MOSCOW – The University of Idaho recently revealed that the institution will ask the Idaho State Board of Education on Wednesday to approve a lease of university-owned land near the Palouse Mall in Moscow to build a new Home Depot store.
The head of Moscow and Pullman Building Supply is asking the community to sign a letter to the State Board opposing the lease.
“As a proud Vandal and native Idahoan I am and have been invested in the transformation of the University but this move to lease state land to a Juggernaut corporation like Home Depot is not the answer,” says the letter signed by President and CEO Tyler Garrett.
“The outlined rent schedule appears to be a relatively minor financial consideration in the larger picture. It’s clear that Home Depot has pledged additional funding or resources to the University, which isn’t publicly disclosed,” says the letter. “As a local business owner whose legacy spans three generations of supporting local families and businesses, it would be a disheartening oversight for the University of Idaho to contemplate such a partnership without first engaging the local businesses that have helped support the university in becoming what it is today.”
Garrett’s letter is attached to this story. The company is asking community members to download, sign, and email the letter to the State Board at board@osbe.idaho.gov. The Board is scheduled to meet in Boise on Wednesday morning.