BOISE, Idaho — Three design firms are competing for the chance to transform over 80 acres of land at Expo Idaho, around the former site of the Les Bois Park horse racing track.
They pitched their proposals to the Ada County Commissioners, who are looking to turn the area into a modern, community-centric park.
The Ada County Commissioners held a meeting at the courthouse where each of the finalist firms got 45 minutes to pitch their proposals, and 15 minutes to field questions from the commissioners.
Renovations around the area have been in consideration for three years. The land is on the east side of Expo Idaho, commonly known as the fairgrounds.
The space includes the track and horse stables, which sits just south of the Boise River and is in a "flood consideration zone". Les Bois Park closed in 2016. The grandstands, which are still used for concerts at the Western Idaho Fair, are also under consideration of being renovated.
Ada County Commissioners gave no parameters for the design competition - they were looking for a vision for how to best transform the area. Six firms submitted qualification statements. The top three finalists were selected based on an initial evaluation score.
"It's a design competition. So we're here today just to see what the three presenters are offering us and we're very excited," district 3 commissioner Kendra Kenyon said.
The three finalists are RIOS + Stack Rock Group, The Land Group, and PORT.
RIOS + Stack Rock Group's proposal involves expanding the river down into EXPO Idaho to create two channels, a beach, and an "adventure island." They plan on scaling the track for multi-purpose use, and connecting paths to the Greenbelt. Their design also includes a river center with put-in spots for floating. The inside of the track would be used for sports and contain ponds. RIOS + Stack Rock Group also planned to open up the grandstands for a visitor center and retail.
The Land Group's proposal divided the area into 5 districts:
- A community district with a gathering space, garden plots, and food truck area
- A grandstand district that would host sports and concerts
- A field district with paths and trails
- A river's edge district that would connect the Greenbelt
- A movement district with a lake, bike park, and fitness equipment
PORT's proposal divides the are into two zones. The "heart of the park" has two loops. The north loop focuses on fitness and sports. The grandstands would be renovated to make the space open for recreation. The south loop would have fields and a nature-centric playground. The second zone is called the "lowlands" and focuses on bringing an ecological value to the land around the river.
RIOS is based out of Portland, and has local partners in Boise. The Land Group is local and based out of Eagle. PORT is based in Philadelphia and Chicago.
The finalists will be scored on the presentations. A selection committee made up of county staff will make their final recommendations to the Ada County Commissioners based off those scores.
The Ada County Commissioners will formally accept or reject the recommendation during the Open Business Meeting (OBM) on Tuesday, October 11.
A replay of the entire three-hour meeting can be seen here.
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