There are two ponds on two levels at the Village at Meridian in Meridian, Idaho. Separating the upper and lower ponds is a 50-ft. long waterfall (lower left). Two 20-hp pumps power the flow over the falls, and 9 white underwater lights illuminate it.

Nestled in Idaho's Treasure Valley, The Village at Meridian is an open-air mixed-use retail development of Center Cal Properties that offers an array of shops, restaurants, movie theatres and a spacious event area. Designed with European style architecture, the buildings and tree-lined village streets surround a park setting, replete with a children's play area and world-class show fountains choreographed to lights and music.

The city of Meridian (pop. 75,092) is in the southwest corner of the Gem State, and its third largest city. But Meridian is growing fast, with its population more than doubling in the last 10 years. Meridian is just northwest of big brother Boise (pop. 212,303), the capital and largest city. The Village at Meridian, site of a former turf farm, and adjacent to Meridian's new 60-acre Julius Kleiner Park, is at the crossroads of Eagle Road and Fairview Avenue, the state's busiest intersection, according to Idaho DOT.

There are two rotating nozzles that can produce a vertical "basket weave" effect that consists of six interwoven water streams that can go up to 15-ft. This nifty effect requires pumping out about 208 gpm.

"We worked with Outside the Lines (OTL), the water feature design/build firm with whom we had created Station Park in Utah for the same developer, and realized this water effects design/build firm would again vital to the success of the customer experience," explains Julie Brinkerhoff Jacobs, president of Lifescapes International, a landscape architect firm in Newport Beach, Calif., known for designing the "wow" factor for its destination retail, mixed-use and resort property projects in the U.S. and abroad.

"They [the landscape architects] create happiness for our customers," said Fred Bruning, CEO of Center Cal Properties. "It's all about our customers enjoying themselves, making memories with families and friends and sharing stories."

Six multidirectional display nozzles (MDD), each with three axes, send the water in all directions. Each MDD is equipped with a fan-style nozzle that can produce a fan effect that is 15' tall and over 45' wide. This effect requires about 52 gpm.

The Village owners, Fred Bruning and his partner, Jean Paul Wardy, president, have a particular interest in promoting literacy in the community. In keeping with that initiative, they wanted to add whimsical sculptures celebrating the love of reading throughout the property. These are located in and around the edge of the central water feature.

Canadian Trees
Mature trees are speckled throughout the property: "Crimson King' maples, "Red Horse' chestnuts, crabapple trees, "Northern Prince' oaks and Chinese wisteria. Thirty-foot Norway maples and other maple varieties were selected in Canada and brought down to be the signature trees around the village square. These trees provide ample shade, and were in full red/orange autumn splendor when the property opened last October, making a grand statement about the emphasis here on a mature landscape.

Each fountain nozzle has 3 RGB LEDs, individually controllable, for a total of 225 color-changing lights in the fountain. Each RGB LED can create more than 16-million color combinations. The lighting effects are controlled by a DMX (digital multiplex) interface. The DMX has remote device management, which allows the devices to talk back to the controllers. All of the effects, music and programs/schedules are controllable online using two computers and several programmable logic controller devices. A fountain app allows the leasing staff to control the fountain on their mobile devices.
Photos: Outside the Lines (OTL)

The Village flora is quite uncommon for this area. There are extensive plantings of annuals and perennials, including daylilies, "Flower Carpet Coral' roses, "Knockout' roses and creeping myrtle. Shrubs include Japanese "Sweet Flag', "Catlin's Giant' carpet bugle and winter creeper.

Equally important to the Village is the celebration of community, local culture, connecting with one another and multiple activities for children. The Village is in league with Downtown Boise, Treasure Valley's art, cultural, dining and nightlife center. There is programming with the Ballet of Idaho and the Idaho Symphony, children play areas, and CenterCal Properties provides an ice skating rink during the winter.

The fountains feature 75 vertical effect display nozzles, 67 of which are vertical chaser nozzles that can produce 30-ft. geysers, each requiring 54 gpm. There are 75 individually controllable variable-frequency drive pumps to create the vertical water displays. The fountain runs all year, and is heated via a glycol heat-exchanger system powered by a 1 million BTU boiler to keep the water from falling below 41 degrees Fahrenheit during the winter. Water filtration is via several high-rate sand filters, a UV sterilizer and a flow-through style chemical feeder. An automated controller doses the chemicals.
Photo: Outside the Lines (OTL)

The core of the property has a multitude of restaurants. A central, enclosed area is the setting for four popular casual restaurants that were previously well known for selling their fare from food trucks. While they now have permanent locations here, their food trucks continue to sell on routes throughout the valley.

Ample patio areas surround this location, plus freestanding restaurants and a 15-theater cinema multiplex define the edges of the village square.

The daytime experience of Village at Meridian is active and robust. As the sunlight fades, the general lighting ambiance turns softer, an effect of the Tivoli strung lights.

That pleasant atmosphere is countered by the dramatic choreography of the fountains, combining water displays with lighting and music. Outside the Lines designed and built the fountains; Lifescapes International designed the ponds in which the fountains lay.

Thirty-foot Norway maples and other maple varieties were selected in Canada and brought down to be the signature trees around the village square.
Bottom Photo: Lifescapes International

Village at Meridian: By the Numbers
80 acres
1,020,000 square feet of entertainment, retail and commercial space
34 Tenants
15-screen cinema multiplex
4,100 parking spaces
60,000 plants
200 ornate lampposts

Fountains/Pools
75 vertical effect display nozzles
3 RGB LEDs on each nozzle
201 computer-controlled LEDs
225 color changing lights
16 million color combinations for each RGB LED
1 million-BTU boiler to heat pool (glycol heat exchanger system)
1.5 miles of control cable for pumps/lighting effects
14 outdoor speakers & 2 subwoofers powered by 8 1,000-watt amps
2 computer & several programmable logic controller devices

Project Team
Developer: CenterCal Properties
Landscape Architecture: Lifescapes International
Fountain Design & Construction: Outside the Lines
- Project Manager: Matthew Zlatich
- Project Engineer: Mike Wise
- Chief Estimator: Jack Larsen, Vice President
- Project Management: Tom Real, Vice President
- Project Superintendent: Scott Pease
General Contractor: The Russell Corporation

Vendors/Manufacturers
Playground Structures: Landscape Structures
Pottery:
- Garden Art International
- Haddonstone
- Old Town Fiberglass
Trash Receptacles: Victor Stanley