City Government
BSU Takes a Walk on Boise Stadium Deal
October 26, 2017 
Boise State University President Bob Kustra on Thursday declared the school a free agent in the Downtown Stadium Saga with a surprise announcement the school will not participate in the subsidized real estate development plan put forth by Boise City officials, opting instead on creating its own ball park.
The announcement from BSU said, “In the end, the question came down to the most efficient use of public dollars: It became clear that a long-term lease would be less financially prudent than a project that Boise State could either build or lease to own,” according to a BSU news release. “The downtown stadium project remained one of the options the university was pursuing until this week. University officials called city leaders and others to tell them personally of the decision.”
At this writing, the Greater Boise Auditorium District board is meeting. The agenda includes presentations from both sides of the stadium issue (see previous story) as well as approval of next year’s budget. The new budget does not include any provisions for funds dedicated to a stadium project.
To insure more advertising-free Boise Guardian news, please consider financial support.
Comments & Discussion
Comments are closed for this post.
Oct 27, 2017, 7:00 am
Great. So now, as tax payers, we get to foot the bill for two stadia. Or is it “stadiums”? Whatever…
Oct 27, 2017, 8:05 am
To the extent this torpedoes the downtown publicly funded stadium this is a good idea.
If the result is we end up with two publicly funded stadiums, it will be a lost opportunity. Sounds like the baseball team should discuss leasing in BSU stadium…..
Oct 27, 2017, 8:43 am
Mr. Guardian
I’m a little confused on this baseball field thing. Doesn’t BSU/Boise School district share a nice baseball field, football practice field and a nice track at the old East Jr. High school site?
It is the girls soft ball field but with a little work could you make it work for the men’s? Also seems like Boise State has another baseball field up Mt. Cove road….And Boise Schools are doing a major “Boise High Sports complex” at Ft. Boise. Could we just get some folks to share???
Silly me I guess….
Oct 27, 2017, 9:27 am
This has nothing to do with needs or what is best for the citizen. It’s about generating cash flow for the middlemen to dip into. Local politicos and their friends have the power to create these imaginative projects so they and their friends can be in the profitable middle of the deal. It’s simple corruption with the blessing of the corrupt oversight bodies. No different from overpriced military equipment and unnecessary wars.
Oct 27, 2017, 9:30 am
BSU appears to have been enlightened on the perils of the boondoggle stadium project.
However, the reinforcement (or the continuing lack thereof), by BSU, of the First Amendment and intellectual discourse not so much. Read the following and determine your own opinion…
https://amgreatness.com/2017/10/26/political-correctness-vs-the-truth/
Oct 27, 2017, 9:42 am
“Build it and they will not come!”
Oct 27, 2017, 11:48 am
Well… we know that nothing is too good for downtown. And nothing is too good for BSU. However, it’s not their money. Sounds like competing egos to me.
Oct 27, 2017, 12:14 pm
This is a very smart move on the part of Dr. Kustra and Mr. Apsey. The funds that were originally pledged by the university for this boondoggle could easily go to more common-sense initiatives, such as… oh, I don’t know… EDUCATION, parking solutions, better pay for employees, etc.
Let’s hope this puts this stupid waste of taxpayer money to rest once and for all!
Nov 4, 2017, 10:54 pm
Could it be the issue of not entering into long term leases prohibited by the Idaho Constitution?
I can think of any number of things to spend money on besides a new stadium for a farm team.
Anyone who is foolish enough to believe this folly will be self supporting was probably also ready to have a train in downtown to nowhere.