On the Boise Bench this winter, two of the neighborhood's best-known public places are fenced off together. Both are being rebuilt to last longer and to welcome more people. The Boise Depot is getting a new roof, stucco repair, and accessibility upgrades. Liberty Park is replacing a playground that the city lists as the oldest it owns.
Neighbors had a say in a good share of this. They voted on the playground design. Neighborhood associations wrote the applications behind the next round of Bench projects. Seen that way, the fencing is less of an inconvenience and more of a preview.
The Depot was measured before anyone started repairing it
The Great Hall and bell tower at 2603 W Eastover Terrace closed to the public on August 2, 2026. CBS2 reported the date ahead of the final summer open houses. The City of Boise's Depot page now expects the building to stay closed until late August 2027.
The scope of work explains the long timeline. Crews are installing scaffolding so they can repair stucco on both the building and the tower. They are also replacing the fire line on the east side and replacing the roof while preserving its clay tiles. Inside, the plan adds ADA and security upgrades and includes cleaning and repairing the windows and entry doors. The historic artifacts and displays have been moved into storage for the duration.
One step happened quietly before the heavy work began. According to KTVB, Boise State University engineering students worked with the city on a hands-on vibration study at the Depot. They helped design a monitoring system, built prototypes, and collected vibration data on site. Boise Parks and Recreation said a professional engineering firm will analyze the data. The goal is to understand how vibrations from the Depot's own bells, from passing trains, and from other activity may affect the structure.
That detail changes how the bell tower reads. The sound that defines the building for anyone within earshot is also one of the forces the city is now studying as part of its long-term care. The city described the partnership this way in a release quoted by KTVB:
"Partnerships like this create meaningful learning opportunities for students while helping the city gather valuable information to support the thoughtful preservation and long-term stewardship of one of Boise's most iconic landmarks."
The building opened in 1925. It will come back for its second century with an accessibility upgrade along with the new roof. Reservations are scheduled to reopen in early September 2027, and the city takes them up to 365 days in advance.
About the gardens out front: The city's Platt Gardens page still lists the gardens at 2602 W Eastover Terrace as open sunrise to sunset. The page also notes that on-site parking at the Depot is limited. The restoration page covers work on the building itself and doesn't describe access to the gardens, lawn, or lot. A quick call to Boise Parks and Recreation before planning a visit or photos makes sense.
Liberty Park is replacing the city's oldest playground
Across the Bench, Liberty Park is a 9-acre neighborhood park off Emerald Street on the Central Bench. The park's playground is the oldest in Boise Parks and Recreation's inventory.
Construction fencing went up in October 2026. The playground and the area around it are closed, and the rest of the park is not listed as closed. Stroth General is the contractor, and the city estimates completion in June 2027.
The design came from a neighborhood vote. Boise Parks and Recreation offered two options online. The winner, by Garrett Parks + Play, took more than 51% of the vote. It includes inclusive swings, climbing structures, an accessible ramp, shade over the equipment, a red, white, and blue theme, and bonded rubber surfacing for accessibility. The project also adds a permanent restroom, along with landscaping and park seating paid for by impact fees, which are collected from growth and development in the area.
The budget is more than $2 million, funded by impact fees, city capital dollars, and a federal Land and Water Conservation Fund grant. The city estimates that 1,090 residents live within a 10-minute walk of the park. If you want to see how the new playground fits the rest of the grounds, the updated 2026 Liberty Park Master Plan shows the current layout and the planned amenities.
The golden shovel, Thursday, November 5
The city is hosting a free ceremonial groundbreaking at the park on publish day:
- When: 11:30 a.m. to noon, Thursday, November 5, 2026
- Where: Liberty Park, 520 N Liberty St
- What: City leaders and neighborhood partners mark the start of work on the accessible playground, the permanent restroom, and new pathway connections
- Cost: Free
Details are on the City of Boise event page.
Where to play until June
The two projects share a goal. Each makes an old public space usable by more people, whether through ADA upgrades in a 1925 building or bonded rubber surfacing and a ramp on a playground. Several other Bench parks already have some of what Liberty is getting, which helps when you're choosing a stand-in for the next few months. Every park below is listed by the city as open sunrise to sunset.
| Park | Address | Features in common with the new Liberty design | Also on site |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowden Park | 3230 W Edson St | Bonded rubber playground surfacing, restroom | Outdoor gym, bilingual English-Spanish and braille communication board |
| Phillippi Park | 2299 S Phillippi St | Accessible playground, restrooms | Off-leash dog area, basketball and tennis courts, practice fields |
| Cassia Park | 4600 W Camas St | Accessible bonded rubber surfacing | Walking path, picnic shelter, softball field, tennis courts |
| Morris Hill Park | 10 N Roosevelt St | Playground | Fenced dog park, arboretum, picnic shelter |
| Borah Park | 801 Aurora Dr | Playground | Splash pad, pool, community garden, chess tables |
Bowden comes closest to the finished Liberty design. Its surfacing, communication board, and restroom cover much of the accessibility the new playground is meant to deliver. Cassia may also change soon. The city lists a skate spot there as in planning, with site selection and hiring a consultant among the next steps.
The next round of Bench projects started with neighbors
Liberty Park is a city capital project with a neighbor-chosen design. The next set of Bench improvements goes a step further, because neighborhood associations proposed them.
On October 22, 2026, the city announced its FY2027 Neighborhood Investment awards. The total is $683,105 for projects in five neighborhoods, selected from proposals submitted by nine neighborhood associations. Two of the winning projects came from the Depot Bench and Vista neighborhood associations:
- Depot Bench, $50,000. The Depot Bench Neighborhood Association's award pays for quick-build traffic calming at key intersections, with a focus on areas near schools. The city will work with ACHD to identify and install the changes in the public right-of-way.
- Vista, $150,000. The Vista Neighborhood Association's award will upgrade the aging playground at Hawthorne Elementary. Boise School District will match the award, lead design and construction, and maintain the playground afterward.
The Hawthorne project costs a fraction of Liberty's budget, and it serves more people on foot. The city counts about 2,740 residents within a 10-minute walk of the Hawthorne playground, compared with 1,090 for Liberty. With the district's match, the Vista award effectively doubles. The city has not yet named the specific Depot Bench intersections or set construction schedules for either project, so the next updates are worth watching for.
The FY2028 application window is already open. The city's Neighborhood Investment program page lists applications from October 15, 2026, through January 31, 2027. Neighbors with ideas for a crosswalk, a pocket park, or a playground on their side of the Bench have this winter to work with their neighborhood association on a proposal.
By summer 2027, Liberty Park should have its new playground and restroom. By the end of August 2027, the Depot's Great Hall and bell tower are expected to reopen under a restored roof.
The Bench parks and landmarks are part of what I talk through with clients, from the playground that fits a family's routine to the landmarks they'll walk past every week. If you're curious how these projects might shape your corner of the neighborhood, or you'd just like to compare notes on the Bench, I'd love to hear from you. Glenda Phua | Let's Connect
