By Matt Wiley
After several months of study by a private consulting firm, a final report has been submitted to Pasco County about what should be done with the land that was dedicated for a sports facility in the Wiregrass Ranch Development of Regional Impact (DRI).
According to the report published on July 10 from Chicago-based Johnson Consulting, Pasco County should focus its efforts on constructing an indoor sports facility on the same 224 acres of land dedicated by the Porter family (which owns Wiregrass Ranch) that almost became a 19-field baseball complex. The 75-page report is based on economic and demographic factors, as well as an analysis of industry trends, other nearby facilities, demand, financial projections and, of course, available funding.
“Based on the objective findings, we are recommending a multi-use sports facility as the best use for the given site at Wiregrass Park,” the report states. “Examining further into the county, we see that Wesley Chapel is boasting rapid population growth, a high proportion of residents ages 5-34, and a median household income greater than that of the (U.S). This combination of a growing and young population that possesses a greater proportion of disposable income is a great opportunity for the development of the county as a whole.”
The report explains that the sports facility industry has changed during the past two decades from an industry that focused on building single-sport facilities to building multi-sport facilities to create a larger demand. The challenge for Pasco, the report points out, is designing a specialized facility that will generate enough demand to justify its development while also making sure that it will be unique to the surrounding region. The right type of facility would attract weekend tournaments and still support the local leagues that would utilize it on a weekly basis.
“It will be critical for a facility in Pasco County to target sports where current demand is unmet by existing facilities to help ensure the new sports complex will capture a sufficient number of event days and, in turn, supplement use of the facility outside of national and regional tournaments,” the report says. “This becomes especially necessary as traditional sports (such as baseball and football) continue to see participation rates decline. Facilities with the flexibility to host a variety of sports will have the greatest chance of success over the long-term as national participation rates fluctuate.”
The report recommends an 85,000-100,000-sq.-ft., multi-purpose indoor facility that could be expanded in additional future phases. The facility should include 6-8 basketball courts (that could be converted to volleyball courts), elevated seating for 500-750, two concession stands, locker rooms, 4-6 multi-purpose rooms, plus healthcare partnerships, like the one at the nearby Florida Hospital Center Ice (FHCI) rink off S.R. 56.
After 5-10 years, the report says that the facility could construct a second phase and add 15,000-20,000 sq. ft. of space in the form of additional hard courts or even turf fields to expand not only the site, but also the capabilities of the sports complex. By that time, the report projects that the facility could be raking in more than $775,000 per year in net income. The report also says the facility could bring in more than $245,000 in its first year alone.
Hotel availability also is considered in the report, which states that there are 1,122 hotel rooms available within a five-mile radius of the sports facility site. But, 800 of those rooms are located in Saddlebrook Resort & Spa, which the report says is, “an unlikely lodging option for participants of youth sports tourism events.” However, a new 82-room Holiday Inn Express & Suites is tentatively planned to open next to FHCI sometime in the spring of 2016 and the Cypress Creek Town Center DRI is zoned for up to 300 hotel rooms north of S.R. 56.
Pasco tourism manager Ed Caum says that the county staff has gone through the report and is in the process of sending some questions for further clarification back to Johnson, before the report is the brought before the BOCC.
“Johnson said that there are some similar-sized buildings in Bradenton and we’re curious about their operating costs,” Caum explains. “The BOCC is always interested in what (projects are) comparable so we can follow best practices.”
Caum says that once the clarifications are made, the next step will be to present the report to the BOCC. However, he noted that a date for the presentation had not yet been set at our press time. “This is on hold for now because we’re knee-deep in (2015-16) budget negotiations,” Caum says. “That takes precedence.”
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