Pending approval from the Palm Coast City Council, the city government will spend $113,000 to study the market potential for a sports and recreation complex in an undeveloped portion of the city, north and west of U.S. Route 1.
According to Jason DeLorenzo, the city’s development director and chief of staff, the study is being considered because the city doesn’t know exactly what they need in a facility of this type or whether it is feasible in the first place, hence the proposal to hire Sports Facilities Companies, a developer of sports complexes (see above photo).
The complex could include indoor facilities and/or an aquatic center. The development of a sports complex such as this could also be a catalyst for future development in Palm Coast’s 30,000 acres of available land.
In December the city will begin a two-year project to construct a flyover from U.S. 1 at Matanzas Woods Parkway over the railroad tracks, to the open land to the west. This area is being considered as a location for the sports complex but other areas will be studied as well, including areas in the north and south parts of the city.
However, there are environmental concerns at the north end and at the south end, the land is privately owned.
The new complex could help with the city’s need for more local, recreational fields, either by hosting all regional and state competitions, thereby leaving Indian Trails Sports Complex to cater to local leagues and residents.
A recent city government in 2018 floated the idea of a recreation and aquatic center that would be located at the tennis center off Belle Terre Parkway but the city council rejected it. All available dollars were going to rebuilding Holland Park and the Palm Coast Community Center.
In Palm Coast West, the city is turning the tables. The projected sports complex would be “a magnet for all of these folks and families that are currently driving right past us in very large numbers,” Mayor David Alfin said, “down to Palm Beach County. So there’s no reason those folks should have to spend all that gas. They can stop here halfway and enjoy their sports competitions here, while enjoying all of the beauty of the city of Palm Coast.”
Alfin described the sports complex as “a catalyst, because it is the first step in the improvement of the unimproved property” west of U.S. 1. The complex at that point would depend largely on out-of-town tournaments.
Sports Facilities Companies will take about 12 weeks for the initial study, a market and competitive analysis. The second part of the study will determine the potential economic benefit of sports tourism that brings families to Palm Coast for overnight stays.
Since this activity could generate substantial tourism revenue it would represent a welcome influx of money to Palm Coast businesses.
