College Station approves letter of intent for baseball complex in Midtown

The baseball complex is proposed for city-owned property in Midtown, a 200-acre vacant tract northeast of Costco off Midtown Drive originally slated to be a business park.

Ostrowski said the proposal is attractive to the city for its tourism draw through tournaments but will also fill a need for more public access to baseball and softball fields.

The city previously was planning to add three ballfields to the Veterans Park and Athletic Complex, but those plans were halted once the idea for more fields in Midtown was brought to the council, Community Impact reported.

Ostrowski said the proposal for three fields at Veterans Park would have cost the city $35 million.

Sorting out details

Proposed terms in the approved letter of intent outline responsibilities for both the city and the developer.

The developer will:

• Lease 63 acres from the city for the baseball complex
• Receive a 10-year property tax abatement for baseball complex improvements only
• Provide all maintenance, operations and long-term capital replacements
• Secure financing for the estimated $35 million to $50 million total project cost
• Maintain a 12-month debt service reserve to ensure payments can continue to be made on the leased site
• Maintain a capital reserve fund for any necessary maintenance or replacements, such as replacing turf on the fields

• Sell 30 acres to the developer for lodging and amenities at $20,000 per acre
• Reimburse the developer up to $20 million for public improvements, such as fields, infrastructure and utilities
• Extend utilities and road improvements to access the site, which is estimated to total about $15 million

• No city funds will be used to develop the hospitality portion of the project.
• The public will have access to the complex Monday-Friday during evening hours at rates comparable to city facilities, and the city will have access to the complex on available weekends.
• Tournament participants will be required to stay at a hotel within College Station city limits.
• The Brazos Valley Bombers will be granted access to the larger, championship field to host home games.

Ostrowski said the project is estimated to yield an annual economic impact of $28 million and about 60,000 hotel room bookings annually, based on the projected number of tournaments hosted at the complex.

The letter of intent states the developer will ramp up to hosting 30 tournaments annually at the complex within the first three years of operations.

What they’re saying

“This is probably the city’s largest outlay of funds and capital for any project [in city history],” Ostrowski said.

“Our intent is to make this an immersive entertainment experience that people will want to come and stay, so instead of just showing up for a game and then trying to figure out what they do for the next four hours, we’re actually trying to create an immersive environment that they’d want to stay,” developer Thomas Rogers said.

”[I’m] very excited. This is going to change College Station,” council member David White said.

”I’m not a baseball person, but I think this could turn me into one,” council member Melissa McIlhaney said. “I’m excited about what this will do for Midtown. It really does give us the seed of something pretty exciting that could be much bigger than this baseball complex.”

Going forward

According to city information, the letter of intent is nonbinding and does not obligate the city or developer to proceed.

Ostrowski said the next steps include:

• A business plan, financial information and other documentation submitted by the developer within 30 days
• A market study submitted by the developer within 90-120 days

An agreement will also need to be worked out with the Brazos Valley Bombers for use of the championship field, Ostrowski said.

In similar news

Council members also heard a presentation Feb. 26 summarizing results of a public engagement process about the future of the Midtown area. A community workshop was held Nov. 18 with 75 participants, said Heather Wade, principal planner with College Station’s planning and development services.

Wade said Midtown residents strongly supported investment in parks and recreation and preserving wooded buffers and open space, as well as expressed a desire for more trails, safe crossings and better connectivity.

“If we want College Station to remain competitive, not just as a place to earn a degree or a place to retire, but as a place to build a career and life, then investing in Midtown is one of the clearest opportunities I can see in front of you,” Midtown resident Shelby Behm said to council members during the public comment period. “An investment in Midtown is not just an investment in one neighborhood or developer, it’s an investment in a stronger, more competitive College Station.”