Nampa council advances process to decide future of Ford Idaho Center, rejects formal appraisals

Council members moved on Sept. 15 to advance a public process to decide the future of the city-owned Ford Idaho Center, voting to stop soliciting formal outside appraisals and to open a public hearing process that could result in sale, conveyance to a governmental entity or retention. The council voted that staff should cease seeking formalized appraisals for the property; the motion passed 5–1.

City Attorney Preston Rutter described the statutory process the city must follow to sell public property and said the council must first declare whether the property is underutilized or not used for public purposes before proceeding to the next step. Rutter said the package before council included a draft resolution making those threshold findings and a proposed timetable to bring a final public hearing.

Procurement Director Rick Kennedy told council that outreach to appraisers had produced limited responses and that some specialized appraisal estimates he heard in preliminary conversations ranged widely; Kennedy said a comprehensive formal appraisal could be substantial, and that staff had sought a narrower “fair market assessment” rather than a deep, multi‑discipline appraisal.

Council discussion centered on whether the Ford Idaho Center currently met the statutory standards for underutilization and whether the city should convey the property to the College of Western Idaho (CWI) under deed restrictions, sell to a private buyer, or retain it. Several council members said they preferred to keep the property, pointing to community use and the city’s prior investment; others said a public hearing was necessary to let the community and potential buyers comment.

Council members debated whether to set a minimum sale price if a sale option were put to voters at the public hearing; several proposed amounts were floated in separate motions during the meeting, including $30 million, $40 million, $45 million, $75 million, $100 million and $150 million. Multiple motions to set specific minimum prices failed to reach a majority. Later in the meeting a motion to move the matter forward with a $75 million suggested minimum passed (vote recorded in minutes). Preston Rutter reminded council that state statute does not require a minimum price and that if council chose not to set one, a sale vote that prevailed at the public hearing could open bidding without a floor.

Council also discussed draft deed restrictions (labeled Exhibit D in the staff packet) that would accompany a conveyance to CWI or a sale to a private party. Rutter and several council members said the deed restrictions were a draft and could be tightened to specify reversion language, successors in title, and use limitations; councilmembers asked staff to prepare clearer deed restriction language for the public hearing.

The council directed staff to schedule the public hearing and to return updated draft deed restriction language; the public hearing was set for Oct. 6, 2025 (public notice requirements and timelines discussed). Separately, the council approved a motion to stop seeking formalized appraisals for the property. No final sale, conveyance or retention decision was made at the Sept. 15 meeting.