Polk County staff outline Sleepy Hollow Sports Park finances, fundraising and construction timeline

At a Polk County Board of Supervisors meeting, Rich (presenter, Polk County Conservation) told supervisors the county’s Sleepy Hollow Sports Park operation has entered a fundraising and construction phase after equipment failures and early operational losses, and officials are aiming for full year‑round operations once construction finishes.

The presentation summarized the park’s purchase and early operations, equipment and pond repairs, a business plan and a fundraising feasibility study that recommended a $10 million campaign target with about $4.5 million in likely commitments; staff said they are now aiming for roughly $5 million of new money and expect some state support opportunities. Rich said the operation has spent a little more than $7 million to date and that the enterprise account model anticipates losing money while building and later recouping investment through operations.

Polk County Conservation purchased Sleepy Hollow in 2022 after multi‑year negotiations, staff said, and initially ran events such as state fair camping and a renaissance fair under concession agreements while developing in‑house programming. Staff reported mechanical failures during the first season — notably a broken chairlift and a nonfunctional pond — that forced an early closure and staff reductions. The pond was…