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Council, EDC hear feasibility study
BASTROP — A feasibility study for a potential sports complex on a 90-acre tract has city leaders and the Bastrop Economic Development Corp. mulling the next step.
Hunden Partners presented the study, which outlines the creation of a regional youth sports complex at the EDC-owned Bastrop Industrial Park, during a joint meeting of the corporation and City Council earlier this month.
“We looked at this and thought, we’ve got 90 acres here, what could be a very good, positive impact thing?” said EDC member Ron Spencer, who added the idea has been kicked around for several years.
“What we can do to actually accomplish economic development that also increases revenue streams and is something that’s good for the community? And that’s how we came up with this,” Spencer said.
The city would not own the complex but instead look for an owner-operator to take on the project, City Manager Sylvia Carrillo- Trevino said.
The project is planned for 90 acres within a 263acre property located at the junction of Texas 71, 95 and 21, within city limits. The site does not have a specific address; instead, addresses are assigned as portions of the land are developed.
City Hall could help with economic incentives and other financial tools, and the EDC would receive revenue from leasing the land, officials added.
Though no budget is set for the project, Ryan Sheridan of Hunden Partners noted similar endeavors cost about $43 million. The consultants plan to return with a draft budget by the end of the year.
“Really, the motivation for the project is driven by the potential for sports tourism, but secondarily also keeping at the forefront the importance of potential needs and quality of life for local users as we get into that,” Sheridan said.
The consultants interviewed people involved in local, regional and even national sports tournaments, and the results indicated there is a growing demand for additional multisports venues in Central Texas.
The study found there is a high demand for baseball and softball diamonds, and noted a lack of facilities with eight or more diamonds in one location for regional tournaments. It also discovered an urgent need for higher-quality turf soccer fields for tournament operators to host additional and expanded events.
The study also found demand for indoor space is increasing across the state, with a lack in the greater Austin area for indoor facilities catering to basketball and volleyball and competitive venues for larger cheer and dance events.
“We have recommended eight full-sized turf multipurpose fields that would be fit for field sports, such as soccer and lacrosse and football. Those can be reconfigured into nine fullsized diamonds,” Sheridan said. “On a smaller scale that can accommodate 18 diamonds, but when configured at a high school competitive size, we’re looking at a total of nine diamonds there.”
Building the outdoor fields would be the first phase of the project. The second phase could include an indoor facility to hold eight hardwood basketball courts that could be reconfigured into 16 volleyball courts.
Mike Thiessen, a project consultant with Hunden Partners, said working in phases allows the city to make adjustments as the project progressed.
“As we look at this, we do it in a conservative manner. It has to be done smart and judicially, because there’s competition in this marketplace, particularly in Central Texas within 20 to 30 miles of you,” Thiessen said. “The dollar amounts will be big both in the benefits and the costs.”
Issues that could have a negative impact on the venture’s success include a lack of hotel rooms and a dearth of commercial and retail establishments near the potential complex to entertain spectators after the games.
Other issues include topography of the land, a retaining pond, available roads and concerns from nearby residents and business about bright lights during night games, noise and parking.
“That’s the whole reason for the feasibility study,” Spencer said. “We may all think it’s a great idea, but at the end of the day if it comes out that it’s either not big enough, we can’t support it, it’s too expensive, whatever may be, then we tried. We did really good, we did our due diligence, and if we have to go back and say let’s just bring businesses in, that’s what we’ll do.”
Timeline
• Phase 1, if approved: Build outdoor fields for soccer, lacrosse and football.
• Phase 2, if approved: Create an indoor facility for eight hardwood basketball courts that could be reconfigured into 16 volleyball courts. Source: Hunden Partners
