BOISE — The Boise City Council is scheduled Tuesday to discuss additional public input for both the much-debated Main Public Library Campus project and a potential proposal to build a sports park in downtown Boise’s West End.
“The discussion will focus on the council’s future options for bringing public opinion to bear on both projects, including possible public hearings in the near future,” said Boise City spokesman Mike Journee in a news release.
The discussion comes amid calls to put both projects up to a public vote, including a ballot initiative effort that the Boise city attorney believes is unconstitutional.
Tuesday’s discussion will not include a public hearing. The Council will take up the topics during a 6 p.m. meeting in the Maryanne Jordan City Council Chambers at Boise City Hall.
The Main Library Campus project will replace the aging 80,500-square-foot Main Library on Capital Blvd. -- a renovated hardware warehouse -- with a new 115,000-square-foot library built specifically to provide 21st Century library services, Journee said.
The current campus plan also includes a 22,000-square-foot Center for Arts and History that will invite residents and visitors to experience local history, art and culture through exhibitions, performances, presentations and workshops. The center also would serve as the new home to the city’s Department of Arts and History.
The proposed Boise Sports Park and surrounding private mixed-use development is being pursued by Greenstone Properties, a private development firm which is working to secure the needed property in downtown Boise’s West End neighborhood.
“During discussion of an earlier proposal of the project from Greenstone, Boise Mayor David Bieter supported a modest investment of city funds ($3 million) in the sports facility portion of project, which would be publicly-owned,” Journee explained. “The multiple-sport facility would be surrounded by privately-built mixed-use urban development that includes residential, office and retail space.”
