Eighth & Main facts for kids

Eighth & Main
Zions Bank Building as of Oct. 2013
General information
Status	Complete
Type	Office & retail
Address	800 W. Main St.
Town or city	Boise, Idaho
Country	United States
Groundbreaking	April 09, 2012
Completed	2014
Opened	February 15, 2014
Client	Zions Bank
Owner	Gardner Company
Height
Antenna spire	323 ft (98 m)
Top floor	216 ft (66 m)
Technical details
Floor count	18
Floor area	350,000 sq ft (33,000 m2)
Lifts/elevators	7
Design and construction
Architect	CTA Architects Engineers, Architect of Record Babcock Design Group, Design Architect

Eighth & Main is a tall, 18-story building located in Boise, Idaho. It stands 323 feet high, making it the tallest building in all of Idaho! This important building is home to the main offices for Zions Bank in Idaho. Other businesses, like Holland & Hart, also have offices here.

The building was finished in early 2014. A big opening party happened on February 15, 2014. Before this building was built, the spot was empty for a long time since 1987. People even called it "the pit" or the "Boise Hole."

What's Inside Eighth & Main?

Besides Zions Bank, many other companies have offices in Eighth & Main. These include law firms like Holland & Hart LLP. You can also find a restaurant called Ruth's Chris Steak House here.

Other businesses include CTA Architects Engineers and First American Title Company. There are also companies like Clenera, LLC, and the Idaho Technology Council.

Part of the 17th floor is special. It's called the Idaho & Snake River Rooms. These rooms can be rented for community events. They are often used for non-profit groups.

Building Design

The very top part of the building is called a spire. The design of this spire was changed a few times. This happened after some people thought it looked too much like spires on buildings used by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

History of the Location

The spot where Eighth & Main stands today has a long history. Before this tall building, other important structures were there.

The Overland Hotel

Eastman Building, circa 1970s

From 1864 to 1904, a hotel called the Overland Hotel was on this site. A famous guest, General William Tecumseh Sherman, stayed there in 1870. In 1877, Hosea B. Eastman bought the hotel.

The Overland Hotel was also home to Boise's very first telephone system in 1883. The hotel was torn down in 1904. The owner wanted to build a new hotel. But it was too expensive. So, he decided to build an office and retail building instead.

The Eastman Building

Until 1987, the site was home to the Eastman Building. This building was designed by Tourtellotte and Company. It first opened in 1905 as the Overland Building. It had four stories. Two more stories were added in 1910.

In 1926, it was renamed the Eastman Building. This happened after the owner, Hosea Eastman, passed away. The building was full of offices for lawyers, dentists, and doctors. Over time, it became less popular. In 1972, the city bought it. They planned to build a new mall downtown.

The Eastman Building was supposed to be torn down in 1978. But people who wanted to save old buildings stepped in. So, it sat empty for almost ten more years. In 1981, there was a plan to move the building. It would be moved to another area called the 8th Street Marketplace.

Finally, plans were made to fix up the Eastman Building. But just two days later, in January 1987, a big fire destroyed it. Over one hundred firefighters worked for more than a day and a half to put out the fire. The building was torn down soon after. This left the spot empty for many years.

Images for kids

• 

  Eastman Building, circa 1970s

See also

In Spanish: Eighth & Main para niños