As part of a state education board vote, Boise State has received approval to use eminent domain if needed to acquire necessary parcels for its new ballpark.
After announcing last year that it would add a baseball program in the future, Boise State is moving forward with plans for the program to begin play in the 2020 season. As part of that planning process, the university is working to construct a new $8-10 million ballpark that is slated for land near football’s Albertsons Stadium.
During its meeting on Thursday, the Idaho State Board of Education unanimously voted to allow the university to proceed with the land acquisition process for the new ballpark. Boise State has been negotiating with three separate property owners and has a tentative agreement with one, but has not come to terms with two other owners for their properties–including a four-unit apartment complex, and a separate surface parking lot. Negotiations for the properties are ongoing, but as part of Thursday’s vote, the board granted Boise State the authority to use eminent domain to acquire the parcels if it cannot come to an agreement with the owners. More from Idaho Press:
The property at 1116 W. Beacon St. is owned by Cotner Properties & Investments LLC, which could not be reached for comment Thursday. The parking lot at 1101 S. Denver Ave. is owned by “Boise Church Christ Boise ID,” which also could not be reached for comment Thursday.
If the school cannot reach an agreement with the two property owners, the state Board of Education gave BSU approval to go ahead with condemnation to acquire the parcels through eminent domain. Eminent domain allows the government to take private property with compensation….
Boise State spokesman Greg Hahn said the area for the stadium has been in the university’s expansion plan for the last two decades and it should not be a surprise to property owners that the school wants to acquire the parcels.
“Everybody rightfully wants to make sure, however, it goes down is fair and gives everybody the value that the properties deserve,” he said of the ongoing negotiations.
Baseball was last offered at Boise State in 1980, the final season before it was dropped from university’s varsity sports offerings. The new ballpark is slated for a 2020 opening.
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