proactive when it comes to finding and pursuing deals, and trying to put herself in the shoes of clients or prospective clients. She had more planned and expected deals in the pipeline as of the first week and a half of 2010 than she did during many periods of 2009, she said.

Click here for the full article.

Micron Goes Solar

Micron Technology took a big step toward entering the renewable engery industry on Jan. 14, with the announcement that it has entered into a joint venture with Australian firm Origin Energy Limited to develop solar photovoltaic technology.

Mark Durcan, president and COO of the Boise-based memory chip maker, stated: "As we have looked to leverage our core strengths in other markets, photovoltaic energy technology is a natural area of investigation.  Origin is a company with a significant interest and history in renewable energy technologies.  Combining our semiconductor manufacturing expertise with Origin's solar experience could result in a strong partnership."

Read the full article from the Idaho Business Review here.

College of Western Idaho Opens

Click below to hear an audio clip of Governor Butch Otter speaking at the ribbon cutting for Idaho's newest junior college, The College of Western Idaho, serving students in the Boise Valley.

http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/idaho/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=1457608

Inaugural Boise Idaho ICSC Event Scheduled

The inaugural Boise ICSC conference will feature retail updates from brokers located in Idaho, Utah, Montana, Nevada, and the Northwest. A panel of experts will discuss current economic conditions and how they are affecting developers, retailers, and bankers. Keynote speakers Fred Bruning and Andrew Wilk from the retail development company CenterCal will discuss their Meridian, Idaho project, provide insight into market conditions, and expound on the actions CenterCal is taking to adapt.

Presenting brokers will include Brook Blakeslee from Colliers-Idaho, Rick Casazza from Colliers – Nevada, Alex MacLean from Commercial Realty Advisors Northwest – Oregon, Chad Moore from Commerce CRG – Utah, and Mike Walker from NAI Business Properties – Montana.

The registration flyer can be downloaded at http://naicommerceone.com/boiseicsc.pdf, or register online here.