Boulder County is moving forward with the sale of its North Broadway campus, including the Iris Fields that have served as the home base for North Boulder Little League for close to 70 years.
The county began accepting bids on Monday for the 17.5-acre property, at 1333 Iris Ave. at the northeast corner of Iris and Broadway. The campus includes five office buildings, parking lots, a playground, paths and four baseball fields. The request for bid offers suggests a purchase price ranging from $32 million to $59 million.
The county is asking that bids include a commitment to lease property back to the county through Dec. 31, 2026 and a description of how the purchase would contribute to the county’s attainable or affordable housing stock. Bids are due by Sept. 19, with the Boulder County commissioners expected to make a final decision in October.
Boulder County officials announced in February that they planned to sell the property after relocating county offices to the 28th Street building, which the county bought for $14.2 million in late 2024.
Along with accepting bids for the North Broadway campus, the county has submitted a land use change request to the city of Boulder for the property, which is zoned for public use, as part of the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan update process. The county is asking for the property to be designated as residential, without a zoning preference specific to potential housing density. The purchaser would still need to go through Boulder’s permitting process.
A sign for saveirisfields.com is seen on the fence in an outfield at Iris Fields in Boulder on Monday. Boulder County has listed the North Broadway Complex for sale, including the baseball fields. (Matthew Jonas/Staff Photographer)
North Boulder Little League supporters have rallied to keep the fields from being redeveloped when the property is sold.
Kirk Fronckiewicz, president of the North Boulder Little League, said his organization can’t afford to purchase the property outright, but has been in talks with a developer who might be willing to continue to allow the league to use the fields.
The organization has had an agreement for almost 70 years with Boulder County to use three of the four fields for a nominal cost. After finding out about the sale in February, he and others had advocated for the county to divide the property and keep the roughly 7 acres of fields while selling the office buildings.
Though North Boulder Little League rents some fields as overflow from Boulder and the Boulder Valley School District, the Iris Fields are “the central hub” of the organization, he said. Between its spring and summer seasons, North Boulder Little League runs t-ball and baseball teams for about 500 children, who are mainly 12 and younger.
Fronckiewicz said the league also has invested in the fields, recently spending about $20,000 to update the batter’s boxes and pitcher’s mounds, plus about $25,000 to add a second batting cage.
Several Boulder City Council members also have indicated interest in the city buying the 6 acres of fields. According to former city councilmember Bob Yates in his June “Boulder Bulletin” newsletter, the county offered in May to sell the entire 17-acre parcel to the city for $45 million.
Boulder Mayor Aaron Brockett said the city can’t afford to purchase all 17 acres but was open to negotiating with the county for the fields. While a deal wasn’t struck before the county began asking for bids, he said, “the possibility of the city being involved is not off the table.”
“We continue to maintain communication,” he said.
Editor’s note: The article has been corrected to reflect Bob Yates’ status as a former Boulder City Council member.
Originally Published: August 26, 2025 at 6:23 AM MDT