Boise parks commission reviews $millions in projects, timelines and park dedications

Boise Parks and Recreation Commission members heard a departmentwide project update Tuesday covering about 30 active park projects citywide, funding sources and expected timelines for several dedications and construction starts.

Superintendent Arkel delivered the update, saying, “We have about 30 active projects department wide,” and that the department is “about halfway through our major repair maintenance budget and about halfway through our CIP, our capital budget.” She said staff expect to expend remaining budgets over the next four months.

The most immediate items include a bid solicitation next week for improvements at the Charles F. McDevitt Youth Sports Complex; the project carries a design budget of $1,200,000 and aims to add amenities the public selected in a 2024 master-plan update, Arkel said. Bids are expected back by May and construction would proceed based on bids and available funds.

Arkel described Alta Harris Park in southeast Boise as a 2025 priority allocated $1,500,000 in impact-fee dollars for access improvements. She said staff are finalizing roadway improvements with the Ada County Highway District and expect a final design by the end of the month while also drilling a well and addressing habitat protections on the site.

Veterans Memorial Park — a leased state property whose 2023 master-plan update drew more than 1,300 participants, Arkel said — will see construction begin this summer on elements including an 18-hole disc golf course, a nature play area and improved lighting and sight lines intended to enhance security. Staff said they coordinated course routing with the neighborhood association and Gem State Disc Golf to limit conflicts with other park uses.

Downtown C. W. Moore Park is nearing completion of ADA and plaza work around historical elements, Arkel said; the project includes a sidewalk-style restroom funded through a $350,000 reimbursement arrangement referenced in the update. Road Skate Park will also receive a replacement sidewalk-style restroom and a couple of new skate features after several years of vandalism forced the previous facility’s long-term closure.

Staff said two tournament-rated, ADA-accessible sand-volleyball courts at Molner Park were funded in part through neighborhood "energized" funds to supplement impact-fee shortfalls. Commissioners and staff noted outdoor sand volleyball is currently one of the fastest-growing sports for the city’s recreation programs.

Green belt lighting enhancements — a roughly $1 million general-fund project — will add lighting along Willow Lane Park from Lander to the park end. Arkel said the improvements respond to repeated public requests and will be complete this summer.

Several upcoming dedications and openings were scheduled: Peaslee Street Connection staircase is open and the project is intended to improve pedestrian and bicycle access to Anne Morrison Park for an estimated 1,700 households; Castle Hills Park playground, replaced after an arson incident, will be dedicated May 9; a new red-panda exhibit at Zoo Boise will be dedicated May 14 with indoor and outdoor yards and overhead walkways; Goddard Road linear park and pathway will be dedicated May 21; Kaisho Corner is expected to be donated to the city on or about July 28; and the Warm Springs Golf and Grill redevelopment is slated to open this summer.

Doug, a parks staff member speaking during the update, said the Warm Springs project has a near-$12 million total cost, with a $3.5 million donor contribution and roughly $2,000,000 from city reserves that were applied; the remaining balance will be a city loan with an anticipated payback period of about 12 years. He added operations manager Scott McGheen oversees the Warm Springs facility.

On aquatic facilities, staff described design work for a replacement regional pool at Whitney Elementary — the new Whitney Pool will replace the older South Pool facility and is being developed in partnership with the Boise School District. Construction is expected to begin late this year with a target completion in 2026. Doug said locating the pool followed a 10-minute-walk analysis intended to maximize local access.

Commissioners praised the department’s attention to accessibility and wildlife-sensitive design, noting staff considered visual indicators on the Peaslee staircase and downcast lighting choices for the green belt to reduce wildlife impacts and preserve night-sky values. Commissioner Burnham, who tested the Peaslee staircase, said, “I got very tired. I went from the bottom to the top and I was worn out,” adding the new connection is “a game changer for accessibility” for nearby residents.

The commission approved the Feb. 20 meeting minutes by motion and unanimously voted to adjourn at the close of the update. No other formal policy votes were recorded during the parks project presentation.

As described at the meeting, many projects remain contingent on available impact fees, partner agency approvals and contractor pricing; staff said volatility in construction and labor markets makes final scopes and schedules dependent on returned bids and continued partner coordination.