Future plans for the Idaho Falls Event Center

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI/KIDK) - "It's going to provide entertainment opportunities for every demographic in this community," said Idaho Falls Auditorium District executive director, Rob Spear.

The Idaho Falls Auditorium District is hopeful to break ground in March 2020 for the long-awaited event center. Spear says they have taken time to ensure they're creating an efficient and effective building.

"We wanted to make sure that we're not going to impact the customer experience that's really important to us. But value engineering, finding, maybe, some alternative materials, maybe changing the exterior of the facility a little bit, all in the hopes that we can change our control costs," said Spear.

In July, the project got a $4.5 million dollar boost from Mountain America Credit Union, who bought the naming rights. However, since then, cost and financing are still the number one obstacles to break ground.

"It's really important to engage the professionals to find the right plan for you, right creativity to see where we're at, to see exactly how much money you need," Spear said.

The project made significant advancements during 2019, such as beginning early construction, partnering with the State Tax Commission, creating a financial plan, finalizing an operating agreement,and securing the Mountain America Center naming rights.

"We're not just impacting Idaho Falls, were impacting all of Eastern Idaho Southern Montana and Western Wyoming," said IFAD chair, Terri Gazdik.

From this point, the board needs to evaluate the guaranteed max price, review financial proposals, and complete their fundraising.

The board is hoping to have the GMP calculated by the end of February.