Two months after announcing a plan to turn over the Ford Idaho Center to the College of Western Idaho, Nampa city officials are putting the brakes on the process.
City Council members don’t appear to have any consensus about what to do with the municipal events center. At a meeting this week, council members couldn’t agree about considering a sale of the center or getting the property appraised, Haadiya Tariq of the Idaho Press reported Wednesday.
City and CWI officials have considered a no-cash transfer of the center complex — which includes an indoor arena, an outdoor concert amphitheater and a horse park and events center.
CWI says the acquisition would give the college 100 acres of property that bisect the Nampa campus, and provide the college with a multipurpose facility similar to those on other Idaho campuses. But the acquisition is not without cost. City officials have said the facility will need $20 million to $25 million in maintenance over the next 15 years. CWI “will leverage a combination of private donations, grants and partnerships” to fund the improvements, according to the city’s “frequently asked questions” webpage on the proposal.
CWI hasn’t formally acted on a transfer — and Nampa city officials will have to make the first move. City officials are considering the transfer, but they haven’t ruled out selling the center or hanging onto the property, Tariq reported.
