League City is moving ahead on the design and construction of a new sportsplex for the west side of the City in anticipation of a public-private partnership that will ultimately provide funds to pay for the facility. League City and Epicenter League City LLC are in continuous discussions to develop an agreement for a project that would bring a mixed use development with a convention center, hotel, restaurants, and entertainment on the land currently occupied by the Chester L. Davis Sportsplex. As part of the agreement, the developer would pay to build a new and bigger sportsplex on land the City owns in the west part of town.
“As a growing community, today there is more demand than there are available fields and we find ourselves in a position that we need to plan and design the Bay Colony Sports Complex to put us in a position to build between four and eight additional fields in the next two to three years,” said City Manager John Baumgartner. “If the Epicenter project, or a similar project, evolves and includes the existing sportsplex property, we will be in a position to ask them to pay our development costs as part of any potential land transaction. If the project does not come to fruition (no agreement is reached/there is no land exchange/there is no convention center) our community will be in a great position to move forward with the construction of additional athletic fields needed for the children of our community.”
The City’s 4B Corporation Board, which determines how 4B dollars generated by our City’s local sales tax are allocated, have set aside $1.5 million to begin the planning and design work for the Bay Colony Sports Complex in FY 2020 as well as up to $6.8 million for construction of four Little League fields, parking, and a maintenance facility in FY 2021. The City also plans to apply for a grant from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to assist in the development of this facility.
“As the proposed Epicenter project continues to evolve, we are optimistic that a private-public partnership can be developed that will fund the new westside sportsplex,” said David Hoover, League City Executive Director of Development Services. “The City is moving forward on this project now because there is an immediate need for more ballfields in League City and we want to get ahead in the design and development process
Before any 4B funds can be allocated or spent to design and develop the new sportsplex, a public hearing must be conducted by the 4B Corporation.
The public hearing scheduled for September 9 at 6:30 p.m. at the Johnnie Arolfo Civic Center has been canceled and will be rescheduled for a later date.
In addition to the sportsplex, the 4B Corporation Board has approved using 4B funds to support several other projects recommended by the City’s Parks and Cultural Services Department. They include an obstacle course/fitness station that would be combined with the already planned 5K Loop Trail at Hometown Heroes Park as well as three new kayak launches along Clear Creek. One launch would be located near the Highway 270 Boat Ramp, another at Kansas Street and Clear Creek, and the third off the new Landing Boulevard in close proximity to the undeveloped Myrtle Park. Members of the public will be are invited to provide their comments on these two projects at a future public hearing.