Idaho
Tenants of historic Pocatello building opening what they say is Idaho's largest indoor soccer complex – East Idaho News
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BIZ BUZZ
POCATELLO
Idaho’s largest indoor soccer facility will be housed in Pocatello’s old Naval Ordnance Plant
POCATELLO – A historic building on the north side of Pocatello will soon be the home of what a local soccer club says is Idaho’s largest indoor soccer facility.
The 120,000-square-foot Portneuf Valley Soccer Club Sports Complex is slated to open in March inside the old Naval Ordnance Plant at 669 Quinn Road.
Greater Idaho Falls Chamber CEO Paul Baker is the club’s executive director and he tells EastIdahoNews.com the soccer complex will accommodate student and adult leagues throughout eastern Idaho.
“We have a certain amount of time carved out for PVSC teams, but we’ve had lots of folks reaching out about adult leagues, co-ed leagues, and other sports clubs wanting to use the facility,” Baker says. “Players for any sport can use the facility in Pocatello.”
There will be four 9v9 size fields (slightly smaller than a full size soccer field) with netting and padding lining the outside. There will also be an area for coaching and a seating area for spectators. A store, office space, conference rooms and classrooms for coaches and soccer club staff will occupy the rest of the space.
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Baker, a native of England, has been involved in coaching soccer for many years. Before moving to Idaho Falls in 2021, he reached out to Idaho Falls High School Soccer Coach Ryan Cook because his son was interested in joining the team.
Baker’s son ended up finishing high school in England, but Baker continued networking with Cook. They developed a friendship and Baker later helped him coach the Idaho Falls team.
Cook recently became a soccer coach in Pocatello and that’s when Baker was introduced to the Portneuf Valley Soccer Club.
The lack of indoor facilities for soccer and other sports is what prompted Baker to pursue this project.
“I’ve been working behind the scenes with the president (of the club) and the board, trying to get the structure right and get them in a good financial position to invest in a facility like this,” Baker says.
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Brent Wilson with TOK Commercial brought the old Naval Ordnance building to his attention and Baker liked what he saw.
“It’s a little quirky in its layout and the building is old, but there’s something nice about converting a building of historical importance and bringing young people inside to play sports,” he says.
The fact that it’s visible from Interstate 15 and is centrally located off Yellowstone Highway is another thing that appealed to him.
RELATED | New company acquires 23-building campus in Pocatello that will be called ‘Titan Center’
The space is one of 23 buildings that make up what is now the Titan Center. Industrial Realty Group bought the property in 2021 in hopes of attracting commercial tenants. The soccer complex will be the site’s first occupant to begin operation.
“The site has an incredible history, but we truly believe the best is yet to come,” IRG President Stuart Lichter said in a 2021 news release.
The building’s history and future in Pocatello
The Naval Ordnance Plant was first commissioned in 1942 and was used to manufacture and refurbish guns for battleships fighting overseas during World War II.
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That same year, the U.S. Navy selected about 173,130 acres of land 60 miles northwest of Pocatello as a naval proving ground, a place to fire and test the reconditioned battle guns taken from the Pocatello plant.
This desert site near Arco is now the home of the Idaho National Laboratory.
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The Pocatello plant was decommissioned in the 1950s. It sat vacant for many years.
Baker plans to highlight its history for those who visit.
“There’s some original signage in the building that we want to restore and make sure there’s still some historical reference to what took place in that ordnance plant,” says Baker.
A grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held once it’s complete.
The indoor aspect is phase one of the project. Baker’s goal is to add outdoor fields in the near future.
As the initial phase winds down, Baker is excited to unveil it to the community and to give local athletes a place to play year-round.
“This facility is a game-changer for soccer in eastern Idaho,” PVSC President Cristie Stone says in a news release. “It’s a testament to the vision and commitment of our club, our partners, and the community. We’re investing in our players and are determined to raise the bar for soccer in Idaho.”
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT…
New indoor pickleball courts opening in old Pocatello retail space
Castle under construction in Pocatello will be a venue for weddings and parties
Local Big Lots preparing for closure amid deal to keep some stores open
Outdoor ice rink promises a magical experience for visitors of all ages
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PAYETTE — A Payette mom’s bond was revoked Tuesday after she was charged with suffocating her twin children earlier this month and is believed to pose a danger to the life of her newborn child.
The case, which has drawn national headlines, concerns Andrea Renee Shaw, a 23-year-old Payette mother who in May 2025 said her 18-month-old fraternal twins died the same day, after receiving routine childhood vaccinations. In January, Shaw joined as a plaintiff in a federal lawsuit filed by Children’s Health Defense, an anti-vaccine organization founded by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., with several other plaintiffs claiming vaccine injury or death.
Kennedy, who now serves as secretary of Health and Human Services, is no longer part of the group after taking on the cabinet position, as was reported by the Associated Press.
In Idaho, the twins’ deaths prompted a 14-month investigation by the Payette County Sheriff’s Department. On June 29, the investigation yielded a grand jury indictment of Shaw on two counts of first-degree murder by suffocation. If convicted, Shaw can be punished by up to life in prison or the death penalty, and the court would have the ability to order the penalties be served consecutively, or back to back.
Tuesday’s arraignment at the Payette County Courthouse was primarily attended by Shaw’s relatives and members of the media. Payette County Judge Kiley Stuchlik, who serves Idaho’s Third Judicial District, presided.
A key consideration for Stuchlik on Tuesday was a request from Joseph Filicetti, the legal counsel for Shaw, to have her bond reduced from $2 million to $100,000. Filicetti said this would allow for Shaw to care for a newborn girl, who, according to court documents, was born by caesarean section on June 25, four days prior to Shaw’s grand jury indictment.
State prosecutors objected to the motion for bond reduction, noting at hand was a potential death penalty case and asserting, unlike her husband, Shaw’s story repeatedly changed during questioning. Prosecuting Attorney Mike Duke said releasing Shaw would ultimately put the newborn’s safety at risk.
“That child is the most at risk. We do not think she should be allowed to be anywhere near any children, let alone her own children,” Duke said.
Stuchlik decided to revoke bond entirely, stating Shaw posed a “risk of safety” to the newborn child that was not known to Stuchlik or prosecutors when the $2 million bond was initially set.
Also for consideration Tuesday was a request to have grand jury transcripts of witness testimony provided to prosecutors and defense counsel to prepare their respective cases.
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