North Boulder plan would save Iris Fields and build senior homes
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Kids play at the Iris Baseball Fields in Boulder in 2008. Photo: Kasha Broussalian/Digital First Media/Boulder Daily Camera via Getty Images
Neighborhood groups and the North Boulder Little League have partnered with Academy Boulder, which builds assisted and independent living communities, on a proposal to save Iris Fields.
Why it matters: The plan aims to protect local ballfields from redevelopment while also addressing the area's senior housing needs.
Context: The county last month closed bidding for the 17.5-acre site at 1333 Iris Ave., valued at $24.4 million in 2024.
- The listing did not include any stipulations that the buyer maintain Iris Fields' four baseball diamonds, which host kids ages 5–12.
Driving the news: After failed efforts to have the city of Boulder purchase the land and preserve the ballfields, a local coalition went to Academy Boulder to come up with a proposal for the county.
- "As it became clear that neither party was able to land a deal with the other and ... we were headed for a sale to a developer, we embraced our own agency over the process," said Aquiles La Grave of the Broadway and Juniper Condo Association, part of the coalition.
Between the lines: The plan would preserve the ballfields and add senior housing, along with a restaurant, café and general store, according to documents sent to Axios Boulder.
- La Grave told us the plan addresses a need for senior living and stores in the area while keeping the ballfields intact for North Boulder Little League, a program that has sent a team to the Little League World Series regionals two years in a row.
- "It's the power of intergenerational contact," La Grave said. "This proposal envisions a senior community inextricably tied to one of the most storied youth sports organizations in the country."
What's next: Boulder County spokesperson Gloria Handyside said the county hopes to make a decision by the end of the year.
- "In evaluating the proposals and initiating good faith negotiations with potential purchasers, the county will consider how the bids align with county goals and the commissioners' strategic priorities," Handyside told us.
- La Grave said he believed the county had gotten five proposals, but Handyside would only confirm the county received "several" offers.
Go deeper: Boulder complex, including Iris Fields, listed for sale