Boulder County Commissions give initial OK to sale, redevelopment of Iris and Broadway property
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"They chose kids over money," said Marlyn Bohn, the former longtime president of North Boulder Little League, of the County commissioners' decision.
Iris Fields, home to North Boulder Little League for 70 years, will be preserved as Boulder County approved a plan for partial redevelopment of the property into senior housing.
BOULDER — Iris Fields on the corner of Iris and Broadway will remain the home of North Boulder Little League after Boulder County Commissioners on Thursday approved a plan for the sale and redevelopment of its 17.5-acre property. The County announced plans to sell the property in February as it sought to consolidate services at a different location.
“They chose kids over money, and that’s all I wanted,” said Marlyn Bohn, who served as the team’s president for 41 years. A field on site is named for Bohn.
North Boulder Little League has played at Iris Fields for 70 years.
The $26 million deal is still subject to due diligence. But buyers AMBG—with the backing of community members and Little League supporters—intends to preserve the fields, using the rest of the site to build 100 units of senior housing and congregate care.
AMBG is more commonly known as The Academy. The group has developed two other luxury senior living communities in Boulder, on University Hill and Mapleton Hill.
Boulder County will lease the property back from new owners through 2026. The County is consolidating its offices to a newer, more accessible and energy-efficient facility at 2525 28th Street in Boulder. The new, customer-facing hub will include community services, public health, human services and housing.
A ballot drop-off box will remain on the Broadway and Iris site, via a zero-charge lease.
The sale is expected to close in early 2026. The project will have to go through the City of Boulder’s planning process before being built.
Marta Loachamin was the sole voice of dissent among Commissioners. The site should be better utilized for affordable, for-sale housing, she said, potentially for County employees.
“The primary concern I’ve heard in this community is around housing,” Loachamin said. “We have an inventory crisis. I will always prioritize getting units built to meet the needs of folks.
“I do feel like 10 years from now, 15 years from now … we’ll be affected by this decision.”
Developers will have to pay more than $13 million into Boulder’s affordable housing fund if the project receives City approval by 2031. If that deadline isn’t met, developers will instead give $5 million to the County’s housing fund.
This provision may be extended or revisited, according to notes shared with County Commissioners.
