If you’ve driven the Ten Mile Road exit off Interstate 84 lately, you’ve probably noticed the dirt moving. A lot of dirt. That’s the start of The District at Ten Mile, a brand-new, 222-acre development in Meridian that broke ground on May 5th, 2026, and is set to bring Meridian its first Target, an In-N-Out Burger, a massive Life Time athletic club, a handful of new restaurants, two hotels, and a lot more.
Here’s a plain-English rundown of what The District is, who’s building it, what’s actually coming, and when you can expect to shop, eat, and work out there.
What is the District at Ten Mile?
The District at Ten Mile is a “mixed-use” development, which is just a fancy way of saying it blends a bunch of different things — stores, restaurants, offices, a fitness club, hotels, and residential homes, all in one walkable area.
It sits on the northwest corner of the Interstate 84 and Ten Mile Road interchange, on the west side of Ten Mile Road across Ten Mile from Scheels.
At just over 222 acres, this is a big project addition to the area. The developer describes the first phase alone as more than 650,000 square feet of retail and office space.
The Development
The lead developer is Ahlquist Development, the Treasure Valley firm led by CEO Tommy Ahlquist — a familiar name behind a number of local projects. He’s building it alongside two partners: Adler Industrial, led by CEO Mike Adler, which is handling the industrial and flex-building side, and McAlvain Companies, a longtime Idaho builder led by president Torry McAlvain Jr. Raymond Management Company is developing the two hotels planned for the site.
At the groundbreaking, Ahlquist framed the project as the opposite of the sprawl the valley is known for. “This is the opposite of sprawl; it’s infill,” he said. “It’s exactly what we should be doing.” He also noted that this one hits close to home: “Every time we do one in Meridian, it’s home for us.”
Meridian Mayor Robert Simison, who was on hand for the groundbreaking, pointed out that the site is the payoff of planning that started roughly two decades ago, when the city first drew up a blueprint for the Ten Mile interchange. He described the vision as one that “focuses on that live, work, play, raise a family” idea — everything in one place.
Construction is underway.
What’s Coming to the District at Ten Mile?
Two big names headline The District.
The first is Target — and not just any Target, a roughly 148,000-square-foot mega-Target. It’s being built with two entrances, a Starbucks and a CVS Pharmacy inside, drive-up pickup, and around 600 parking spaces. It’s slated to open in May 2027.
The second anchor is Life Time, a large, resort-style athletic club roughly 100,000 square feet in size, dwarfing their current Eagle location. If you haven’t been to Life Time’s only other Idaho location in Eagle, it’s like a resort had a baby with a gym. The brand’s clubs typically include pools, group fitness, spa services, and cafes.
The Restaurants and Shops Coming to The District
This is the part most people want to know about. Here’s what’s been confirmed for The District so far:
- In-N-Out Burger — the cult-favorite California burger chain, which has been steadily expanding across the Treasure Valley.
- Taco Bell.
- Panera Bread — the bakery-cafe known for soups, sandwiches, and salads.
- Mo’ Bettahs — a Hawaiian-style plate-lunch spot.
- Zao Asian Grill — fast-casual Asian bowls and noodles.
- Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream — an ice cream shop expected to open around spring 2027.
- Chase Bank.
- Tide Cleaners — dry cleaning and laundry service.
Beyond the shops and restaurants, the plans also call for two hotels and, interestingly, a daycare geared toward law-enforcement families. The industrial portion of the project, a couple of large buildings totaling more than 230,000 square feet, is already under construction.
Night rendering of The District at Ten Mile via Ahlquist
When Will It Open?
The District is being built in phases, and the whole thing is expected to take about three to four years to fully build out. The first phase, including Target and many of the restaurants, is targeted for spring 2027.
How This Fits With Ten Mile Crossing (the Scheels Side)
Across Ten Mile Road from The District sits Ten Mile Crossing, the older, largely built-out development from Brighton Corporation. The home of Scheels, plus major employers like Paylocity and AmeriBen, a Saint Alphonsus surgery center (formerly Saltzer Health), and a growing list of restaurants including Café Zupas, Chick-fil-A, Dutch Bros, and a soon-to-open Swig.
Put the two together and the Ten Mile interchange is quickly becoming one of the busiest commercial corners in the valley: shopping, dining, offices, medical care, fitness, and hotels, all within a couple of minutes of the freeway.
We’ll keep tracking The District as more tenants are announced and opening dates get closer. For now, keep an eye on that Ten Mile exit — it’s about to look very different.
Sources: Idaho Business Review (June 22, 2026); BoiseDev (March 6, 2026 and November 18, 2025); Idaho Press; Idaho News 6; KIVI/Idaho News 6; Ahlquist Development. Details on tenants, dates, and sizes are current as of publication and subject to change.
