Meridian-based RxElite project stopped; grant money viewed as long-term investment

Boise developer Bob Hosac recently stopped construction on an 83,000-square-foot building for RxElite and put the building up for lease or sale after he determined that the Meridian-based drugmaker would not be able to pay rent by the time the building was ready.

Funding for the project on 17 acres at the southwest corner of Cherry Lane and Madison Avenue in Nampa included a Nampa-administered federal Department of Housing and Urban Development Community Development Block Grant of $224,000 to extend sewer service down Madison from Birch Lane and to extend pressurized irrigation service. Nampa Economic Development Director Cliff Long said the city has not moved to retake the grant money, which he said paid for improvements that also benefit other business-ready sites nearby.

Idaho usually doesn't immediately move to retake grant money when a project stalls or a business backs out, said Dennis Porter, community development manager for the Idaho Department of Commerce. The state will terminate the contract if the money remains unspent, but often will be more patient where...