An inland port, recycling and a sports complex are all scheduled to be discussed Tuesday afternoon during Odessa City Council’s work session.
On Feb. 14, the Odessa City Council agreed to hire Synergy Global for $15,000 to conduct a sports complex feasibility study. Synergy met with citizens to get their input, but they also looked at demographics and socioeconomics, sports participation rates, competitors, the size and components of the city’s courts and fields and possible partnerships and construction costs. In addition, more than 3,100 participated in a 10-question online survey as to their sports complex desires.
Synergy Global sports complex feasibility study
On Tuesday, Synergy is expected to share their thoughts on what they discovered. According to materials already presented to the council, the company believes the Odessa region is a viable location for an indoor sports complex and complimentary field complex that could host tournaments and events for the region.
Most of those who participated in the online survey want the complex to be in District 2 or District 4 and most want indoor basketball and volleyball courts over other amenities. Outdoor multi-sports fields came in third in terms of priorities.
Synergy identified four potential sites for the complex: City-owned land near the Ector County jail, private land at I-20 and Loop 338, private land behind Home Depot known as the McKnight Family Ranch and private land at the end of Faudree Road known as the Parks-Bell Ranch.
The company has given the city a variety of options in terms of amenities ranging in price from $19.2 million up to $41.5 million. The prices vary upon the number of indoor courts, whether the city includes a 200-meter track and ice rinks, and whether the city includes outdoor fields.
The least expensive option would be a $9.2 million, 46,000 square foot indoor facility with a gym that could accommodate four basketball courts or eight volleyball courts, multi-purpose rooms, locker rooms, administrative offices and a lobby.
For an additional $10 million, there would be four 300-foot baseball/softball fields and four 60-yard by 120-yard multi-sport flat fields, plus an indoor sport training complex, restrooms, concession stand, parking and playground.
The design would accommodate the addition of one to two ice rinks as part of a later phase.
A $24.8 million option would be a 98,000 square foot in-door facility with four basketball courts, eight volleyball courts, two ice rinks, a food court, skate rental area and team locker rooms.
The most expensive indoor complex, at $31.5 million, would include six basketball courts, 12 volleyball courts, a 200-meter temporary track and two sheets of ice.
According to Synergy, the city could see gross profits ranging from $1.2 million in the first year up to $2.5 million. The net profitability varies depending on the options. One of the options wouldn’t see a net profit until after year five, but the 46,000 square foot indoor facility, when combined with the outdoor fields, would bring in an estimated $134,000 the first year and $739,000 by year five.
Synergy is recommending building a 70,000 indoor facility with six basketball courts, 12 volleyball courts at $14 million and phasing in an indoor track, outdoor fields and possibly ice rinks later on. The company believes the Parks-Bell Ranch is the best location.
The preferred funding option would be a public private partnership/lease back “given the general resistance to a tax increase or issuance of a bond,” Synergy said.
Under such an option, the city would provide some capital assistance, possibly tax incentives, infrastructure development and cover some pre-development costs to a private developer partner. The private developer would pick the general contractor and subcontractors and the city would lease back the facility in order to run parks and recreation programs.
The next step would be for the city’s Quality of Life Committee to continue analyzing the feasibility of moving forward, refine the plan and begin conversations with developers.
Final recommendations could be made to the city by July 1 and if the city moves forward, the facility could open in August 2024.
The city council is also expected to take up the topic of recycling again Tuesday.
The council is considering eliminating its recycling program or scaling it back. The city currently disposes roughly 100,000 tons of garbage a year and about 700 tons of recyclables.
Public Works Director Tom Kerr has said an unacceptable amount of the city’s recyclables are contaminated and there isn’t much of a market for recyclables nowadays.
The city could pull its community collection sites and only make recycling available at the Time Machine.
City staff has been working with BRI Recycling Services to figure out how much it would cost for BRI to continue picking up materials at the Time Machine and monitor for contamination.
Also on the agenda Tuesday is a discussion about inland ports.
Last July, Odessa Mayor Javier Joven and Odessa Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Director Tom Manskey participated in discussions about the possible creation of a direct transportation line between the Plaquemines Port Harbor and Terminal District south of New Orleans and Odessa.
On Tuesday, the rest of the council is scheduled to hear more details about the possibility.
The port, which was created in 1954, offers businesses a chance to send their products to other parts of the country using barges, railroads and interstate highways.
Back in July, Joven and Manskey said two of the principals involved in the project have ties to Odessa and want Odessa to be one of those inland ports.
The principals like that Odessa is already familiar with oil, gas and chemicals, Joven said at the time.
“It would be like ‘Oh my God, we can bring in all these costs, get chemicals. They’re already here.’ There’s not a lot of re-education. There’s not a lot of danger to the community. There’s no more than we already are dealing with on a daily basis,” Joven said.
During the council’s regular meeting at 6 p.m. the council will discuss amending the master road plan to alter the future lengths of Dawn Avenue and 61st Street.
