Ada County photo

A rendering of The Park at Expo Idaho.

Ada County officials and local mayors were on hand on Dec. 18, 2024, for the groundbreaking ceremony for The Park at Expo Idaho in Boise.

When completed in 2026, the $93 million 50-plus-acre park will feature nature trails, open spaces, skateparks, nature play areas for children and more.

The CM Co. of Boise is the contractor.

The park will connect to the Boise River and the Boise River Greenbelt on the Expo Idaho Property. Ada County's 240-acre Expo Idaho Property has been a treasured part of the community for decades. It is home to the annual Western Idaho Fair and draws more than a million visitors each year for trade shows, sporting events, public gatherings, concerts, agricultural events and more.

"The Park at Expo Idaho is our gift to the future," Ada County Commission Chairman Rod Beck said. "This park is our gift to everyone who lives, works and visits Ada County. Sometimes when circumstances in our communities change, and we are called upon to adapt to unprecedented growth, we lose things; things are downsized, cut down or replaced. In this case, we are all gaining something priceless."

The park will be built on the site of the former Les Bois horse racing track, according to idahonews.com.

"One of the advantages of this park is it runs by the river," Tom Dayley, an Ada County Commissioner told idahonews.com. "We have the Green Belt, and this will connect to that, connecting Lucky Peak to Star, Eagle, and all the other points in between."

Ada County received $93 million in federal funds to build the park, according to idahonews.com.

The Park at Expo Idaho is funded entirely by the Federal American Rescue Plan (ARPA), according to idahonews.com. ARPA is an 2021 initiative that provided $1.9 trillion to combat the pandemic's economic impacts.

Aside from The Park at Expo Idaho, a second phase will involve The Fields at Expo Idaho.

On Oct. 30, 2024, the Ada County Commissioners awarded a 30-year lease of 27 acres to Boise Pro Soccer. The organization will pay $150,000 in annual recent and improve and renovate the area around the former grandstands and Turf Club.

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