Colony reviews public–private partnerships with Athletic Club and Stewart Peninsula Golf Course

City staff and private operators updated the Colony City Council on the city’s public–private partnerships with the Athletic Club and Stewart Peninsula/Stewart Peninsula Golf Course, reviewing contract terms, recent repairs, revenue payments and planned development.

The presentation, delivered by a city staff member and representatives of the two operators, outlined lease terms and recent activity on both sites and gave councilmembers a chance to ask about field conditions, community programming and capital investments.

Miss Copse, a city staff member, told the council the Athletic Club’s lease runs through Sept. 1, 2058, with two 5‑year extension options. The contract requires annual lease payments equal to 2% of gross revenue, with a contractual minimum payment of $75,000; that minimum was received for the prior fiscal year and for fiscal 2024–25. Staff said a water‑system leak that affected the park formerly known as 5 Star was resolved and that the Athletic Club is expected to submit development plans for the next phase in the summer of 2026.

Eric Warner, speaking for the Athletic Club, described partnerships that he said create “paths of significant impact” for youth sports and hospitality. Warner listed partnerships the club has formed — including MLS Next programming for soccer and agreements to host large tournaments through national promoters — and said the club recently invested in digital scoreboards and other upgrades. “We’ve spent about $1.1 to $1.2 million in just structural upgrades and operational expenses,” Warner said, adding that roughly $580,000 has gone to the building and roughly $480,000 to adapt the site to meet city requirements. He said the operator plans a large indoor facility (about 75,000 square feet on site) and that additional development and hospitality programming — for example, movies in the park and expanded tournaments — are planned as the site grows.

Warner described a range of youth and professional‑pathway programming the club is pursuing, including an MLBPA‑organized baseball offering under nondisclosure until announced, IMG‑linked flag football, and the Dallas Hornets and Trinity FC partnerships. He also introduced staff members who run daily operations: an athletic director and a hospitality/operations manager who coordinate scheduling with schools and community groups.

On the golf course item, the course manager and owner, Jaime Anderson, told the council the lease for Stewart Peninsula Golf Course runs through 2049 and carries an annual $10,000 lease payment; staff said the city will invoice that fee for the current fiscal year. Anderson described repeated erosion, flooding and wind damage at lakeside holes and outlined repairs and capital work he has funded: he said the course has invested about $500,000 to date, including roughly $80,000 on a problem green and extensive parking‑lot stabilization work (crushed concrete and subsequent asphalt). Anderson said some lakeside embankments remain a long‑term project and thanked city staff for assistance on remediation and paving.

Miss Copse told council the golf course is scheduled for the city’s annual core engineer inspection in April and that the course’s organizational audit is scheduled for fall 2025.

Councilmembers asked about hotel and local business impacts from tournaments, the Athletic Club’s engagement with youth leagues, and field conditions. Warner said visiting teams receive hotel discounts, the club coordinates with local youth associations to avoid displacing volunteers and that irrigation, aeration and reseeding have materially improved playing surfaces after initial soil challenges.

The presentation closed with staff saying the city will continue annual reviews of its park and recreation lease partners; staff scheduled the next full review of core lease partners for 2026.