Parks staff show progress, revenue projections for Cuatro Vientos sports complex; management and use rules still unsettled

Parks staff provided a multi‑minute update on the new sports complex near Cuatro Vientos, showing construction photos, describing field layouts and offering preliminary cost and revenue estimates.

The presenter described the project as a large investment, saying, “This is gonna be a big, big investment,” and reported a construction‑phase cost figure of about $45,000,000 to bring utilities and infrastructure to what staff said was raw ranch land. Staff said a potential phase 2, if built soon after phase 1, could reduce per‑field costs and that an approximate phase‑2 figure discussed in the presentation was about $20,000,000 to add five more fields and two multipurpose fields.

Phase 1 was shown as including 10 baseball/softball fields, two multipurpose fields and championship fields with multiple base sets so different age divisions can use the same turf fields; staff said the developer donated 200 acres and that about 50 acres have been set aside for potential future uses such as a water park. Staff showed field features (turf playing surfaces, portable mounds, bleacher areas and multiuse tape markings) and said parking and food‑truck areas are included in the plans.

Staff reported significant external interest from groups in the state and Mexico seeking use and bookings. The department said council previously approved hiring a sports‑facility management firm as consultants; the firm has provided an operating cost estimate that the presentation described as about $1 million a year to operate the complex as a fully managed facility, but no operations contract has been signed. Staff said council will need to decide whether to contract operations to a private management company or run the complex through the city.

The presentation explained funding constraints and the likely revenue model: staff said the principal funding source for the complex construction is the hotel‑motel (tourism) quarter‑cent sports venue tax; the department noted that money from that tax can be used for the sports complex, the arena and convention business, subject to the tax program’s restrictions. Staff warned against local groups expecting free use of the complex and described a local/nightly fee structure in which weekday local use could be offered at reduced rates while weekend tournaments would be the primary revenue source. A staff math example presented during the update estimated weekend tournament revenue in the low hundreds of thousands per weekend when concession and other fees are included; staff said those estimates depend on how the facility is marketed and operated.

Staff also described site access and operations details: the current planned public entrance is on the Wormser/Quattro Vientos approach; additional entrances and emergency access near a planned fire and police station were described as part of the broader development. Staff said turf fields will reduce some maintenance staff needs but emphasized that operation and booking rules must be set by council before regular seasonal use begins. The presentation estimated the site could begin limited operations in early summer, with staff taking date requests for bookings today and coordinating scheduling.

Because the advisory committee did not have a quorum, members only received the update and did not take any formal votes or approvals. Staff said council decisions will be required for operations and fee policies.