Content area
Full Text
The Greater Boise Auditorium District board has switched gears after more than a decade of trying to develop a new convention center, voting last month to open up its nearly $30 million in available funds to an array of possible projects.
The board has $11 million in available cash for a capital project and bonding capacity for another roughly $20 million. For years, board members had been adamant that the money be spent on expanding the convention center -- or building a new one.
GBAD operates the Boise Centre, an 85,000-square-foot convention center that opened in 1990.
"We're looking at different options besides the expansion," said GBAD member Hy Kloc. "We're looking at just about everything now. We're going back to just about square one to make sure we are doing the right things for the right reasons."
With $30 million in unencumbered funds, board members will have an array of projects to choose from. Among the most publicized is an effort to build a new sports stadium to house the Boise Hawks and a minor league soccer team. The new Hawks stadium would also be available for other events.