Sunbirds heat up Pocatello economy

POCATELLO, Idaho – Most people have heard of snowbirds: seniors who flock to Arizona and other warm climates for the winter to escape freezing temperatures. Local officials are now seeking to entice a bird of a different feather to take roost in Pocatello.

Lee and Judy Ayers, of Phoenix, are among about 20 couples now residing in Pocatello student housing who identify themselves as “sunbirds.”

Sunbirds seek college towns where recreational opportunities abound, days aren’t too hot and nights are cool. They spend their summers in student apartments and return home when classes resume.

And they spend a lot of money in their seasonal communities, which is why the head of the Greater Pocatello Chamber of Commerce is so interested in building Pocatello’s reputation as a sunbird-friendly community.

“Seniors tend to have expendable money. One of our group did buy a car last weekend from Lithia,” Judy Ayers said.

For another couple weeks, the Ayerses will reside at the expansive Hillside Village Apartments, 2001 Birdie Thompson Drive. Each unit in the complex has four bedrooms and two bathrooms, plenty of room for guests. Their unit has a view of Chinese Peak from its balcony. Better yet, the apartments are all completely furnished, and the owner allows the seniors to leave many of their belongings in storage on the premises year round, eliminating the hassle of transporting belongings between Phoenix and Pocatello.

The Ayerses have been sunbirds since 2002 and started coming to Pocatello in 2005.

“Pocatello is a beautiful area. There’s a lot in this area to do,” Lee Ayers said. “We golf and fish and attend performing arts presentations.”

As for the weather, they shared a good laugh about a recent 96-degree record high temperature.

“In Phoenix it cools off to 96. This to us is just perfect,” Judy Ayers said. “We go golfing in the morning and it’s 70 degrees.”

To make Pocatello more attractive to sunbirds, the couple have suggested that the Chamber of Commerce and city leaders work with area landlords to create an inventory of furnished apartments available for summer leases. They also recommend that the officials make promotional videos to show potential sunbirds and that they offer bus trips, tours and social events for the seniors upon their arrival to town.

“If (landlords) could maybe turn some of their stuff into finished units, seniors would start coming here,” Judy Ayers said.

Matt Hunter, executive director of the Greater Pocatello Chamber of Commerce, said the chamber intends to take a lead role in developing a suitable list of housing options, organizing events for the seniors and spreading the word about the local program. The challenge, he said, will be finding funding for the effort.

“Our role would be to compile a list of available furnished housing these folks would use and come up with a way to market it to the seniors in Arizona to get them to come here in the summer,” Hunter said.