‘Clear as mud’: Eagle officials press for answers on $27 million athletic park
The city of Eagle’s plan to build a regional athletic park is moving ahead, but some council members say they still don’t have a clear enough picture of the project’s past or future costs to fully sign off on next steps.
Council members Tuesday decided to delay approving a contract with Alliance Consulting, a Utah land planning and engineering firm that was set to provide design services for the project.
“I’ve felt like things have been done without proper documentation, and perhaps we need to get the things organized so that this doesn’t come up again,” council member Craig Kvame said during Tuesday’s City Council meeting.
The city of Eagle has been pursuing the project since it was first approved in 2022. Located off Highway 16, the 139-acre park includes an 80-acre sports fields complex including multiple full-sized soccer and baseball fields. It will also provide direct access to 2,200 acres of Bureau of Land Management land directly to the east. The city estimate it will cost $22 million to $27 million to complete the park.
Council members Robert Gillis and Nancy Merrill — both elected to the council in November — say that, to date, they haven’t seen all the essential information to vote confidently on furthering the project.
Phase 1 of the park carries a $5.3 million price tag. According to public records, the city has already spent more than $1.9 million, leaving a gap of roughly $3.5 to $3.6 million that must be covered through a mix of city funds, grants, donations and an ongoing fundraising campaign launched by the city.
The first phase includes grading the site, building roadways around the property, constructing ball fields and relocating existing overhead power lines underground, the latter of which has already been completed in a contract with Idaho Power. Gillis noted that the city has already saved money on that last piece. The power-line relocation was initially projected at over $600,000 but came in at $318,000.
“I don’t want us to put a bunch of money into some project, which has been the history of this city and many others, and then not be able to finish it because the money’s not there,” Gillis told the Statesman in an interview. “Then we have a half-done project and then other things are going to be coming up that we didn’t foresee, and now we’re we’re locked into a project and a contract.”
Gillis said his concern is less about whether Eagle needs parks and more about whether the council has a full understanding of how this multiphase project will be funded and delivered.
“I want the park,” Gillis said. “I agree it’s great for the city. I refuse to just willy-nilly sign my name to something and encumber the city of Eagle for up to $27 million without having all the facts. For me as a council member, it’s clear as mud. I’ve had no involvement in this, and if we do have money to meet the $5.3 million for phase 1, I want to know where that money is at.”
Kvame, who joined the council in 2024, agreed and called for a comprehensive written record.
“I would like to see a document: What the historical timeline has been, money spent, what the project phases are and what the fixed costs are going to be,” Kvame said during the meeting.
Merrill added that the council should make a point every month to check in on the progress of the project, saying “the public deserves to know.”
Council members agreed that the city must first assemble a complete record of the regional athletic park before advancing major decisions.
“I think my biggest hesitance ... is that you know my name is associated with this now,” Gillis told the council. “And whether it’s been going on for four years or 12 years or 100 years, I want to understand it.”
This story was originally published June 11, 2026 at 4:00 AM with the headline "‘Clear as mud’: Eagle officials press for answers on $27 million athletic park."