BOISE, Idaho — The Idaho Foundation for Parks and Lands announced on Monday that the old wastewater ponds near the Idaho Shakespeare Festival will now become an open space habitat along the banks of the Boise River, called The Gateway Reserve.
The 12-acre-parcel was bought from Dave and Anne Triplet, who've owned the property since the 1960s, by the foundation for $2 million.
Originally, the property was slated to become a 43-home subdivision.
Now, the area will be designed to improve the native environment, which is home to more than 300 species of wildlife, including bald eagles.
"It'll be one of the largest in the country of open space within a city, where we can protect wildlife," said Larry Leasure with the Idaho Foundation for Parks and Lands. "You're going to see wildlife protection and the opportunity out here for that to happen."
Leasure says about half of the land will be for human use, including bike path and walkways, and will be blended into the Idaho Shakespeare property.
The other half, the south sides towards the Boise River, will strictly be for wildlife.