Members of the media and public are invited to a public virtual presentation of the findings via Zoom Webinar on Thursday, June 24, from 12:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. ET (10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. MT) via this link, registration required: https://idaho.uli.org/events/detail/7394F8F7-D26E-4E8F-ADD2-11A4DB479908/

For more information, contact [email protected]

WASHINGTON D.C. (June 17, 2021) – A group of nationally renowned urban planning, real estate, and resilience experts representing the Urban Land Institute (ULI) will be making recommendations next week to Ada County, Idaho on the revitalization and potential redevelopment of the Expo Idaho site. ULI is a global, member-driven organization comprising more than 45,000 real estate and urban development professionals dedicated to advancing the Institute’s mission of shaping the future of the built environment for transformative impact in communities worldwide.

The ULI representatives will be conducting the program for the Ada County from June 21-24 through ULI’s Virtual Advisory Services Panel (vASP) offering. The panel is a multi-day, virtual program that is tailored to meet a community’s specific needs, bringing together real estate experts in different areas such as land use, urban renewal and community growth. They will spend time interviewing local stakeholders, understanding the community’s needs and delivering advice on how to best tackle the issue at hand.

Sponsored by Ada County, Idaho, the Advisory Services panelists will analyze multiple revitalization and potential development scenarios for the 247-acre Expo Idaho site. The scenarios will need to account for the combination of existing assets, open space, and new development potential in order to strengthen the activity center as a year-round anchor and economic engine for the County. They include:

• A proposal expanding and updating fairgrounds facilities to host the yearly 10-day Western Idaho Fair event and enable year-round use to include additional agricultural heritage opportunities. It also includes outdoor education areas, which could be incorporated into other site development scenarios as well;
• A site development scenario which emphasizes a sports stadium and event venue surrounded by supporting commercial retail activities and nearby lodging opportunities, which includes sports fields and other active recreation-focused amenities and areas; and
• The possible creation of a Garden City Town Center, combining a mix of housing, shops, and services, restaurants, government buildings and a central gathering space in a walkable neighborhood-style development.

The panel will be chaired by Sarah Sieloff, senior planner, Maul Foster Alongi. “The redevelopment of Expo Idaho represents a significant opportunity for Ada County to reimagine and update this important gathering place to meet continuing and future needs,” said Sieloff. “Sites of this physical, social and cultural magnitude don’t come up for redevelopment every day, and the panel is honored to have the opportunity to contribute to this pivotal project.“

Sieloff will be joined on the panel by David Armitage, director of asset management, Heartland, Seattle, Washington; Cielo Castro, chief of staff, Fairplex, Pomona, CA; Nick Duerksen, economic development director, Sandy City, Sandy, Utah; Peter McEaneaney, vice president, Thor Equities, New York, NY; Stacey Mosely, director of research, Brandywine Realty Trust, Philadelphia, PA; Stephanie Pankiewicz, partner, Land Design, Alexandria, VA; and Nicolia Robinson, associate principal, Cooper Carry, Atlanta, GA.

Now in its 74^th year, the ULI advisory services program assembles experts in the fields of real estate and land use planning to participate on panels worldwide, offering recommendations for complex planning and development projects, programs and policies. Panels have developed more than 700 studies for a broad range of land uses, ranging from waterfront properties to inner-city retail.

According to Thomas Eitler, senior vice president of ULI’s advisory services program, the strength of the program lies in ULI’s unique ability to draw on the substantial knowledge of its 45,000-plus members, including land developers, engineers, public officials, academics, lenders, architects, planners and urban designers. “The independent views of the panelists bring a fresh perspective to the land use challenge,” Eitler said. “The Advisory Services program is all about offering creative, innovative approaches to community building.”

Past sponsors of ULI Advisory Service panels include federal, state and local government agencies; regional councils of government; chambers of commerce; redevelopment authorities; private developers and property owners; community development corporations; lenders; historic preservation groups; non-profit community groups; environmental organizations and economic development agencies.