At the Oct. 17 meeting, Keller City Council approved a Chapter 380 Economic Development agreement for the ground lease for an $18 million indoor sports facility where basketball, volleyball, cheer and futsal athletes can participate in their sports. The building would be at the northwest corner of the Keller Sports Park, according to a news release from the city. Chapter 380 agreements allow municipalities to offer incentives designed to promote economic development, according to the Texas comptroller’s website, and these agreements are authorized by Chapter 380 of the Local Government Code.
The background
The private project is a partnership between ME Development LLC and Healthletic Partners, the release states, and the companies will now begin a six-month due diligence period aimed at bringing a 60,000- to 75,000-square-foot investment to the park. The ground lease approved by council members provides 7.8 acres of land at 401 Golden Triangle Blvd. for the facility as part of a 50-year deal, with the option for a 10-year extension. Annual rent payments would start at $15,000 and increase every 10 years to as high as $31,000, the release states.
Council saw a preliminary concept plan at the meeting, with the illustration showing the venue would include 12 volleyball courts and six basketball courts, among other amenities. During the due diligence phase, city staff will work with Keller Community Development staff to optimize the site design. City staff toured a facility that ME Development built in Rockwall that opened in the last year.
What they’re saying
Council member Shannon Dubberly welcomed the idea of a new sports venue for the city, saying it fills a need that exists for indoor basketball and volleyball because the places that do have high rental demands.
“This is great for the community and surrounding cities,” Dubberly said, adding he liked the facility in Rockwall.
Council member Ross McMullin said the new venue could be a huge benefit for youth community if the partnership comes to fruition after the due diligence period.
“I think it’s going to put Keller on the map as a top sports destination in the Metroplex and possibly throughout Texas,” he said.
Mayor Armin Mizani said he was excited about the project and thought it could be a great success because of the demand for facilities in the area. He thought the sports park in Keller could eventually become the “premier sports destination” in North Texas.
A closer look
In a City Council agenda memo, the Keller Sports Park Task Force determined through the Keller Sports Park Renovation Design Project that these approximately 7 undeveloped acres at the Keller Sports Park would be better utilized in the form of a ground lease with an entity that could provide sports related recreational activity that the city could not provide in other areas of the park.
Task force members have had lengthy discussions with ME Development LLC, and think their project will be a great addition to the Keller Sports Park and also be a great compliment to the Sports Park Renovation Project, the memo states. The Keller Youth Association has also had a lengthy discussion with ME Development LLC, and KYA would use the proposed facility for its basketball program.
“This is an incredible sports family community, and we’re excited about what is happening at the park,” said Danny Cooper, principal at Healthletic Partners, in the release. “The city has shown a commitment to this project, and now we have the perfect opportunity to bring an indoor component to this site.”
Also of note
The partners have built several projects around the state, ME Development Principal Esteban Mariel said. Preliminary work for the Keller facility has been a new experience though, he said.
“Our mission is to create something with purpose,” Mariel said in the release. “Getting the opportunity to work with the city and the community organizations on this project, where we can see the real impact it will have, I think it’s going to give us the best possible outcome.”
Company representatives discussed the project with council members, city staff and leaders of the Keller Youth Association for several months. KYA hopes to move its basketball and cheerleading leagues into the facility, and use the partnership to launch a volleyball program, the release states.
“There’s been an explosion in youth basketball in the community; our numbers have doubled over the last five years, and we expect that to continue,” said Chris DeBerry, the KYA vice president in charge of basketball, in the news release. “And I can’t express just how big volleyball is going to be; girls in our community drive across the Metroplex up to three times a week to play.”
The release states that assuming “everything continues smoothly with the companies’ feasibility assessments, they plan to align their construction with the city’s upcoming improvements to the Keller Sports Park,” meaning groundbreaking could be held in 2024, and the venue could open its doors in late 2025.
“I have been dreaming and praying for something like this for many years,” KYA President Calvin Washington said. “We just celebrated our 50th anniversary as an organization, and wow—what a gift.”
