WEST BOISE, Idaho — After decades of sitting dormant, a plot of dirt in West Boise is finally getting an upgrade. City leaders have broken ground on the final phase of the Charles F. McDevitt Youth Sports Complex — an 8-acre addition next to the park’s busy baseball fields, home to Northwest Ada Little League.
Until now, the site has been little more than an overgrown patch of weeds and dirt along Eagle Road. The city has allocated about $1.2 million in impact fees from new development to transform the area into a multi-use community park, set to open in 2026.
WATCH: See how a long-dormant patch of dirt in West Boise is being transformed into a vibrant community park —
“This is going to be a whole new complex for the neighborhood to enjoy,” said Doug Holloway, director of Boise Parks and Recreation. “You’ve got play facilities now, you have places where people can ride their bike, you have a pump track, we’ve got walking paths… now all of a sudden you have something that people can really utilize.”
Holloway said the project reflects the city’s mission to make sure every Boise neighborhood has access to top-tier park amenities.
“It’s been great… the Centennial Neighborhood Association has been awesome to work with,” Holloway said. “Anytime you can add more amenities that involve the community, engage the community, that’s going to make for a more vibrant and healthy community.”
For neighbors, the groundbreaking is a long-awaited moment.
“It’s fantastic… you can’t imagine,” said Kathy Graham, president of the Centennial Neighborhood Association. “Eagle Road is the busiest road in Idaho, and everyone’s driving by for years and years as the patch of dirt has been laying there… and we’ve been wanting these kinds of opportunities to gather. So now we’ll have that opportunity.”
Graham said she can already envision the completed park filled with activity.
“People everywhere. A place for people to gather, bring their friends, bring their family, and enjoy this beautiful park in Boise,” she said.
