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Investor pitches indoor multisport center; board to seek legal review of land options
Summary
An outside developer has proposed building a large indoor multisport center on roughly 6 acres near Oak Street and is seeking a school-district land donation. North Bend School District trustees directed staff to have attorneys review ownership and liability options before the board considers terms.
An outside developer has asked the North Bend School District to consider donating roughly 6 acres on Oak Street to host a new indoor multisport center and a possible adjacent education building, district officials said during a board report.
The proposal, raised in board communications, originated with developer Alan Ledesma, who has worked with an investor identified in meeting remarks as Dennis Beatham. The proposed indoor facility was described as roughly 328 feet by 96 feet and 37 feet tall, large enough for indoor soccer and other sports, and would be complemented by a possible education building for academics and trades.
Board members said Ledesma has been in talks with Coos Bay School District as well; both districts are considered potential partners. Dennis Beatham, described in the meeting as the project’s primary funder, is reported to be older and said to be working with Ledesma to move the project forward. Board members said the district has not committed to the project and that the conversations are at an early stage.
The board identified several central issues that must be resolved before any commitment: ownership and liability arrangements, long-term operating responsibilities, and exit provisions. In meeting remarks the board said Ledesma has proposed arrangements including leases and trusts, but specifics remain to be negotiated.
Trustee Vince asked whether the six-acre site would displace existing softball fields; board members clarified the parcel under consideration is on the opposite side of the railroad right-of-way from the current softball area and would not remove the district’s only softball fields.
Board members said the next step is to seek legal analysis. The district will ask its attorneys to identify feasible ownership structures — donation, sale, lease or other arrangements — and to prepare options for future board consideration. No formal vote was taken; the discussion ended with the board requesting staff return with legal options.
If the district ultimately pursues an agreement, board members said details about long-term operation and liability would be essential to any decision and that the district would not finalize terms until those issues are resolved.
