IDAHO FALLS - As you look around Idaho Falls, it seems like many of the retail stores are staying busy this holiday season.

But usually not far away from the ringing registers, are many vacant lots, for sale or for lease signs, and several empty buildings.

To see how Idaho Falls businesses are fairing during this economic storm, I went to the office of Linda Martin, CEO of Grow Idaho Falls Incorporated.

Grow Idaho Falls is an economic development agency that works both independently and privately for the City of Idaho Falls, Ammon and Bonneville County. The basic idea for their office is this: if you have an idea to set up shop for a specific business, or need an area to build a facility or plant, this is the place entrepreneurs go.

"We do a lot of site selection, referrals for buildings and sites, provide statistics to companies that aren't from here. And so we try to work with them to attract them or help local companies expand as well," says Martin.

After looking into it, I found that The Idaho Falls Chamber of Commerce does not keep record of how many businesses are currently open or how many have closed.

However, Grow Idaho Falls has tabs on the businesses that run through their office.


"Right now I think we have maybe about 66 buildings and maybe twenty sites or developments on there," claims Martin.

Once again, that's just through their office, which means there are easily over a hundred vacant buildings or spaces just in Idaho Falls.

Even though it sounds like quite a bit, Linda claims on a nationwide average, those numbers are about on par for other communities and markets our size.

The biggest change our area will see will be the arrival of Areva and their multi-billion dollar uranium enrichment facility.

Not only will the company hire locals or bring in new jobs that will stimulate our local economy, a very hurting construction industry will be major benefactors of the company.

"As soon as we get through the NRC process. They will be in a position where they can start moving dirt and building. And we are already receiving visits from some of the potential vendors to Areva as to what specialties that they have and the special skill sets that they are looking for," says Martin.

Areva is likely to bring between 800 and 1,000 construction jobs alone. And once the facility is running, more than 300 jobs will be created.

Besides Areva, many other businesses have contacted Linda's office about coming to Idaho Falls. But company's are starting to be a bit more cautious now before setting up shop.

"We still have steady inquiries as far as companies that are interested. The difference that I see right now is that with the credit markets the way they are, they are maybe having more difficulty funding what they want to do. But sometimes that's a good thing because it ends up with pent up demand. There may be things that they put off that they really need to do," said Martin.

So Idaho Falls businesses, thriving or dying?

"I would say that we are probably in the middle. But I think that we're closer to the thriving side," said Martin.

Join us tomorrow night at Eyewitness News at 10 where we'll take a look at the Idaho Falls unemployment rate and future job outlook.