ACHD
Ball Park May Face Extra Innings
July 24, 2017 
It looks like Boise’s downtown “field of dreams” ball park proposal could go into extra innings if the home team calling itself CONCERNED BOISE TAXPAYERS is able to keep the developer and local agencies from getting to first base.
The group boasts Gary Michael, former Albertson CEO, as the lead off pitcher with a bullpen full of old Boise sluggers. Although their names haven’t been put on the roster yet, many have earned signing bonuses and are accustomed to playing in the big leagues.
CBT sent a letter last week to the Greater Boise Auditorium District Board of Directors citing five surveys and studies they wanted completed at the expense of the developer, Greenstone Properties, before any GBAD money is appropriated to the project. The letter will be read into the record at the Wednesday 2p.m. GBAD regularly scheduled meeting.
The home team is pushing for the visitors to pay for studies of traffic, noise, lighting, tranquility of nearby parks, and “true economic impact at build out.” These surveys don’t go for peanuts and without GBAD participation it could give the home team the advantage.
At issue is a scheme that will need money from GBAD, CCDC, and assorted agencies–even property taxpayers. Dubbed a “private-public partnership,” the project is a condo, retail, ballpark development planned for the area of Americana and the Boise River–known by oldtimers as the K-Mart site.
BOISEDEV has several good stories explaining the ballpark details, rules of the game, and price of admission.
The letter: Concerned Boise Taxpayers of Boise
UPDATE 7/26/17
Once again the BOISE DEV site has come up with some straight forward reporting on a GUARDIAN piece.
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Comments & Discussion
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Jul 25, 2017, 12:12 am
The big old money in town have quietly tolerated this little punk and his band of gypsy hustler thieves — but no more.
Jul 25, 2017, 9:27 am
Referring to Mike Journee’s comments on the F-35… aren’t these just a bunch of citizens trying to insert themselves into the process? I guess a lot depends on who the citizens are.
Jul 25, 2017, 12:40 pm
Obvious Russian meddling!!
Send in the mine resistant ambush protection vehicles full of SWAT teams to save mother, apple pie, flag, bible, and baseball.
Jul 25, 2017, 1:03 pm
Curious. Does this have anything to do with BSU’s attempt to get into a higher competitive market, and bring baseball to BSU?
Also, if they want a big league game here, then how are they going to fill the stadium? Boise hawks are practically giving away tickets, and still cannot fill the stands.
Jul 25, 2017, 5:26 pm
Don’t forget the turd in the punchbowl with that development site: the new dentist’s office at intersection of the two major streets. I suspect the dentists own enough land to be in a position of strength when it comes for the developers to want as much space as possible.
Jul 25, 2017, 8:51 pm
If the project goes through it will be parking hell. There is simply no possible way to accommodate the volume of traffic and the parking at the proposed site.
As a planning engineer I can tell you that the better site is across from and east of the proposed CWI site where you can co locate parking garages and access the in and out of the freeway.
Whomever is planning this disaster must be from either Colorado or Oregon and smoking some weed while doing the planning.
Jul 25, 2017, 10:48 pm
Glad this has come to light. There are much better uses for the Americana site than baseball. Baseball belongs at Hawk’s Stadium, including the new improved Hawk’s Stadium on the Ada County Fairgrounds site. That way the tickets will remain affordable.
Jul 27, 2017, 11:42 am
I have several friends at BSU, St Luke’s and in the Boise City staff. They ALL say that the St. Luke’s Boise City, Stadium deal is being worked daily and is all “but a done deal”.
This is another case of all the players doing the deal in the dark and then asking for forgiveness after the fact. The players are lying.
Jul 27, 2017, 5:34 pm
“public-private partnership”: The private get rich and the public gets screwed!
Aug 3, 2017, 10:13 am
Shame on you taking all that medical money and making a political deal that has nothing to do with better health care. Love those sky boxes, do ya?
Aug 7, 2017, 6:51 pm
Maybe so. Whoever is building 529 S 15th seems to think so. At least according to picture on sale site.