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Tulare staff outlines 80‑acre regional sportsplex concept, cites $50M order‑of‑magnitude cost and multiple funding options
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Summary
City staff presented an initial study-session overview of an 80‑acre regional sportsplex proposal identified in Tulare's parks master plan, showing potential sites, funding approaches (developer land deals, bonds, grants, sponsorships, user fees) and next steps including public outreach and a consultant RFP within roughly six months.
Staff presented a study-session briefing to the Tulare City Council on December 2 exploring a potential regional sportsplex, an outdoor multi‑field athletics campus the city’s parks master plan identified as a priority project. Staff framed the presentation as an informational first step rather than a request for council action.
“Council will recall that back in October 2023, it approved the parks master plan,” staff presenter Mark Mandel said, summarizing the plan’s roughly $130,000,000 list of projects and noting that a proposed regional sportsplex figured among the priority projects. Mandel said the master‑plan cost estimate for a large sportsplex concept was on the order of $50,000,000, stressing that the final price would depend on the program—whether it includes indoor facilities, turf fields, or large spectator amenities.
Mandel described typical funding approaches used elsewhere: a mix of land acquisition (including donated or leased developer land), capital financing (bonds, grants, earmarks), private sponsorships and user fees for operations. He cited sample complexes in California and other states, noting that many sportsplexes attract tournaments that drive local hotel, restaurant and retail spending but “they do not typically make money” as publicly owned assets.
Staff displayed candidate sites inside and near city limits, including smaller in‑city parcels and larger outlying locations such as the Matheny tract and a parcel near College of the Sequoias. Mandel said a partnership with a developer or a long‑term lease from a public institution could substantially reduce upfront land costs.
On next steps Mandel recommended staff: refine program needs with the parks commission, survey residents, develop small/medium/large concept alternatives, and—likely within six months—issue an RFP for consultant services to develop site layouts and cost estimates. No council decision was sought that night.
What happens next: staff will return with more detailed concepts and a recommended funding approach for council consideration and public input, including potential inclusion of the project in the annual budget process.
