Baseball and soccer stadiums were featured on the Expo Idaho grounds

Later that afternoon, commissioners met with Georgia-based developer Chris Schoen and representatives of the Boise Hawks to give the go-ahead to exploring the possibility of creating an urban renewal district on the fairgrounds and other nearby properties to create a new stadium for the Boise Hawks to develop Boise Hawks. This proposal would also include mixed-use development around the stadium, such as housing, commercial space, shopping and restaurants.

Both proposals are at an early stage of discussion and there are no formal agreements yet with concrete plans or revenue sharing arrangements.

These initial discussions about two new sports stadiums at the Idaho Expo site come as the county is in the bidding process to transform 50 acres of the river site into a park funded by funds from the federal government's American Rescue Plan Act. The site for the Western Idaho Fair still remains at its current location in all of the county's current plans, but with the two new stadiums and parkland developed around them.

Could urban renewal lead to a new Hawks stadium?

It's no secret that the Boise Hawks' stadium is aging.

The team's owner and developer Schoen have been pushing for years to build a new stadium for the Hawks. The team originally wanted to work with the City of Boise and the Capitol City Development Corporation to build a new Hawk's Nest in downtown Boise with a mixed-use development property around it. That plan collapsed after former Mayor Dave Bieter left office and a ballot initiative passed in 2019 that included a vote on approving funds for a baseball stadium.

The project lay dormant for a time until Schoen and the Hawks began informal discussions with the Ada County Commissioners in 2021 about a vision for a new stadium at the Idaho Expo Site, while the county began the planning process for redeveloping the site. Schoen and Hawks representative Jerry Sorenson met again with the Ada County Commissioners in July about a new stadium near the current facility.

From there, the Schoen and the Hawks approached the Garden City Urban Renewal Authority about creating a district that would include part of the fairgrounds and some surrounding properties. Ryan Armbruster, the attorney for the urban renewal agency, told Ada County commissioners that the agency voted unanimously to move forward with exploring the idea of ​​a new district and the Garden City City Council approved funding to begin the exploratory process.

Establishing a district requires a feasibility study prepared by a consultant to examine the surrounding area and determine which parcels will be included. Additionally, extensive discussions will be required between the Garden City Urban Renewal Authority, Ada County and the City of Garden City to develop an intergovernmental agreement to structure the deal. Another question would be whether the district could be created without the property being annexed into Ada County or whether it would require encroaching on city limits.

An urban renewal district is an important financing mechanism for making stadium construction viable for two reasons. First, the tax increment money going to the county would provide funding for infrastructure improvements to help the project develop the area. Urban renewal districts in Idaho can also take on debt without voter approval, so the district could be used as a financing mechanism for stadium construction that would later be repaid over the district's two-decade lifespan.

These initial negotiations between all three parties could take between 60 and 90 days or longer. It would then be a longer process to develop an urban renewal plan with more specific information about the location.

“We recognize the importance of the project and the need for outreach along the way, and we need to make sure we do it right and don't accelerate so quickly that we create problems,” Armbruster said.

Garden City Mayor John Evans said this idea is still in the “exploratory phase” and must meet several conditions for Garden City to sign off on it.

“It's one thing when you have the stadium, development is another thing and you have to figure out who's going to maintain it and who's best suited to do it,” he said. “If it makes sense for the city to provide the utility, that would be sewer, water and police, and North Ada Fire and Rescue is the fire utility. How are we supposed to finance that then? If it is within city limits then property tax applies, otherwise there may be a different mechanism. These are all just questions.”

Pro football could start in Boise

The initial plans Schoen had for a new stadium in Boise in 2018 and 2019 called for a dual-use stadium that would house both the Boise Hawks and a professional football team.

This new vision for the area calls for Hawks Stadium to remain baseball-only and professional soccer to become part of a separate development on the 27-acre site that is home to the now-closed Les Bois horse racing track. Ada County commissioners voted unanimously Wednesday morning to grant a 30-year lease to Expo Sports and Entertainment. The company was the sole bidder in the auction and offered $150,000 to obtain rights to the lease.

The Group owns the rights to two United Soccer League franchises, subject to the execution of this lease with Ada County. This includes the rights to a Division 3 men's team and a Division 1 women's team. The men's team would be in United Soccer League One and the women's team would be a USL Super League, distinct from the National Women's Soccer League.

Commission Chairman Rod Beck called that process “just the beginning” and said the county will now spend the next 90 days negotiating the terms of the development agreement for the property with the winning bidder. This project will only be confirmed after this period and the contracts are signed

Wali, a developer with Gardner Company who oversees projects such as the redevelopment of the Riverside Hotel and Hotel 43, said he has experience constructing new buildings as well as redeveloping older sites into new and exciting projects.

“We see a lot of value for the county out here by taking the Turf Club back to a time when food and drink played a big role,” he said. “…This is truly a special place and with time, energy and money we can make it a great asset to us and the county.”