The return of the Tampa Bay Rays this month to the newly renovated Charlotte Sports Park for spring training is expected to bring in $10 million for Charlotte County, county officials said.
Sean Walter, business development director for Punta Gorda/Englewood Beach Visitor & Convention Bureau, or VCB, and other county officials were invited Feb. 1 to tour the stadium and structures, which were hardened to withstand high winds from future storms.
Contractor Wharton-Smith oversaw the overall construction. Preconstruction services cost $571,087, and repairs totaled $17.6 million, said Caryn Huff, project executive for Wharton-Smith.
“The facility was damaged from one end to the other [by Hurricane Ian in 2022],” Huff said.
Also keeping a close eye on the work in progress was Dan Moeller, Tampa Bay Rays special projects and field operations director.
Repairs and replacements were made to fencing, roofing, air conditioning units, drywall and stucco repairs, painting, shade structures, lighting, lockers, signage, the wooden boardwalk and more.
Walter said the economic impact from the loss of the stadium and the Rays spring training for the 2023 season wasn’t the only hit the county took.
Hurricane Ian tore up numerous parks and fields around the county, much to the lament of Charlotte County Community Services Director Tommy Scott and Facilities Director Travis Perdue.
Some of the county’s fields and parks are used to hosting local, regional and national events.
The VCB hosted the USA BMX National Qualifier event last month at the Charlotte BMX track in Punta Gorda’s Carmalita Park. The event hosted more than 600 racers and more than 2,000 families, bringing in an estimated $1.3 million and creating 900 room nights, Walter said.
Like other county facilities, Carmalita Park sustained damage from Hurricane Ian but was repaired in time to host this year’s BMX national event.
The Association of Pickleball Players tour kicked off Jan. 17 at the newly renovated PicklePlex off Airport Road in Punta Gorda. This year, 1,200 participants played on 24 courts at PicklePlex. It was estimated that $3 million was brought to the county due to the competition, Walter said.
Upcoming is the 16th annual Snowbird Baseball Classic, which returns to the county and runs from Feb. 16 through March 13.
“This year’s sports event is projected to create an estimated $10 million economic impact to the area,” Walter said.
The Snowbird Classic consists of NCAA Division I and III college baseball teams. The games are hosted at Centennial Park in Charlotte County and at CoolToday Park in North Port. More than 30 teams take the field from universities around the nation, while many of their family members and friends come to the county to cheer them on.
