By Ken Jackson
Staff Writer

Citing that it is a “speculative investment,” the Osceola County Tourist Development Council voted 6-0 at a special meeting Tuesday to recommend that the Board of County Commissioners not support a public/private partnership plan to fund and build a ball field complex on the Judge Farms property across U.S. Highway 192 from Osceola Heritage Park.

Commissioners are slated to vote on whether or not to proceed with the project at its regular meeting on Monday.

In a report and statement by TDC Chairman Brian Wong, his findings show that building the complex, slated to include 13 fields, one at stadium quality with broadcast capabilities and nine with synthetic turf, a possible hotel and all infrastructure required, is too risky for investment of public Tourist Development Tax dollars, and goes against the Convention and Visitors Bureau’s Destination Osceola 2022 strategic plan.

“We all have a fiduciary responsibility to the citizens of this county to invest public funds with the utmost caution to eliminate risks of losses and maximize potential returns,” he said.

Current projections of the project call for $30 million in funding from the county, including $6 million to make the site “pad ready” for construction. County Manager Don Fisher said that using TDT funding is the primary option, but is not the only option, to pay for the project. The United States Specialty Sports Association would pay $300,000 in annual rent as the primary tenant.

Among his findings, Wong noted the number of room nights promised to be generated by the USSSA, the driving force behind the project and the main tenant of this project, seemed to exceed what is possible. And the price the county would spend to generate those room nights is nearly eight times what the CVB spends in marketing funds to attract domestic leisure clients per room night and more than four times the cost to lure international and meeting clientele.

“We don’t know when during the year those room nights come, it makes a difference in price,” he said. “And it’s hard to validate those numbers with spread out over 180 properties.

“Is this something we need to do to grow? CVB is doing a great job, growing the TDT 6 percent. Sports is a competitive and risky business. If this is a break-even investment with the sale of the land added in, is it a project worth doing?”

Wong said that Brazil, noting new non-stop service from Rio de Janeiro to Orlando International via TAM Airlines has just begun, is an incremental business stream available with no fixed long-term investment required.

“How big is the sports market? The middle class of the Brazilian market is 150 million people,” he said. “We haven’t received any other offers. Can it be done for lower bids or less public funding?”

Taylor Smith, director of Project Finance & Development, LLC, made a presentation on behalf of USSSA and the 192 Community Redevelopment Agency at Tuesday’s meeting. He said USSSA cannot continue its work of expanding on national events in the area working “within the status quo”.

“We’re trying to develop a destination sports complex. Other communities are building superior facilities,” he said. “(USSSA) can’t concentrate events in this area with the current facilities in place. This would be a bookend to the Disney facilities. This isn’t an attempt to replace their resources, it amplifies it.”

Taylor reiterated what County Auditor Horace Nwachukwu reported to the TDC, that the complex would incubate 800 permanent jobs and generate $650 million in economic activity its first 10 years. He also reminded the board that the Houston Astros’ lease to hold spring training at Osceola County Stadium ends after the 2015 spring season.

“There would be a guarantee of 156,000 room nights, and booking fee as a revenue source that isn’t there now,” he said. “If the Astros are gone, if we don’t do this deal, USSSA (and their national headquarters at the stadium) will be gone, too.”

Taylor later said that the 192 CRA team was disappointed that members of the TDC were basing their opinion of the project on “self-generated misinformation from members of the council to the public.”

“The Sports Complex and village is an economic revenue generator and will be a good partnership with USSSA to expand the amateur sports industry here in Osceola County,” he said.

But the TDC members, while showing support for the project itself, said their concern was with the amount of public funds required to make it happen.

“My right brain is excited, but my left brain is concerned about making a good long-term decision for the county,” Vice Chairman Kent Bjorklund said.

Kissimmee City Commissioner and board member Cheryl Grieb expressed concerned that there are already fields projects in various stages of funding and development in other parts of the county.

“I need to know how this would affect those agreements,” she said. “This is a good location for it. I’m not against the project but the way it’s financially structured with all of this TDT commitment.”

Mike Harford, who sits on the TDC board as a representative of the County Commission, has backed the USSSA in the past and says the Judge Farm facility could be a great project, but echoed the sentiment of concern.

“I’m just concerned how it’s going to be paid off,” he said. “There are more concerns and questions than answers right now. They want us to back the bonds, but if USSSA can’t perform, we’d have to throw them out, and we’re left to run it ourselves.”

Wong also went back to the auditor’s report, which stated that the county’s return on investment would be “a wash,” even with the county selling 25 acres of the Judge Farm property at $120,000 apiece.

“Right now we’re not armed with enough info, we need to study this further,” he said. “It’s not clear if this is the highest and best use of taxpayer dollars. This ties up a lot of capital and flexibility for the future.”