The University of Idaho purchased 20 acres of land on Jackson Street with the goal of dedicating it to a “Legacy Crossing”’ in an effort to foster the connection between the UI campus and Moscow community,
“This linkage between campus and downtown is part of a strategic and beneficial move to advance the university and the community,” said UI’s director of communications, Jodi Walker. “Planning for and investing in the future are part of what makes our university strong.”
Acquired from local entrepreneur Andrew Crapuchettes through a $1.625 million purchase, Walker said the money was not sourced from student fees.
“The university operates with funding from several sources. The funding for this project is from university reserves, which does not include tuition, student fees or state appropriated funding,” Walker said.
Though the purchase was just made official in early March. Walker said UI has been planning on building the “Legacy Crossing” for years.
After finding out the 625 S. Jackson St. property was up for sale, Walker said the university “understood this to be an opportunity we could not ignore.”
The space currently hosts several local businesses, including Silos and Socials, KnoxBox Coffee and Taqueria Las Torres. Until further notice, each will have the opportunity to continue their lease and remain on the property.
While the purchase was a big step for the university in working towards their goal of the “Legacy Crossing,” Walker confirmed there are no plans for what this may look like in the future.
However, she noted that the intent behind the space will be to further support local connections throughout the community.
Paige Wilton can be reached at [email protected].