Emmett/Gem County Community Review Report Summary

Land-Use Planning & Community Design
Downtown Revitalization
Downtown Emmett features a mix of historic architecture, housing, a range of retail and
commercial business, including banks, restaurants, bars, clothing stores, and a historic
theater in need of rehabilitation and repair.
Emmett’s Frontier Cinema in Historic Downtown is a unique asset requiring rehabilitation & repair.
This historic downtown core is bordered by the Payette River, mixed residential
neighborhoods, defunct and decaying industrial sites, underutilized pedestrian access routes,
and “strip mall” encroachment from the south on Washington Street. A number of
properties appeared to be vacant (including Emmett’s original Albertson’s location), and one
historic structure burned to the ground subsequent to the review.
In short, downtown Emmett resembles many other rural Idaho town cores.
General community comments and concerns
Some downtown business tenants lamented the scarce energy and resources directed toward
Emmett’s downtown core. Most respondents agreed that cheaper prices, longer hours of
operation and greater retail variety were attracting shoppers to Treasure Valley businesses.
This appeared to be a Catch-22; retailers claimed they couldn’t afford to offer greater variety
or longer hours without better sales figures, and consumers (particularly those commuting
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