Consultants pitch 12‑field vision for new youth sports complex; study phase will test feasibility and funding

Consultants seeking to lead a planned youth sports complex told the Mayor and Board Commissioners at a study session that a phased feasibility and master‑planning study will determine whether the city should pursue a multi‑field, tournament‑grade venue and how to fund and operate it.

The presentation was delivered by a multi‑firm team led by James Hazard, who identified himself as the project manager and planning/landscape lead for the consultant team, with Sally Horsey (landscape and planning director), Chris Burdick of EnviroTech, Chris Teehee of TAP Architecture and JD Wood of Sports Facilities Company participating. Hazard told the commission the city issued a request for qualifications and received 14 responses; a selection committee narrowed that list and invited two firms to present. The current proposal covers the study and preliminary design phase only, not full construction.

Why it matters: Commissioners said the project—envisioned as a regional tournament venue that could generate tourism dollars and increased local programming—could relieve pressure on existing facilities and boost local economic activity. The consultant team said the preliminary study will…