Ustick Townsite Beautification Project Download PDF of Concept Design

Posted July 21, 2023

Ustick In Bloom 2023

West Valley Neighborhood Association’s signature event is our annual Ustick In Bloom neighborhood celebration. Ustick In Bloom is a gathering of neighbors to celebrate our West Boise community with live music, food trucks, community resource vendors, crafts vendors, raffle prizes, children’s activities and our partnership with Lost Grove Brewing.

Beginning in 2018 the Board of Directors of the WVNA partnered with Boise City Energize Our Neighborhoods to bring this special community celebration to Redwood Park. Every year Ustick In Bloom attracts more West Boise residents who look forward to celebrating our historic Ustick Townsite and our awesome West Boise community.

Take a moment to check out photos from Ustick In Bloom 2023 and visit our West Valley Neighborhood Association website westvalleyboise.org for further information and more photos of Ustick In Bloom.

Hope to see you June 8 at our 2024 Ustick In Bloom neighborhood celebration!

Posted Jul 21 2023

Ustick Townsite Banners Installed

With the installation of the Ustick Banners in the Ustick Townsite, the West Valley Neighborhood Association celebrates another milestone in the Ustick Beautification Project! Our thanks to Idaho artist, Ward Hooper for his amazing “Ustick” art on the banners. The banners signify the historical significance of the Ustick Townsite as a special place in our West Boise community.

WVNA Ustick Townsite projects to date: landscaping on the north and south side of Ustick Road in the townsite area, historical signage on Ustick Road and Redwood Park, Ustick In Bloom neighborhood celebrations and our current project, public art in Redwood Park to be installed next summer.

Many thanks to the City of Boise for their support of our West Boise gem, the Ustick Townsite.

Our vision for the Ustick Townsite Beautification Project is to awaken the collective memory of the historic agricultural community in West Boise - Ustick Village. At its prime, Ustick was a bustling agricultural town surrounded by orchards and energized by a small farming community. The townsite was complete with a bank, a creamery, a school, and its own Mercantile, where produce was weighed and shipped via the local railway system “The Interurban” to destinations east and west. These buildings have withstood the test of time and still stand in the townsite and continue to be utilized as business ventures.

Urban sprawl has nearly decimated the character and historical significance of the Ustick Townsite. Ustick Road, a two-lane road once shaded by a canopy of poplar trees served as the trolley line for the Boise Valley Railway which ran from Caldwell to Boise. The beautiful canopy of trees is gone and what was once a tree-lined Ustick Road is now a five lane highway to Meridian.

Our vision includes a re-birth of this once thriving community by working with Boise City and community partners to re-create a pedestrian friendly neighborhood in which West Boise residents can once again connect and commune. Our vision includes trees, landscaping, historical street lamps, sculpture and artwork that will soften the area to make it a pleasant place to walk and bicycle. We also envision a welcoming place with shops that are within easy walking distance and historical interpretative signage to educate the public about the townsite of Ustick. Future development of walking paths and inclusion in the West Boise comprehensive plan could include routes along the irrigation ditches leading to Comba Park.