The fate of North Boulder’s popular Iris baseball fields is in question after Boulder County officials announced plans to sell the North Broadway Complex, the 17.5-acre site that includes the ball fields and county office buildings.
For nearly 70 years, the Iris Fields at 1333 Iris Ave. have been a staple of North Boulder’s community, hosting North Boulder Little League games for kids ages 5 to 12. Generations of Boulderites have spent spring and summer seasons playing ball and making memories. But with the county planning to move its offices to a new location, families worry the sale could mean losing a treasured community space.
“There’s just not many places where these kids can go and hang out and be kids,” said Kristen Bendele, whose son has played Little League there for six years. She called the fields an “institution.”
“It’s just emotional for all of us who have these kids who’ve gone through this program.”
The North Broadway Complex includes offices for several county departments and services, including Public Health, Housing and Human Services, and Workforce Boulder County. Officials say the sale is part of a broader effort to consolidate county operations, cut costs, shrink its office footprint and improve energy efficiency. To prepare for the move, the county recently purchased an office building at 2525 28th Street in Boulder for $14.2 million, which it plans to remodel before relocating those offices there.
The cost of the North Boulder Complex property isn’t yet known, and the county has not published a listing price. Property assessment records value it at $24.4 million, and several Little League parents told Boulder Reporting Lab they expect it to sell for about $25.5 million.
Alison Ecklund, a Boulder County spokesperson, told Boulder Reporting Lab that no changes to the property will take place in 2025. That means Little League teams can still play there this season.
Still, uncertainty looms. It’s unclear who will buy the property or how a new owner might use it. While the land sits within Boulder city limits, the county owns it, meaning the city has no control over its sale. However, city officials will have some say in how it is used going forward.
The property is zoned for public use, making large-scale private development unlikely without city approval. But that doesn’t mean the fields are safe. Either county officials or a new owner could request a zoning change, which would leave the final decision to the Boulder City Council.
Ecklund said county officials have yet to decide whether to impose restrictions on the sale, such as limiting it to certain buyers, or whether to pursue a change to the property’s land-use designation.
For Bendele and other parents, the fields are more than just a place for baseball — they’re a seasonal gathering spot for North Boulder families, one that could disappear when the property changes hands.
“In the wintertime here either people are skiing or they’re in their homes,” Bendele said. “And then all of a sudden, March hits, spring hits, and everyone starts coming out of their dens. And that’s where we meet, on the baseball fields.”
For other families, Iris Fields represents a generational connection.
Brant Backlund, a Little League parent and former player, remembers competing on the same fields where his children now play.
“I have really strong memories from that age and have made friends that I still keep in touch with that I played with on those fields,” he said. “So to see my kids doing the same thing and making friends and building community is just outstanding.”
North Boulder Little League President Kirk Fronckiewicz said youth baseball has been played at Iris Fields since the 1950s, calling it a “rite of spring and summer” for many families.
Though he wasn’t surprised by the sale — county offices have been emptier since the pandemic, he said — he’s unsure what it means for the league’s future.
“Is there a home for North Boulder Little League somewhere? Probably. Where that is — it’s TBD,” he said.
Some parents have launched a GoFundMe campaign to try to buy the fields, initially setting a $26,000 goal — a starting amount chosen by GoFundMe, according to Bendele. She said the ultimate goal is to raise enough to buy the property outright. As of Feb. 23, the fundraiser had collected $1,400. Even if they can’t buy the land, she said, the funds will be used to rent fields for future games.
Mayor Aaron Brockett, whose child played in North Boulder Little League, said he understands why the community is concerned.
“Those ball fields are certainly very well-used and very well-loved,” he said. “So one of the questions as we move through this process is: Is there a way to come up with a future for that property that preserves the ball fields so that we’ve still got places for kids to play baseball?”
Brockett said community members interested in the future of Iris Fields will be able to weigh in during the 2025 update of the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan, a broad policy document guiding development in the City of Boulder and portions of unincorporated Boulder County.
During this process, property owners — including the county — can request zoning changes on their properties.
The North Broadway Complex has served the Boulder Community for decades. Keeping it in public use makes sense for Boulder. This site offers the opportunity to create a campus for nonprofits serving the Boulder Community. With office costs prohibitive for nonprofits, repurposing the site for nonprofit use is consistent with the current use at the site. Human services, arts, energy, environment nonprofits and others could make this a home.
The Third Street Center in Carbondale can serve as a model for North Broadway Complex. The Center’s nonprofit operates the site and sublets to nonprofits and small businesses at below market rates.
Keeping the North Boulder Complex in public use is a smart way to serve Boulder and maintain the character of the Neighborhood.
You can’t have anything nice these days it’s all about greed! I played on those fields growing up and they’re a part of the neighborhood. Leave them alone and quit trying to stuff more people in this quaint little town!