Mayor Pro Tem Nick Long said the committee was proposed to act as the “eyes and ears” of the council and ensure the facility does not fall into disrepair in the future. Big League Dreams closed in January 2021 after the previous operator, Big League Dreams, failed to maintain the property to the level the city wanted, Long said.
"We can't allow the facility to fall apart like it did last time," he said. "We need to make sure that we cannot allow one of the most expensive public facilities that doesn't really fit our core mission to not really be monitored closely."
Located at Calder Road and Big League Dreams Parkway, Big League Dreams allowed residents and visitors to play baseball in stadiums mimicking famous professional fields. Big League Dreams will still be the operator of the 35-acre park, but the company is now under the ownership of TC Sports Group.
Under the new operator, the park has undergone roughly $2 million in upgrades, and the company is preparing to reopen the facility early this year, Big League Dreams spokesperson Jen Schaff said via email.
The review committee will be composed of a maximum of seven members: two council members, the chair of the parks board, the chair of the 4B Industrial Development Board and three League City residents, according to agenda documents. The appointed committee members will be tasked with submitting quarterly reports to council about the condition and usefulness of the park.
However, Council Member Larry Millican said he did not support creating the new committee.
"While the facility did fall into disrepair, it was under a different contract, structured a different way and certainly under a different administration," he said. "I believe that through proper management of our staff, council can get reports through staff in a reliable manner."
The committee was approved in a 7-1 vote with Millican voting against.
