League City City Council in January voted to terminate its agreement with Big League Dreams—which operates other similar facilities in the country—resulting in closure of the city-owned facility. The operator had failed to address safety concerns and failed to pay the city on time, resulting in City Council's vote.
Under the now-terminated agreement, League City built the facility on city land, and Big League Dreams operated and programmed the facility while providing a yearly maintenance and operations fee to the city, along with 1% of gross revenue Big League Dreams made.
According to League City press release, at least four parties are interested in repairing the facility and then operating, managing and maintaining it moving forward. The city last month issued a formal request for proposals, and the city recently hosted a meeting and tour of the facility for those interested in taking over operations.
Proposals are due April 14.
Once all proposals are in hand, League City staff will rate each one on a variety of criteria to determine the best choice. Staff will work with the proposed bidder to develop a new operating agreement to present to League City City Council for consideration, the release reads.
City Council could vote on the matter as early as June.
Staff estimate it will cost about $2 million to repair the facility before it can reopen under a new name and operator. During inspections last year and in 2019, staff noticed "deteriorating conditions" that went beyond basic maintenance, the release reads.
After several tries to have Big League Dreams make the repairs, City Council in November voted to declare it in default of the agreement.
