Issue divided the city, but Nampa places Ford Idaho Center in CWI’s hands
The Ford Idaho Center is going to be under the control of the College of Western Idaho, and the city of Nampa’s residents and officials remain divided.
After an extensive public hearing Monday night that featured more than 25 people speaking — with mixed views on the move — the Nampa City Council voted 4-2 in favor of conveying ownership of the arena and grounds.
The growing community college said it plans to use the 100-acre center, outdoor amphitheater, and Idaho Horse Park and Sports Center to support its students and continue hosting several community events.
CWI President Gordon Jones, a strong proponent of the conveyance, said during the meeting that the college is expanding and can take advantage of property that abuts the campus in northeast Nampa. But the school also wants to make sure there is continued support for events that are integral to the city, such as the Snake River Stampede, high school graduations and other community highlights.
CWI, in just its 16th year, is the largest community college in the state and has more than 31,000 students, and Jones sees no slowing in the growth.
“I believe deeply that as institutions, and my responsibility, is to think about how we navigate into the future and nurture the growth,” Jones said. “We would bring this focus to the Ford Idaho Center.”
An expensive issue CWI says it’s ready to take on
At a September meeting, the Nampa council passed a resolution, also by a 4-2 vote, to declare that the facility was underutilized, according to a news release.
Additionally, the 28-year-old center loses about $1.5 million every year, and it would cost roughly $20-25 million over the next 15 years to get it up to date, a city staff member said during a presentation during Monday’s meeting.
CWI initiated the conveyance earlier this year, providing an opportunity for the city to jettison the cost for taxpayers and use the center to grow its main campus, according to previous Idaho Statesman reporting. The transfer of the center being from one public entity to another, there is no money exchanged, no increase in taxes for residents and no tuition increases for CWI students, a college spokesperson previously said.
With the decision to hand over the center, the city dropped the idea of selling it. The council had set $75 million as the minimum bid, according to a release — an amount that would have been tough to draw.
Jones said he has been asked many times about the college’s ability to fund the maintenance needed for the Idaho Center, and he said CWI has a number of different revenue sources and a good ability to do fundraising projects.
Council members talk worries and hopes for the future
Nampa City Council Member Randy Haverfield was one of two who voted against the conveyance. He told the Statesman in a phone interview that the city could have retained ownership and found a way to fund maintenance and renovations.
He also said that long before now, the city showed reluctance to put funding toward Idaho Center repairs and upgrades.
“We ended up voting to give away the biggest asset the city of Nampa has, and that just doesn’t sit well with me,” Haverfield said.
Council Member Natalie Jangula, one of four to support the move, said the decision came down to “smart growth” for the city. She said during the meeting that Nampa is fortunate to have the Idaho Center, and the expansion of CWI will aid students and the city’s economic growth.
“This matters to Nampa because it creates pathways for better jobs, reducing economic strain and fostering community stability,” Jangula said. “It will serve Nampa as a regional education hub, attracting businesses and families.”
Haverfield said his biggest concern was the unknown — what will happen to a place that’s been historic for the community?
“What we’re losing is control,” Haverfield told the Statesman. “CWI can do what is best for CWI moving forward, and so they might determine that taking down a building or replacing it with something other than what it currently is today.”
