Council approves one-year MOU with Black Desert Resort for tournament grandstand, sets work window and hours

Ivins City Council on March 6 approved a one-year memorandum of understanding with Black Desert Resort that governs placement, construction timing and removal of a temporary spectator grandstand at holes 16–17 for PGA- and LPGA-related events in 2025.

John Coco, managing counsel for Black Desert, presented a draft the company had revised after earlier council discussion and neighborhood input. Coco said the company intended the agreement as a test-year arrangement and offered revised timelines to reduce neighborhood disruption. "We believe we can hold, if we can expand the footprint, to lengthen the grandstand horizontally, we can lower it vertically to two stories," Coco said when describing options the operator will investigate with its contractors. He also emphasized the parties would comply with all permitting and inspection requirements.

Neighbors pressed for limits on total days of construction and when work can occur. Resident Greg Cherry of Mesa Vista Drive told the council the neighborhood’s principal concern is construction duration. In response to neighbor concerns and follow-up negotiations, the council set the MOU’s maximum construction/use/removal windows and daily work hours to shorten disruption: the approved terms specify a maximum of 90 days for PGA-related construction/use/removal and up to 60 days for the LPGA event, with daily work to begin no earlier than 7:00 a.m. and end no later than 30 minutes after sunset (local sunset as published) to provide a predictable close of activity.

Council members and Black Desert said the 90/60-day figures are outside maximums and the operator will attempt to complete the work more quickly. Coco said the LPGA grandstand historically has been erected and removed faster and the 60-day window is a conservative outer limit. Several council members asked staff and Black Desert to use the first year as a test to document actual durations and noise impacts.

Council action: Motion to approve the memorandum of understanding and adopt the negotiated construction windows and hours passed unanimously.

What was settled: The MOU covers the single temporary grandstand nearest Mesa Vista Drive and requires compliance with all applicable permits and inspections. The MOU restricts start times and end times of daily work (7:00 a.m. to 30 minutes after published sunset) and sets a maximum number of calendar days for construction, use and removal (90 days PGA; 60 days LPGA) for 2025. Council included a commitment to assess the year’s experience and return to modify terms if warranted.

Neighbors and city staff will monitor the 2025 season and the council asked Black Desert to report on actual staging schedules after events.