City to seek operator for sports complex; contractor says site work to start later this year

City staff told the council the preferred approach for the new sports complex is for the City of Odessa to issue a request for qualifications/proposals and enter directly into a management agreement with a private operator rather than having the Odessa Sports Foundation contract with an operator. Staff said bond counsel advised that, to preserve the tax-exempt status of the City’s cash-financed project, the facility must remain under city direction. Under the proposed structure, the city would award an operator through an RFQ/RFP process and then execute a qualified management agreement; the sports foundation would remain a fundraising arm to accept tax-deductible donations. Aaron and staff said they anticipated issuing the RFQ/RFP in the coming days if the council concurred, and that the city would also execute a letter or agreement with the foundation to handle donations. On construction, staff reported the developer/designer (SportsMed) has a construction draft and that Lee Lewis is the prime contractor for site work. Staff said a contract could be executed around Sept. 23 and that construction mobilization could follow, with major dirt work and field construction starting thereafter. Staff estimated completion of the full complex may require roughly two to three years from mobilization, with fields expected to be usable earlier than buildings. Council members discussed oversight of the operator and said the city will need a staff function to monitor operator performance if the foundation does not serve that role.