About the project
This project will consist of 3 phases. In preparation for Phase 1, the project team has been gathering information about the site and hired Agnew Beck as the consultant for this project. A resolution was signed by the commissioners allowing the committee to be formed, and bylaws, which will be voted on by the Citizen’s Advisory Committee, were proposed. During this pre-planning stage, potential candidates were considered in preparation for Phase 1, when the Citizen’s Advisory Committee (CAC) will be formed.
They will hold meetings to discuss the potential and challenges of the property. The purpose of the CAC is to collect information; review plans, ideas, and public comment; and establish the framework for Phase 2. The focus of Phase 3 will be public involvement, and the CAC will be tasked with ensuring that the public can be both engaged and informed. In Phase 3, the recommendations from the CAC and public will be presented to the board.
Frequently Asked Questions
What will happen to the existing businesses on the property?
Businesses will continue to operate as normal throughout the project. The Board of County Commissioners will not be making any decisions until after receiving recommendations both from the Advisory Committee and the Public at large.
Does the committee have any legal authority to make decisions on the property?
The committee bylaws, which will be approved by the committee once formed, state that this is an advisory committee, and their counsel is nonbinding to the BoCC. Once the committee has made recommendations, the general public will be asked to provide input on those recommendations.
About the property
You might hear some call Expo Idaho, “the fairgrounds.” That’s due to the fact that—since 1967—this is the very spot where the County has held the Western Idaho Fair. Beyond its half-century fair legacy, there’s more here than meets the eye. Throughout the rest of the year, over 750,000 people stop by for trade shows, company gatherings, auctions, sporting events, livestock round-ups, and everything else under the Idaho sun.
Included in this 240 acre space, you’ll also find the Boise Hawks, Riverside RV Park, Ladybird Park, the former Les Bois horse racing park, EMS, and a University of Idaho extension center. The property is located within unincorporated Ada County, who officially owns the property, and is surrounded by Garden City. The Boise River and Greenbelt line the property to the north, and with it, a large section of floodplain.
Meeting Info
All meetings are open to the public and will follow Idaho’s Open Meetings Act. All agendas will be posted online, as well as minutes following the meeting. All collateral meeting materials will also be available online.
January 29th – Meet and Greet
5:30 pm, Western Town
In this meeting, proposed candidates have been invited to come learn more about the purpose of the project and to ensure we have appropriate representation on the committee. Following this meeting, the Board of County Commissioners will officially vote to appoint selected members to the committee. The committee will not be officially formed until they are appointed by the Board of County Commissioners via vote.
Meeting Agendas and Minutes
| Date | Agenda | Minutes |
| January 29 | – | – |
About the Committee
The Board of Ada County Commissioners is considering candidates that have a track record of community involvement and that are representative of a larger group such as: environment, business, land use, arts and culture, agriculture, parks and recreation, housing and finance, etc., as well as asking each city to nominate a representative. Committee members will not be officially appointed until after the January 29th Meet and Greet.
About the Project Team
This project is being led by Ada County Development Services. Meg Leatherman (Director of Development Services) is the project lead, with Kelly Woodworth (Development Services Project Manager) as a project manager, and Brianna Bustos (Development Services Outreach and Education Coordinator) and Elizabeth Duncan (Ada County Communications Manager) managing communications and outreach.
For comments/concerns, or to subscribe for updates on this project, please e-mail expoidahocac@adacounty.id.gov, or fill out the form below. Media inquiries can also be sent to this e-mail and Brianna or Elizabeth will be in contact.