Old Family Dollar store on South Holmes to reopen as Dollar Tree

The old Family Dollar store on South Holmes Avenue, which will reopen soon as Dollar Tree. (Trevor Paesl photo)

Today's entry in the "Inquiring Minds Want to Know" Department comes courtesy of Trevor Paesl, who was curious about the work going on at the closed-down Family Dollar store at 1875 South Holmes Avenue. Trevor was even kind enough to send a photo for us to use.

In a quick call to the City of Idaho Falls Building Department, we learned it's being remodeled to become a Dollar Tree. A certificate of occupancy is expected to be issued next week.

Although the Family Dollar on North Woodruff near WinCo Foods has remained in business, the South Holmes store has been closed since spring 2014, when the company announced it was having problems. Family Dollar’s shareholders approved in January a $8.5 billion takeover bid by Dollar Tree, turning down a competing offer from Dollar General.

The merger had to be approved by the Federal Trade Commission, and that approval didn't come until earlier this month, when Dollar Tree and Family Dollar announced they'd agreed to sell 330 Family Dollar stores, settling a complaint that their proposed merger had the potential to hinder competition.

Idaho Falls airport unveils new logo, Web site,

Idaho Falls Regional Airport is unveiling both a new Web site and logo and name they hope will be easier to use and remember.

IFlyIDA.com includes a custom-designed logo as well as resources for travelers including a cost comparison calculator and booking widget.

The launch of the new branding components are part of the city's comprehensive air service marketing plan, aimed at boosting awareness in the community of what the airport has to offer. The plan was prepared by Sixel Consulting Group, based in Eugene, Ore., and paid for out of the airport's 2014-2015 marketing budget. The cost, approximately $30,000, involved stakeholder meetings, branding research and development, and the preparation of the plan. The contract with Sixel was approved Sept. 25, 2014, at the City Council's regular meeting.

To celebrate the launch, IDA is hosting an “I fly IDA because ... ” giveaway that asks entrants to tell why they choose to fly out of Idaho Falls.

Given the growth at the airport in traffic and the major renovations that have taken place over the last few years, Idaho Falls Mayor Rebecca Casper said she is eager to see what the marketing plan can accomplish.

“One of the recommendations from last year’s Airport Citizen Review Committee was to introduce a new marketing campaign to help reduce the amount of ‘leakage’ to other airports and to help change the perception that it’s cheaper to fly out of Salt Lake City," she said. "Hiring a marketing firm with extensive experience in airport marketing has already proven to be beneficial.”

IFlyIDA.com integrates the airport’s three letter airport code “IDA” into an easy-to-remember URL that distinguishes and identifies the airport to travelers. The Web site was custom designed to be mobile-friendly and includes a cost calculator and booking widget.

In addition to airfare, the cost calculator estimates the total cost of flying out of two other area airports based on the amount of money one would lose in travel time away from work, as well as gas and parking. The booking widget calculates automatically airfares to and from IDA and allows customers to book flights based on available options. To assist travelers with planning, real-time flight status updates, a flight tracker and air traffic map are also included.

The new, exclusively-designed logo highlights the airport’s three-letter code as a key distinguisher while the airport's official name is in smaller type.

“The launch of IFlyIDA.com and our new logo are important components of our marketing initiatives this year,” said Airport Director Craig Davis.

To enter the “I fly IDA because ... ” contest, complete the entry form found at Facebook.com/IFlyIDA or Woobox.com/n5baq3 and tell your story.  The promotion started today and wraps up Aug. 25 at 11:59 p.m. Each week, one participant will win a $200 Delta Air Lines or United Airlines gift card, and one contestant will win a trip for two to Las Vegas, or Phoenix-Mesa on Allegiant. Fans who share the promotion and get their friends to enter the giveaway will receive one additional entry.

Bond payoff saves Idaho Falls Power customer electric bill pain

On the local public power front, there is good news and bad news balancing each other out.

On Wednesdy, The Bonneville Power Administration announced it would be raising power and transmission rates for two years beginning Oct. 1. Idaho Falls Power, 41 percent of whose budget pays for power from BPA, is looking at paying $2 million more each year.

The good news is that with its hydropower project bonds paid off, Idaho Falls Power will be absorbing the BPA rate hikes and still lowering customers' utility bills.

“In 2015, we retired the debt associated with our locally-owned hydropower plants. With those debt payments off the books and in light of other efficiency measures we have implemented, we intend to absorb the rate increase from BPA and pass along a reduction in the consumptive use rate,” said Jackie Flowers, Idaho Falls Power general manager. “Most customers will see a decrease in the electric portion of their utility bill.”

The utility's proposed rate structure will be discussed at the Aug. 10 City Council work session.
Following that, Idaho Falls Power  will host three open houses on Aug. 12, inviting customers to their office to learn how the utility sets rates and hear more details about the proposed changes to rate structure. Open house times will be 10 a.m., 2 p.m., and 8 p.m.

The cost of service model calls for the residential electric consumptive rate to drop from 6.25 cents per kilowatt-hour used to 5.78 cents per kilowatt-hour, less than half the national average of nearly 13 cents per kilowatt hour. The consumptive use rate decrease will be offset by an increase in the monthly customer service charge, from $10 to $15, to better capture “fixed costs” associated with keeping the city’s electric system in readiness. The model actually calls for the monthly customer service charge to be $18.

Idaho Falls Power also plans to implement a power cost adjustment as a component of its rate structure that will fluctuate annually, in order to more transparently pass along power supply costs.

The PCA will be a new line item on the bill and will be adjusted annually to reflect the previous year’s power supply costs. In good water years, the PCA may lead to a reduction in electric bills. In bad water years, the PCA may lead to an increase in electric bills. While the current water year has been mixed, this year the PCA will lead to an additional 0.43 cent per kilowatt-hour reduction in consumptive use rate for residential customers.

REDI hires Jan Rogers as new CEO

Jan Rogers

Jan Rogers, executive director of the Twin Falls-based Southern Idaho Economic Development Organization, has been named CEO of the Regional Economic Development Corp. for East Idaho. She will take the position in mid-September.

Rogers has been involved in Idaho economic development for 14 years and has been credited with bringing Chobani and Clif Bar to the Magic Valley. Earlier this month the six-county region was selected as one of the top 12 U.S. manufacturing communities by the U.S. Commerce Department’s Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership – and one of four U.S. regions in the Food Manufacturing category.

REDI was formed this past spring when Bingham County Economic Development and Grow Idaho Falls merged.

Former church could see something cooking inside its walls

Tyler Price would like to renovate this building on 13th Street into a culinary school.

I am on the East Coast till the end of the month but want to post periodically to reassure readers that I have not deserted you completely. This isn't France, where the whole country shuts down for a month in the summer, although here in Wilmington, Del., one of my favorite sub shops has closed down for two weeks, as has my mom's favorite bakery.

I saw this link Monday on the new, improved East Idaho News Web page, a story written by my old Post Register colleague Shel Williams. It seems the property on 13th Street between South Boulevard and Lee Avenue could have a new lease on life.

The pictures of graffiti inside remind me of the condition the O.E. Bell building was in before it was renovated to its present splendor. It would be equally bad to lose a building like this one on 13th Street (which, incidentally, has an auditorium where I once staged a production of Woody Allen's "Play It Again, Sam," in 1985.)

Here is a link to the story: http://www.eastidahonews.com/2015/07/former-church-could-see-something-new-cookin-inside-its-walls/. I would encourage you as well to check out the East Idaho News Web site, because the crew at Riverbend Communications, led by Nate Eaton and Nate Sunderland, have put a lot of effort into making it into something special.

Double Down celebrating anniversary this weekend

Double Down Betting Bar & Grill, 3078 Outlet Boulevard, is inviting the community to celebrate its one-year anniversary with a Greater Idaho Falls Chamber of Commerce Ribbon Cutting and a full weekend of entertainment. The ribbon cutting will be Friday at 10 a.m. In the evening, entertainment starts at 7 with the Two Brothers Hypno Show, followed by karaoke and a live DJ.

On Saturday night, there will be live music by the Saloonatics. If you have a brand, bring your iron down to brand the bar at 6 p.m. There will be an old-time photo booth with prizes for people with the best Old West attire.

It has not been a year without controversy for Double Down. The issue of historical racing machines came front and center earlier this year in the Idaho Legislature, with lawmakers passing a bill banning them, claiming they were too similar to slot machines. The bill was vetoed by Gov. Butch Otter.

A little background: Pari-mutuel betting on horses in Idaho has been legal since 1963, and the Legislature authorized simulcasting in 1990. Before July 2011, however, simulcasting was only allowed at live horse racing facilities, Sandy Downs in Bonneville County's case. That year, the Legislature passed a bill allowing simulcast horse betting from other venues, supporters arguing that off-track locations could provide a better atmosphere, food and other incentives to attract paying customers. The 2011 bill did not allow new simulcast betting venues to be set up, but instead allowed existing operations like the one at Sandy Downs to move.

In 2014 the Legislature approved HB220, allowing pari-mutuel betting on historical horse races, which is done on machines. When a player makes a wager on the machine, a race is randomly selected from a video library of over 60,000 previous races. Identifying information such as the location and date of the race, and the names of the horses and jockeys, is not shown.

The player is able to view a "Skill Graph" chart from the Daily Racing Form, showing information such as jockeys' and trainers' winning percentages, and based on this handicapping information the player picks the projected top three runners in order of finish. Many players use a "handi helper" feature, which allows the machine to automatically make the selections.

Early versions of the terminals looked like self-serve wagering terminals, but over time some began to mimic slot machines, with symbols on spinning reels showing the results of the player's wager and the video of the actual race consigned to a 2-inch square in the corner of the screen.

In Idaho, this drew the ire of anti-gambling forces and also Native American tribes, the latter considering the machines competition to what they offer on their reservation casinos. Senate Bill 1011 repealed the Legislature's prior approval of the devices, passing the House by a 49-21 vote and the Senate 25-9.

Otter vetoed the bill in April, and the Senate’s 19-16 subsequent vote to override the veto fell five votes short. Otter has called for a moratorium on any new instant racing machines and indicated that he wants a special investigative team to look into whether the machines violate the Idaho Constitution, which prohibits slot machines.

Double Down's phone number is 521-5102. For questions on gaming, call 521-4729.

Venezuelan restaurant due to open soon in Idaho Falls

Ciomara Robirds, who plans to open a Venezuelan restaurant in Idaho Falls this week.

In the expanding array of world cuisine, Idaho Falls is about to get a Venezuelan restaurant, Gourmet Cio, at 1480 Freeman Avenue.

The owner, Ciomara Robirds, is no stranger to cooking. Before coming to the United States in 2000 she ran a restaurant in Venezuela. After moving to Idaho Falls in 2007 with her husband, Terrance, she put in five years at the Olive Garden, where she earned the sobriquet of “Soup Queen.”

Still, opening her own restaurant has always been a goal. “A person has to dream,” she said. Interviewed last Friday, she said she is hoping to start serving food on Thursday. A grand opening will come later, but she wants everything running smoothly before that happens.

What can a person expect in the way of Venezuelan cuisine? Because of its geography and cultural influences, Venezuelan food has a lot of variety. There are European influences, especially Italian, Spanish and French, as well as indigenous and African tastes. The food on the Caribbean coast is a lot different from the food of the Andean and Amazon regions.

Gourmet Cio’s menu will offer such dishes as tostadas made with plantains; cachapas, which are pancakes made from a puree of corn, sugar, salt and oil then folded over with a large piece of a soft white cheese inside; pasticho, the Venezuelan version of lasagna (the Italian word "pasticcio" actually means lasagna); and empanadas -- deep fried, stuffed corn flour patties typically filled with cheese and minced meat.

City Council begins budget work sessions Monday

Follow this link to view all the city's draft budget documents:

http://www.idahofallsidaho.gov/city/city-council.html.

The Idaho Falls City Council is gearing up for the 2015/2016 budget season. As with all City Council meetings, the public is invited to attend.

The council is starting off with proposed expenditures of $190,889,392, up nearly 7.5 percent from $177,578,424 this year. The draft proposal is for a general fund expenditure increase of $1.97 million, a 4.27 percent boost from the current fiscal year.

A series of work sessions to discuss the budget will be held at City Council Chambers, 680 Park Avenue. The first will be Monday from 2 to 5 p.m. The second will be Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the last will be July 31 from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.

After that, the Council is scheduled to adopt a tentative budget Aug 13. A public hearing on the budget is scheduled for Sept. 3 and will be available to view via live stream on the city’s Web site.

Citizens are welcome to attend any or all of these meetings or reach out to City Council members independently.  The budget calendar, Council contact information and draft budget documents can be found online or by calling the City Clerk’s office at (208) 612-8415.

Here are links to the city's current budget documents:

• DRAFT Property Tax Calculation
• DRAFT All City Expenditures
• DRAFT Revenues_Expenditures
• DRAFT General Fund Revenues
• DRAFT Budget Comparison

Great Race for Education is next week, pre-race activities alreay underway

Who is ready for a beach party?

Starting Monday, you may see people running around downtown Idaho Falls in the early morning and late afternoon looking through flowerbeds and on windowsills. If they appear agitated, it’s because they take The Great Race for Education quite seriously.

The race itself, which in seven years has become one of Idaho Falls’ biggest fund-raisers, is on Friday, but winning pre-race challenges in the four preceding days can give a team a big advantage.

In 2014, the Great Race netted nearly $35,000 for the Eastern Idaho Technical College Foundation, which distributes scholarships to EITC students. EITC Foundation Director Natalie Hebard said they have already collected $30,000 and that this could be the race’s biggest year ever.

For those who are unfamiliar with it, the Great Race is an event in which teams are given clues that lead them to different locations around downtown Idaho Falls, where they perform challenges. Once they've performed five challenges they head back to Snake River Landing. The first ten teams to return advance to the second round of challenges. How quickly teams get back to the finish line has a lot to do with how quickly they can decipher clues, which they receive over the cellphone from their team owners at base camp. Teams can also buy additional clues, with the proceeds going to the EITC Foundation's scholarship program.

The theme this year is Summer Beach Party (last year it was disco fever, the year before superheroes). Major sponsors are Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center, Mountain View Hospital and Snake River Landing.

The race's support in the community has grown dramatically. In 2010, once the expenses had been calculated, EITC Foundation reported proceeds from the race around $13,000. In 2013, the foundation came away with nearly $40,000.

This is Hebard’s second year at the helm (her predecessors were Melissa Bean and Michelle Ziel-Dingman), and she has instituted some things she saw were lacking last year. For instance, there will be bottled water at the finish line, laminated challenge cards on lanyards, and wristbands to keep party crashers from descending on Snake River Landing.

Although race day is in mid-July, the buildup starts in April with the Trashion Fashion Show at the city of Idaho Falls' Earth Day event. There is active promotion on social media, all with the goal of raising money and recruiting new teams.

Once the race is done, everyone enjoys food, music and a special rapport that comes from having done something really significant for the community.

Hebard said there is still time for anyone who wants to become a team owner to register. In addition to participating in the event, the $50 registration fee gets a team owner a t-shirt, swag bag, drink tickets and a catered meal.

Between now and race day, here are some deadlines and reminders:
• Team Owner pre-party is 5-7 p.m. Saturday at the Apple Athletic Club. The event is posted on Great Race Facebook page with details, please RSVP.
• Pre-race clues – Starting Monday and through Thursday, clues will be released at 7 a.m. each morning and again in the evening at 5 p.m. As in previous years, these will be released on Facebook and via text if you sign up for text alerts.
• Pre-race Facebook Auction – Thursday from 5:30 until 8 p.m. you can bid on items that will help you during the race.

If any teams are raising funds for clue money, Hebard would like to publicize them on the Great Race Facebook page. If you do not pre-purchase a clue package, please be aware you will be given only one clue after the completion of each challenge. This will limit your competitiveness in the race. Additional clues may be purchased for $50 per clue on race day.  Team owners can help you solve clues and can purchase the additional clues at base camp.

There will be new teams from Bank of Commerce, Ethel Boyes Elementary School, Progression and John L. Scott Real Estate competing this year. Hebard said today she can still take four more teams if some business or organization wants to put up $250 to register.

The winning team will get a $1,000 scholarship named after it, the second place team a $500 scholarship and the third place team a $250 scholarship.

The MCs of the event will be Mariha Berrett, EITC’s fire service testing coordinator, and Dusty Bee. Matt Balderree, owner of Celestial Imaging, will be filming the event with his drone. As usual, the clue master’s identity is being kept secret.

For more information call the EITC Foundation office at 535-5398.

Stenquist joins Moffatt Thomas Idaho Falls office

Jerry Stenquist of Moffatt Thomas

The Idaho law firm of Moffatt Thomas has added attorney Jerry Stenquist to its Idaho Falls office.

Stenquist has a broad practice that includes banking and creditors’ rights, commercial litigation, property law and health law, a news release from the firm said.

He earned his undergraduate degree at Utah Valley University, then attended George Washington University Law School. He has experience in congressional internships, student leadership and leading domestic and international volunteer groups. He is licensed to practice law in Idaho, Montana and Utah.

As a community volunteer to the Haitian population in south Florida from 2002 to 2004, Jerry learned to speak Haitian Creole fluently. Jerry is an accomplished musician who has played in various jazz, rock, and blues bands, including the George Washington University Jazz Band. He is married, with two children.

Moffatt Thomas has been providing legal services to the Intermountain West and Pacific Northwest since 1954, serving clients in the full spectrum of business, litigation and regulatory areas. For information, go to www.moffatt.com.

Museum of Idaho rolls out redesigned Web site

A screen shot of the Museum of Idaho's new, redesigned Web site

The Museum of Idaho has undergone a Web site remodel, making it easier find information about exhibits, classes and events and making it easier to donate online.

As a part of a capital campaign, the Museum has partnered with Kraupp Inc., a local Web design company, to provide long-term service, consulting and strategic support for the website.

The site, www.museumofidaho.org, offers an entirely redesigned user interface compatible with current browsers and responsive to mobile devices. It allows people and businesses to donate online and to allocate donations to specific aspects, including the Museum’s Sustainability Capital Campaign.

“We feel that this newly-designed website is vital in not only connecting with our patrons in southeast Idaho but also in drawing tourists to our area which will increase the economic impact to our region. We are thrilled with what Kraupp Inc. has accomplished and are proud to partner with them,” said David Pennock, the museum's executive director.

Idaho Falls hires economic development coordinator

Dana Briggs

Dana Briggs has been hired to be the city of Idaho Falls’ new economic development coordinator, a position Mayor Rebecca Casper indicated she wanted to create when she ran for office in 2013.

Briggs, who starts Aug. 3, comes to the city from the Greater Idaho Falls Chamber of Commerce, where she served as the programs and events director for three years. She received her MBA in management and corporate relations from Idaho State University and a bachelor’s degree in recreational leadership from BYU-Idaho. She was also a team leader/analyst for the Eastern Idaho Entrepreneurial Center from April to July 2013, has worked with Bengal Solutions at ISU and is an adjunct faculty member at BYU-Idaho. Her areas of expertise include analytical and organizational skills, high-volume negotiations and projects, strategic/tactical planning, public relations and business communications.

A hiring committee of six, including Casper, City Council members, city officials and representatives of the Regional Economic Development Corp., interviewed a number of candidates last week. The panel voted unanimously to hire Briggs.

In her new role, Briggs will lead and oversee short- and long-term planning of economic development and policy formation activities, working in conjunction with organizations such as REDI. She will prepare and maintain information on utilities, taxes, zoning, community services and financing tools. She will also coordinate project and program activities and services between various departments, public and private agencies, organizations and individuals.

“Ms. Briggs is an eastern Idaho native and has a keen understanding of our current business climate— strengths and weaknesses — as well as a working knowledge and familiarity with many of the key players in local economic development circles,” said Casper, in a news release. “The city is fortunate to bring in another young professional who is full of promise, knowledge, skill and integrity to join our ranks.”

Idaho Falls contracts with Canadian company for financial management, billing

The city of Idaho Falls has contracted with the Canadian company Cayenta to upgrade its antiquated financial management and utility billing software.

The cost of the project, to be implemented over two years, has been estimated at $3 million. Over the past two years, city leaders have set aside money and studied potential vendors, looking for a system that will give citizens more billing and payment options and a more efficient system for administering payroll and work orders.

Based in Barnaby, British Columbia, Cayenta is a division of N. Harris Computer Corp. that has contracts with utilities and communities throughout North America.

Idaho Falls first started using computers in its billing in 1965, and has been relying on a system that was put in place when Jimmy Carter was still president. An update was long overdue.

The project with Cayenne involves software licensing, implementation services, travel expenses for company representatives, servers, network equipment and other material.

“We are excited about implementing this new, robust system that will replace our 35-year-old-plus, outdated system with an integrated solution,” said Idaho Falls City Controller Thane Sparks, who is managing the project from the city’s end.

“When the software conversion is completed, it will allow city personnel to do their jobs more efficiently and provide better, more expedited service to the citizens of Idaho Falls,” he said. “For example, service personnel will be equipped with mobile devices so they will no longer find it necessary to come into the office to pick up work orders. Real-time work orders will be sent directly to their devices, allowing them more time to be out in the field working.”

The project will be completed in two 15-month phases. The first phase will update utility billing and customer information system and integrate existing GIS data. The second will update the financial management system, payroll, work, asset and mobile management.

Idaho Falls services an area of 22 square miles with an estimated population of more than 58,000 and more than 26,000 Idaho Falls Power accounts. On the payroll end, the city employs between 625 to 1,100 full-time, part-time and seasonal employees, depending on the time of year.

Sandcreek Commons has come a long way in one year

Workers on the north wall of the Broulim's store at Sandcreek Commons.

It might not seem obvious, but it was a “his and hers” logic that put Cabela’s and Hobby Lobby next door to each other at the Sandcreek Commons shopping center on Hitt Road.

This isn’t to say there aren’t plenty of women who are interested in outdoor and camping gear. But when putting together a 91-acre, $80 million shopping complex it’s all about finding the right mix, said Eric Isom, chief development officer for Ball Ventures, the company driving the project (in which Salt Lake-based Woodbury Corp. is a partner).

Eric Isom of Ball Ventures

On a basic level, Cabela’s is for dad, Hobby Lobby (which opens Aug. 3) is for mom, and both are stores that Idaho Falls and Ammon residents have been driving hundreds of miles to visit now in their back yards.

Phase One, which covers about 40 acres, has room for four anchor tenants. Cabala’s opened in May, Hobby Lobby is scheduled to open its doors Aug. 3 and Broulim’s, the Rigby-based supermarket chain, is on track to have its store open by the end of the year.

As for the last 50,000-square-foot anchor box, “We’re really trying to find the right tenant,” Isom said. “We will be pretty selective.”

Isom said they knew Sandcreek Commons was going to take off in 2015. In early June 2014, at the groundbreaking for D.L. Evans Bank, Cabela’s had already been announced. Once that was public knowledge, the other pieces fell into place. The news about Hobby Lobby and Broulim’s broke in September.

Right now, the nearest Hobby Lobby is in Logan, Utah. “People are excited it’s coming here,” Isom said. When they posted the opening date on Facebook, the news got more than 800 likes in less than an hour.

In addition to the anchor stores, several leases have been signed for space in the 18,639-square-foot retail center, next to the Broulim’s store. Isom said they are careful to let the tenants make the announcements themselves, but said the center will feature what one typically expects in a grocery anchored retail center: fast food, haircut places, etc. 

Eventually, they anticipate developing 320,000 square feet of retail, restaurant and service space.

All this is happening in addition to the development Ball Ventures is doing at Snake River Landing, where the Home2 Suites by Hilton is scheduled to open in late summer and a deal has been made with a residential developer for upmarket condos south of the Curtis-Wright ScienTech offices.

Isom said he is cautiously optimistic about the local economy. Snake River Landing got started in 2007 and had the advantage of leases that had been signed before the recession hit. They also had the advantage of being in a location where people wanted to be.

But with projects in 14 states, as far away as Florida, Isom said he sees what goes on with economic development all over the country and what Idaho could be doing that it isn’t — local option taxes, increment financing on sales taxes, property tax rebates, to name a few.

“In general, we need to continue to find ways to incentivize and encourage economic development,” he said. “We don’t have nearly the tools here in Idaho that there are in other places.”

As it stands, Phase One of Sandcreek Commons — everything happening north of Judy Street — will add nearly $80 million to the local tax base and 1,200 new jobs.

The line outside Cabela's when it opened.

 

Alpha Graphics eyes late summer for new building opening

Alpha Graphics Sales Manager Travis Powell in front of the company's soon-to-be new home on Woodruff Avenue

For Alpha Graphics of Idaho Falls, a new, larger building can’t be finished a moment too soon, said Sales Manager Travis Powell.

Right now, they have approximately 6,000 square feet divided between two buildings. When they move into the new building off Woodruff Avenue — probably in August — they will have 12,000 square feet under one roof, with an efficient floor plan and room to grow.

The Idaho Falls Alpha Graphics is a franchise operation owned by Lynn Nelson. There are about 300 stores in the United States and various countries.

The company offers traditional printing and signs as well as digital and offset printing and promotional items. Since opening in late September 2010, the Idaho Falls store has seen growth of about 30 percent each year, Powell said.

That growth made a larger facility critical, he said. The project is being financed by D.L Evans Bank and managed by Construction Solutions Company.