Garden City’s River Club was sold in June. Here’s how the golf course may change
A developer is recirculating plans to transform part of the River Club’s golf course in Garden City. The latest update comes years after an uproar among neighbors to protect the land.
Bob Taunton, a representative for Lincoln Property Co., a Texas developer, sent a letter to nearby residents ahead of Thursday’s neighborhood meeting, where Taunton and Lincoln plan to present “a preliminary sketch plan and other relevant information.” The proposal comes after the River Club changed its name from Plantation Country Club in 2020, and after ownership changed in June.
Though Taunton declined to share specifics, the idea would be for Lincoln Property to turn 22 acres of the 120-acre golf course into a residential and retail area. The 22 acres would be along State Street, east of Glenwood Street.
The 6,376-yard, par-71 golf course would be reconfigured to remain an 18-hole course, Taunton said. But it would be shortened to 5,604 yards and par-68.
“It’s actually going to be an upgraded course,” Taunton said by phone, because the reconfiguration would include upgrading the irrigation system.
Taunton described the housing portion of the development as “high density,” though he said he doesn’t know if there would be town houses for sale or apartments for rent. He said the housing would be a combination of types.
The retail wouldn’t be a strip mall, Taunton said. “It would be something that’s much better designed than that,” Taunton said.
The development would align with plans to transform State Street into a major transportation corridor. New housing options mean people living nearby could support the infrastructure investments that are being made.
Garden City, the city of Boise and the Ada County Highway District have been partnering to enhance the street that stretches throughout the county from Eagle to downtown Boise.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Transportation granted $8.5 million for the State Street Premium Corridor project. Plans for the project call for safety, transit service and traffic flow improvements over a 6.5-mile stretch, the Idaho Statesman previously reported.
Will Gustafson bought the golf course in 2018, and club members feared he’d close the club. Gustafson, a California developer, led Glass Creek LLC. At the time, Gustafson said he planned to maintain 18 holes on the golf course.
“He has put millions of dollars into the clubhouse to upgrade all kinds of things and provide a better member experience than what existed before,” Taunton said by phone. “So he’s really proven all those naysayers wrong.”
In June, Glass Creek sold the club to Lincoln Property, an international real estate firm with headquarters in Dallas that is led by President William Duvall. Lincoln has an office in Boise. Gustafson has continued to manage the golf course, Taunton said.
In an email, neighbors Dan and Betty Hollar said neighbors have concerns about the potential loss of open space. The Hollars didn’t respond to a request for further comment.
Taunton said Thursday’s neighborhood meeting is to introduce preliminary plans. The neighborhood meeting is the beginning steps of a request for rezoning the 22 acres. Garden City requires the neighborhood meeting before a pre-application conference with the city.
There aren’t yet firm details or specific site designs. Those would likely be reviewed at a second neighborhood meeting later on.
The goal of Thursday’s meeting, Taunton said, is to explain Lincoln Property Co.’s ideas and receive feedback from neighbors. The meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the River Club Clubhouse at 6515 W. State St.
