South Walton Sports Complex Update

And, although I didn't know it at the time of the earlier post, I think the employees of the TDC had other things on their mind today.

Prayers for Michele & Gilbert...RIP, Chase...

Does tend to put things in their proper perspective. My prayers as well to the Ray family.

priorities

The TDC is seeking proposals for a sports complex facility to sit on approximately 102 acres. Page 22 details to proposed additions to facilities.

I have attached a copy of the RPF for everyone to study.

Are they proposing an additional 1/2 cent bedtax to fund ?

Where is the citizen involvement in this complex ?

View attachment 13793

I believe that we need to look at SoWal priorities before jumping into such a venture. Take a look at Eastern Lake. For several years it has been in the papers, courts, various govt. entities, etc... on the condition of the lake. Eastern Lake is one of South Waltons most beautiful and natural inlet lakes. One homeowner had taken it upon himself to dump construction grade sand near the inlet cut before a tropical storm which not only raised the inlet level with sand not letting in the natural seaflow and saltwater to keep the lake alive, but now the lake is a grassy, slime infested lake with the great fishing depleted and replaced by snakes, gators and who knows what else. Lets dredge this thing back to its original state, then we can look at a sports complex!

where is the property?

I believe that we need to look at SoWal priorities before jumping into such a venture. Take a look at Eastern Lake. For several years it has been in the papers, courts, various govt. entities, etc... on the condition of the lake. Eastern Lake is one of South Waltons most beautiful and natural inlet lakes. One homeowner had taken it upon himself to dump construction grade sand near the inlet cut before a tropical storm which not only raised the inlet level with sand not letting in the natural seaflow and saltwater to keep the lake alive, but now the lake is a grassy, slime infested lake with the great fishing depleted and replaced by snakes, gators and who knows what else. Lets dredge this thing back to its original state, then we can look at a sports complex!

Oh look another Worth Williams basher. Just curious are you one of the fine folks that travels out to the outfall late at night under cover of dark to illegally open the outflow? While I don't agree with the sand that was placed there, the opening of the outflow manually is not going to fix the problem. If the area were left alone mother nature would correct herself. Of course no one ever mentions the property owner on the other side who keeps installing illegal dune fencing.

I'm surprised no one posted this little news item from yesterday.

Padgett Park to See Long-Awaited Construction

Padgett Park to See Long-Awaited Construction Save Email Print
Posted: 10:08 PM Aug 10, 2009
Last Updated: 10:08 PM Aug 10, 2009
0 comments
A $1.4 million state grant will allow Walton County officials to begin developing Padgett Park in Santa Rosa Beach.
Officials purchased the nearly 17-acres a land in 2007 in hopes of creating a recreational park.
The park was named after a Walton County resident, Sergeant Timothy Padgett who was killed in Afghanistan in 2007.
The county applied for the same grant in 2007 and 2008, but it was denied both times.
Friday commissioner Cecilia Jones got good news that the state had award the county $1.4 million to begin construction on the land.
Commissioner Jones is pleased with the unexpected news.
"In these tough economic times it's really hard for families just to be at peace. So, I hope we'll have a park where they can go and relax with their families," says Jones.
Construction is expected to begin by January of 2010.

yesteday was the first I'd heard of this. Anyone else have any idea it was being considered? Anyone know what is going into the park?

yesteday was the first I'd heard of this. Anyone else have any idea it was being considered? Anyone know what is going into the park?

From the glimpse I saw on TV of the site plan it appeared to be some soccer fields and a large building. They didn't elaborate on the actual plans, but perhaps Mrs. Jones will have the same site plan at her office. She was interviewed for the story.

From the glimpse I saw on TV of the site plan it appeared to be some soccer fields and a large building. They didn't elaborate on the actual plans, but perhaps Mrs. Jones will have the same site plan at her office. She was interviewed for the story.

The plan that she had was put together so they could apply for the grant. There are no concrete details yet, and they are open to suggestion. I do think they wanted to put in some tennis courts, and playground equipment.

Three words:

Snowbird water aerobics

Which is both a brilliant and terrifying concept

:funn:

This was JUST POSTED YESTERDAY...
Sports Economic Impact

Posted: 9:09 PM Jul 30, 2009
Last Updated: 9:09 PM Jul 30, 2009
Reporter: Tim Owens
Email Address: tim.owens@wjhg.com

When it comes to sports in Panama City Beach, there's something for everyone.
We're getting closer and closer to becoming a 12 month sports destination. Our main bread and butter is youth baseball and youth fast pitch, we're real big in cheerleading. We got two months in June and July, just week after week of cheerleading camps. And thousands of kids are involved in that, so we're in a little bit of everything. Today it's generating almost 40 million dollars economic impact for the community, over a hundred thousand room nights and that's a tremendous impact, especially in some of our shoulder season times
Then toss in triathlons, swimming, fishing tournaments, and soccer among other sports are bringing thousands of first time visitors to the area!
And our sporting events here, we are every year, reaching over 40 states within the United States, and the good thing is they do want to come back.
A big reason for all this, Frank Brown Park, built in the early 80's, renovated in the 90's and again in the past few years.
Without a doubt one of the finest multi-recreational facilities in the United States. There's also four brand new tennis courts, 4 outdoor basketball courts, 7 soccer fields, a mile and a half waking trail, it's just a facility we're very proud of.

We have the opportunity especially with the airport opening May of next year, that's gonna open up a whole new avenue of what we do up another level.

​

I found this while researching news on the topic.

That's a lot of economic imact. I'm going to look closer at the stats to see how they add up.

while we use and enjoy FBP quite a bit for swimming (and starting karate classes soon) I reallly really hope not to see this size/kind facility in SoWal. I totally agree with SJ... that we should certainly develop small scale parks/rec facilities, but we need to really take a good look at what we currently have and how we can best promote/utilize our natural resources, current lands, etc , etc. We are still very small town and blessed with unique recreational resources. we don't have to be Atlanta, or any other city. but we do need to do some visionary community planning so that we can bring the best and most suitable recreational and arts facilities to SoWal.

I will be interested in hearing whether the grant SWGB posted earlier has anything to do with the rec/play park that was proposed to the county last year.

Hammock Bay is too far away to be considered a destination sports vacation draw, and it really does not serve the residents of South Walton except for some of the hardcore adult soccer players who go up there, many of which are single, young guys who don't have the need to worry about a nearly all day soccer commitment.

The benefits to having a South Walton Family Sportsplex are many and not just to those visiting for tournaments. In fact, I'd say the benefits would be more for the permanent residents than the vacationers, but it would appeal to and draw both. That in turn creates revenue producing opportunities for a large portion of local businesses and residents.

Personally, I'd rather have a quality sports and cultural arts facility in South Walton than any more strip malls. One of the ways to preserve the standard of living and beauty of this area would be to capitalize on the increasing demand for sports and arts related activities and organizations, so we could avoid making US98 look like Destin or PCB along that corridor. I agree we should preserve as much of the natural beauty of the area as possible, but having a strategically located Family Sportsplex that serves resident and vacationer alike, and a master plan for developing sports facilities in South Walton in general, could go a long way towards helping us avoid the mistakes that other communities have made in growing their communities and developing their landscapes.

In my opinion, promoting healthy lifestyles goes hand in hand with preserving natural landscapes. If South Walton decides to embrace the idea of becoming one of THE preeminent sports vacation destinations in the Southeast (arguably the country, or even the world), it will be to its benefit. But let's do it the South Walton way, and provide something that is so uniquely attractive, and not just some cookie cutter plan, that we preserve not only the natural beauty, but our community's exceptional approach to thinking, working, and living.

I think you know what the heck you are talking about over there DCF - all great ideas!!! I hope you will be right there helping the community with this project - I especially like your master plan idea.

I will be interested in hearing whether the grant SWGB posted earlier has anything to do with the rec/play park that was proposed to the county last year. by Tootsie

That is exactly what I was wondering. Where does the PlayPark fit into this....did anyone know about this before? Was there a naming ceremony? I have not seen anything about it in the news--maybe I missed it.
And, the news story confuses me. It states the County bought the land; and now have a grant from Florida Forever that reimburses the county for the purchase...so, where is the money coming from to build the park?

yesteday was the first I'd heard of this. Anyone else have any idea it was being considered? Anyone know what is going into the park?

I don't know specifically what was in this year's grant application, but last year when the grant was applied for, we were talking about tennis and basketball courts with a small playground and I think some type of building. This is also the site that eventually a swimming pool was planned. This is great news about the grant.

The playpark is still planned to go into Helen McCall, although it is taking a long time !!!

I will be interested in hearing whether the grant SWGB posted earlier has anything to do with the rec/play park that was proposed to the county last year. by Tootsie

That is exactly what I was wondering. Where does the PlayPark fit into this....did anyone know about this before? Was there a naming ceremony? I have not seen anything about it in the news--maybe I missed it.
And, the news story confuses me. It states the County bought the land; and now have a grant from Florida Forever that reimburses the county for the purchase...so, where is the money coming from to build the park?

As to the naming it is named after a Padgett that died in Iraq/Afghanistan. I'll ask Ray the next time I see him more about it. I'm assuming this is a relative.

As to the naming it is named after a Padgett that died in Iraq/Afghanistan. I'll ask Ray the next time I see him more about it. I'm assuming this is a relative.

thanks. I read that and I think that is great. I was just wondering if there had been a ceremony or announcement of the naming for the park. I think his mother works at the Annex, not sure if they are related to Ray, but probably.

I don't know specifically what was in this year's grant application, but last year when the grant was applied for, we were talking about tennis and basketball courts with a small playground and I think some type of building. This is also the site that eventually a swimming pool was planned. This is great news about the grant.

The playpark is still planned to go into Helen McCall, although it is taking a long time !!!

Thanks. A pool would be wonderful. I am just surprised that there has been so little information about this. Or perhaps I just missed it. But, it seems like a pretty big deal to buy this land and request a grant for a good sized park, and have it already named, and I don't remember seeing any mention of it in the papers, or any ceremony for the naming...oh well.

I am glad the playpark is still going in at Helen McCall. What is taking so long?

I believe the naming of the park was announced at a BCC meeting, months ago.

I think they named the park in "07 when they originally applied for the grant. The majority of the money to purchase the park came from District 5 Rec & Plat fees, so it is going back to that account.

Don't forget about the Arts Center!

Sorry to be so late to the discussion, but I just ran across it. I was on the board of the one of the latest attempts at bringing in performing arts center to this area (namely to Seaside). The plan fell through at the very last minute do to a breakdown in the partnership with a university that was going to supply half the funding. As it happened, the economy tanked about 5 months after it all fell through so it probably wouldn't ahve gotten the private dollars necessary anyway.

But we did an economic impact study (which is essentially what this RFP is for, not a feasibility study, which primarily is intended to determine if funding is available, and in this case, the funds are there.), and it was determined that there was a serious need for a performing arts center in northwest florida. (the OWC center was determined NOT to be a viable competitor due to its limited user groups and lack of proximity to the beaches.)

Imagine a venue that could attract national talent, and could also serve as a home for local arts organizations (Rep, Sinfonia, NW Florida Ballet, Pensacola Opera, etc.) This would be a huge draw for our target tourist and real estate market.

I think a sports complex would be very nice for locals and those on extended stays, and I'll be lining up to play, but the most logical use for tourist dollars (aka bed tax) is something that will attract more of our demographic of tourists. I worry about a sports complex's ability to function in SOWAL because of our lack of low cost hotel/motel options. Is the little league team going to stay at Watercolor Inn? They'd fly in to PCB, and on their way to our sports complex, are they going to pass up the tens of thousands of lower cost rooms in Bay County (not to mention another sports complex)?

However, if we brought in Yo Yo Ma, then Watercolor Inn would be full, as would the other vacation rental options in the area. Obviously, I have a dog in this fight (the Rep), but it seems like if given the choice between a sports complex and a performing arts center, the latter would fill a void as well as attract more of the tourists that are drawn to our county already.

Hoover, I don't think it is an either/or proposition. It's up to those of us who support both to be creative as well as constructive in our vision and our approach. But I do not disagree that capturing a higher end clientel is a good idea, as it is part of the foundation, fabric, and appeal of South Walton. Affluence exists in sports, in some sports more than other sports, just as it does for the arts. We work together on this and we'll accomplish more, and end up with a better quality end product that meets the expectations as well as the needs of our residents and visitors.

I'd say if I am an Atlanta or Nashville resident, for example, and I want my child or children participating in the "Soccer By The Surf" Tournament at the Beaches of South Walton, and I have already visited before or know much or just some about the area, I'm making every bit of this sports vacation destination about the sport, about the vacation, and about the destination, and I'm renting one of the many houses on or by the beach. And I'm telling all of my child's teammates family to do the same.

And who knows, maybe one of the nights we'll spend some extra money, get a sitter, and go check out Yo Yo Ma, or the Gyspsy Kings, or the Rep's rendition of Fiddler on the Roof, or Swan Lake as performed by the visiting New York Ballet..... and we'll go see it at the outdoor amphitheatre that is within easy driving distance of the soccer fields my kids played at earlier in the day.

DCFinSCB,
That sounds like a highly-desired tourist in your scenario. I'm just wondering how many of them exists, and what percentage of the total sports people they would represent. Many of the parents of these kids from here to TX pull every string possible to get their kids in these tournaments, and it takes not only time away from work, but also money that they would have spent for a vacation. They often come out of guilt. When I was a kid, we wouldn't dream about going out of state for a kids sports tournament, and our parents wouldn't have been able to afford it, without making other sacrifices. I'm sure there are families which can afford a trip to SoWal, soccer tournament, baby sitter, and Yo-Yo Ma, but I think they would be a rare breed. It is just my gut thought, and I may be totally wrong.

My reply was more specific to Hoover's post and just trying to point out that the two goals are not mutually exclusive.

I think we have to look at all of the angles on a project like this, but not necessarily try to be all things to all people. Let's figure out our competitive advantages that allow us to create uniquely inspirational South Walton and Emerald Coast experiences, and that strengthen not compromise our foundation, and capitalize on those.

Well, I am no expert on the subject and just voicing my personal thoughts on the demographics, and I am glad you are posting your thoughts, too. I can always learn something new.

Hoover, I don't think it is an either/or proposition.

The economic impact study is to determine which project would have the greatest positive impact. While they may decide to do both, it is still very much in question..

I don't think the only reason for a sports facility is to bring in tourists - I think it would be a great asset for OUR community.

I would like to see fine arts like the REP continue to expand, but I think a park/indoor sports facility complex to improve the health of our residents is a much more immediate need than a place where Yo-Yo Ma can perform.

A larger theatre (perhaps near the new campus) would be a nice asset for the REP and school plays, but I don't really see a major demand for a large performance space - especially considering the proximity of many of our visitors to major cities.

That all sounds good and lovely for us locals, but the TDC money isn't spent to give locals stuff, even though we may benefit. I believe their mission is to draw tourists to our area, and the way the locals benefit is by increased business revenues. The TDC doesn't make money off of the locals, and the only way they continue is by taking in the bed tax dollars.

The economic impact study is to determine which project would have the greatest positive impact. While they may decide to do both, it is still very much in question..

Any chance we could get a peek at your study?