The Tourist Development Council is recommending that Collier County study whether Paradise Coast Sports Complex and Big Corkscrew Island Regional Park benefit tourism — a study whose results could allow tourist taxes to be used for expansions.
The TDC voted 5-2 on Nov. 19 to recommend that the Board of County Commissioners pay Chicago-based Hunden Partners up to $103,800 for a study to determine their economic impact on tourism and the benefits of expanding them. TDC Vice Chair Clark Hill, Hilton Naples’ general manager, and TDC member Michael McComas, an Everglades City councilor, were opposed.
TDC Chair Rick LoCastro, a county commissioner, said commissioners discussed whether they could avoid the hefty study expense because they know the complex brings in tourists during events, but it’s required by law.
“It’s part of the bureaucracy and red tape of the state statute, not that it won’t net us some positive information, but I don’t think any commissioner thought it was worth $100,000,” LoCastro said. “… It’s possible that it could be used for other things. If we see an opportunity to chase a grant, then all of a sudden, the study becomes a main part of that grant-ask.”
State law requires a tourism-impact study before tourist-development tax dollars can be used for capital construction and maintenance of tourist-related facilities. The taxes come from the county’s 5% bed tax, revenues from hotels, Airbnbs and other rentals of six months or less. The TDC’s recommendation will go to the Board of County Commissioners for final approval Dec. 10.
The complex, located off Collier Boulevard near Interstate75 in East Naples, opened in 2020 and the second phase was completed in October 2023. Those phases feature eight synthetic turf fields and a 3,500-seat stadium and future plans include an expansion to 21 full-size rectangle and diamond fields, an indoor fieldhouse hardened for hurricanes and other facilities.
The complex includes a 13-acre man-made lake, beach-volleyball areas, The Cove Beer & Wine Bar and The Factory open-air fitness pavilion, which includes an obstacle course, weight room and running trails with workout stations.
Last month, commissioners approved Phase 3, a ninth field, a preengineered metal building, a parking lot and bathrooms at a cost of $9 million to $10 million. It must go out to bid for a contractor and construction will take 12 to 18 months. The complex’s capital fund and other sources can be used for funding, but commissioners hope to also use TDT funds.
Since Clearwater-based Sports Facilities Cos. took over management in 2021, the complex began making a profit in 2022 through events, tournaments, food and beverage sales and commissions from hotel referrals. But during peak season, they’ve been forced to use other county park fields due to increasing demand.
“Hunden will profile the historical performance of the facility and evaluate past and current expansion and future phases, making projections of performance and spending, jobs and tax impacts for the complex’s various phases, including future expansion,” county Corporate Financial Management Services Director Chris Johnson told commissioners.
The study will provide financial and economic-impact scenarios for five possibilities and consider demand, lost business at the sports complex due to eight fields and whether to first build the next phase of Big Corkscrew Island Regional Park. County Tourism Director Jay Tusa said the purpose is to guide the council and board on next steps.
TDC member Bill Kramer, a football coach and Naples City Council member, said that last year, there were about 500 football players and eight teams at a three-day summer event, but the complex has no shelter for bad weather, which is a health and safety concern.
“We had to rent buses and have buses for 500 people standing by to scurry them away to some place,” Kramer said of a rainy day, adding there’s only a locker room. So, this year, they lined up accommodations at nearby Great Wolf Lodge. “Either finish it or sell it — because it’s going to be a huge moneymaker eventually.”
Johnson noted Phase 3 will include a pavilion for shelter. Adrian Moses, the complex’s general manager, said Collier suffers from a “severe lack of facilities,” fields, diamonds and indoor sports facilities, so he has to use other park fields, including Big Island Corkscrew Regional Park.
“Local sports organizations need the facility,” Moses said of the complex, noting that for Kramer’s tournament to drive economic impact here, Sports Facilities must use other parks. “We have the draw. We need the fields to put the teams on to be able to have that.”
Hill didn’t want to use TDT funding to study Corkscrew, but Johnson said if it isn’t a tourism draw, other funds can be used for that portion of the study.
TDC member Laura Radler questioned if Hunden Partners would be partial; Hunden conducted the 2015 study on whether to build a sports complex. She noted some commissioners want to use TDT funds for Parks & Recreation Department infrastructure.
“How are we going to be certain that they’re really looking at tourism impact and not lumping these funds to be able to use to build?” Radler asked.
LoCastro said commissioners may not agree with the study results, but said Big Corkscrew and Sun-N-Fun Lagoon water park have a huge tourism impact, although others may disagree, so they need a study. He noted the sports complex “isn’t a cash cow,” but has many positive effects.
“We still want that sports complex to not be something that we’re dumping excessive amounts of money into,” LoCastro said of construction and maintenance. “Selling the sports complex isn’t something we’ve ruled out. We actually had somebody that came to us last year, an outside agency, that said, ‘Would you be interested?’ And we said, you know, we’re not putting a for sale sign in front of it, but we would have that conversation.’”
In the end, he said, the potential buyer said it wasn’t a good time due to the economy.
