Pitch for ballparks back on agenda

Big League Dreams says the county might make money off a sports complex.

By DAVID DeCAMP, Times Staff Writer
Published October 22, 2007

NEW PORT RICHEY - A multipurpose sports complex full of fields mimicking big-league ballparks could move forward today in Pasco County.

The idea failed in 2002, when the county decided to build a tennis stadium that is finally moving ahead near the Saddlebrook Resort in Wesley Chapel.

Now, a county partnership with a private company might produce ballparks that are smaller versions of venerable Fenway Park in Boston, Yankee Stadium in New York and Wrigley Field in Chicago. A large enclosed pavilion for indoor soccer or large corporate functions also would go up. It could attract residents using it for free, or for large tournaments that charge admission.

And better yet for county officials, taxpayers would not pay to maintain it.

The Tourist Development Council will have a special meeting at 5 p.m. in New Port Richey, where it's expected to approve asking companies to submit proposals to do the project.

County Commissioners Michael Cox and Jack Mariano, chairman of the tourism board, say Trinity could be a prime location for the project. It's growing and within a 40-minute drive for more than a million people.There's also impact fee money from new construction available for a park in the area.

A strong review of the feasibility of the project could be a crucial hurdle, particularly since the county hasn't begun constructing the tennis stadium, Commissioner Ann Hildebrand said.

Hildebrand, whose district includes Trinity, said she supports the idea but doesn't want the county stretched too far on projects.

"I think you have to crawl before you can walk," Hildebrand said. "Can we afford to do both?"

Mariano said a feasibility study by an outside company probably will not be done.But he said county staff could gather information. The request to companies could give the county better information, too.

Pat Kight, a consultant who represents replica-park builder Big League Dreams, said that market size is a crucial piece to making the project succeed. Big League Dreams, which has bolstered the two commissioners' pitch, has six locations in California and Texas.

Kight said the company is interested in working with Pasco officials, but the company plans to enter the Florida market no matter what the county does.

In League City, Texas, near Houston, the local economic development agency reported that its replica-park complex exceeded expectations for 2006. It hosted 51 tournaments involving nearly 2,000 teams. Annual attendance was almost 252,000.

The economic impact was estimated at $41.5-million, although Kight said $30-million to $35-million is probably more realistic.

Already, Mariano said, people are dickering over being able to use fields at the new Wesley Chapel regional park.

"If the worst thing we could do is build the park and have people argueover who's going to use it ..." Mariano said.

Cox said the project has become more attractive for Pasco because competition elsewhere bit the dust recently. Hills-borough and Pinellas counties rejected plans to build large ballfield complexes.

The commissioners' cost estimates range from $15-million to $20-million, The brunt of the cost could be covered with impact fees on new construction because $13-million is available for a regional park in Trinity.

The rest of the money could come from the county's tourism tax on hotel stays, which means property tax would not be touched, Cox and Mariano said.

The tourism tax is paying $7.9-million for the tennis stadium, leaving roughly $3-million. More money could be used by issuing bonds based on future tourism tax money.

The county also could avoid buying land. Instead, the county might try to build the complex in the planned Starkey Ranch housing and shopping development in Trinity, if it can persuade developers to set aside roughly 40 acres for parks.

Otherwise, Cox listed the Wiregrass Ranch area, where the tennis stadium will go up, and Land O'Lakes as possible locations.

Youth and adult leagues could use the park. And if there's a partnership with a company, the company running it will pay for operating and maintenance.

Pasco might even get some money back. Kight said local governments typically receive $500,000 in annual revenue from a complex.

While the state is cutting property tax revenue that counties can raise, Cox said, that could make replica fields a hit.

David DeCamp can be reached at ddecamp@sptimes.com or toll-free at 1-800-333-7505, ext. 6232.

[Last modified October 21, 2007, 21:20:02]