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Tulare council gives direction to pursue RFQ for entertainment district anchored by indoor sports center
Summary
City staff and consultants presented a feasibility plan for an entertainment district anchored by a 100–120k sq ft indoor sports center. Council gave consensus direction to draft an RFQ including a south single-owner site; one council member recorded a no on the record but no formal site vote was taken.
Council members on Tuesday heard a detailed feasibility presentation on a proposed entertainment district that staff say could be anchored by a large indoor sports and recreation facility designed to attract tournaments and spur adjacent retail, hotel and housing development.
Consultant Brian Connolly summarized an economic model for an approximately 100,000–120,000-square-foot venue with 6–12 hardwood basketball courts (convertible to volleyball/pickleball), professionally managed by an experienced private operator. Connolly said such facilities typically take about three years to reach stabilized operations and estimated roughly 30 annual tournaments, nearly 600,000 annual visits and about $18.5 million in new direct spending to the city each year in today—s dollars.
The consultant recommended public ownership of the site and private contract management for operations, coupled with incentives to attract a master developer. Staff outlined two candidate locations: a 300-acre south site held by a single landowner (Faria Family Trust) with roughly 100 acres available and strong Highway 99 frontage, and a more fragmented north site near the outlets with multiple property owners and active development proposals. Staff recommended including the south site in an RFQ to attract a master developer and operator.
In discussion, councilmembers pressed staff and the consultant on financing options, including enhanced infrastructure financing districts, bonds and the option of increasing the transient occupancy tax (TOT) to help cover debt or operations. Connolly said peer cities use small TOT increases (example: from 10% to 12%) tied to visitor-generating projects.
Council provided a direction (consensus) to staff to draft an RFQ that includes the south property and signals interest in an indoor sports anchor; members emphasized the RFQ must be clear, well-branded and demonstrably ready for developer review. One member publicly recorded a dissenting preference about the site selection; staff clarified tonight—s action was direction to draft the RFQ, not a formal adoption of a site. Staff will return with a formal RFQ for council adoption and further votes on specific agreements.
The project remains exploratory: staff warned an RFQ could return no viable proposals and that adoption of any development agreement would require subsequent council actions and possible financing decisions.
