The Pasco County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) voted 4-1 to approve Clearwater-based Sports activities Amenities Corporations (SFC) as the brand new administration firm to function the Wiregrass Ranch Sports activities Campus (WRSC), which has been managed by Pasco’s Parks & Recreation Dept. because the county agreed to purchase out the contract of WRSC’s earlier operator (RADDSports) in June of 2023.
Underneath the newly authorised settlement with SFC, which manages 90 sports activities services all through the U.S., the county pays SFC $750,000 — an preliminary monetary dedication of $500,000, which Florida’s Sports activities Coast’s deputy director of tourism Consuelo Sanchez known as “bridge funding to offset potential income shortfalls,” plus a “Administration price” of $18,000 per thirty days “paid of the Working Account (account managed by SFC, which serves because the central fund to gather facility income and disburse bills) and “As much as $250,000 for Facility Flooring Resurfacing Reimbursement,” because the Sports activities Campus’ “fitness center flooring have by no means been resurfaced because the facility opening in 2020. This vital improve have to be accomplished no matter facility administration to make sure athlete security, occasion eligibility and aggressive requirements.”
District 5 Pasco Commissioner Jack Mariano raised the query of whether or not or not SFC was planning to supply extra parking for the Sports activities Campus, which already has an enormous lack of correct accessible parking, regardless that nothing within the settlement the commissioners authorised mentions parking. Sanchez, nonetheless, stated that SFC does plan to conduct a parking feasibility examine “which they’ve six months to finish.” SFC founding associate Eric Sullivan, who additionally appeared on the assembly, confirmed that SFC is planning to conduct the examine and famous, “That we all know extra parking is required on the facility.” Pasco Parks & Rec Dept. director Keith Wiley stated that it seems that the one accessible area for extra parking on the facility is positioned north of the 98,000-sq.-ft. indoor fitness center, which already is north of the 5 outside fields.
The decision handed 4-1, with Mariano’s the one “Nay” vote due to the parking considerations.
Wiregrass Ranch developer JD Porter, who attended the assembly, however was not requested to talk, advised the Neighborhood Information after the assembly, “We’re very happy with the approval by the Board of the surface operator. From our conversations and analysis, they [SFC] appear greater than able to operating the ability because the donation settlement outlines as an higher echelon sports activities tourism facility. We stay up for [SFC] elevating the bar of the tournaments and tax {dollars} introduced into Pasco County.”
Extra particulars of the brand new administration settlement can be supplied within the July 8 version of Wesley Chapel Neighborhood Information.