HomeMy WebLinkAbout2006-11-20; Parks & Recreation Commission; 1106-2; Receipt of Proposal Letter Sports ComplexPARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION - AGENDA BILL
AB# 11106-2
MTG. DATE: | 11/20/06
STAFF: PRICE
RECEIPT OF PROPOSAL LETTER
INFO
x ACTION
RECOMMENDED ACTION :
Receive a proposal letter from Carlsbad resident Angelo Januzzi.
ITEM EXPLANATION :
Carlsbad Resident Angelo Januzzi submitted a letter to Mayor Bud Lewis regarding a proposal
for the City to consider a Sports Complex in conjunction with an organization called Big League
Dreams on the Cannon Road property. After review, Mayor Lewis suggested that a copy of the
letter and proposal be forwarded to the Park and Recreation Commission.
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EXHIBITS:
1. Letters, proposal, and other information provided by Angelo Januzzi.
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EXHIBIT 1
Chairperson 10/05/2006
Parks & Recreation Committee
Dear Chairperson/Parks & Recreation Committee:
This is a brief letter regarding an idea I submitted recently to all members of the city
council. After review, Mayor Lewis suggested that I forward a copy of my letter and
proposal to the Parks and Recreation committee. He said that any type of large
development such as this would first need to be reviewed by your committee. Mr. Lewis
also said that, if approved, the final determination would be decided by a vote from the
citizens of Carlsbad.
I have enclosed the same copies of material, which the council members received. This
has always been an idea that I have felt would be an asset to our community. With the
recent events regarding the Cannon Road property, I thought the timing and location
might possibly be a good fit for a sports complex of this type for that area if the ballot
initiative does not produce a clear decision. Thank you for considering this idea.
Sincerely,
^ Q~^rr~
Angelo Januzzi "v
3523 Hastings Drive
Carlsbad, CA 92010
(760) 729-6535
Chairperson
\\
Mayor Bud Lewis
City Hall 8-28-06
1200 Carlsbad Village Drive
Carlsbad, Ca. 92008
Dear Mayor Lewis,
This is a letter from a long time Carlsbad resident, former Carlsbad Youth Baseball
treasurer/board member and concerned citizen regarding the Cannon Road development
issue. Recently, it seems newspaper articles appear daily regarding the future use of this
property.
As a nearly 20 year resident proud to call Carlsbad home, I would like to present an
alternative option for the acreage designated as open space and/or recreational. This may
be an idea which has been considered in the past or maybe it has never been proposed.
Because of the Growth Management Plan, a balanced development of business,
industrial, housing and parks/recreation have made Carlsbad a desirable place to live and
work. I have included copies for each council member of a unique, proven sports
complex which, I believe, would further enhance the quality of life to our city.
Carlsbad is in the heart of an area with a very active sports environment. Along with the
major sports of baseball, football and basketball having active participants, the city can
honestly call itself the golf capital of the country. Other sports such as girls softball,
soccer, in-line-hockey and lacrosse are also very popular in the county. Many of the top
skateboarding professionals call Carlsbad and Norm County home. Not to mention an
Olympic Gold Medalist hi snowboarding. World class triathletes, runners and bicyclists
are also plentiful hi Carlsbad and surrounding cities. The active, sports lifestyle is within
and around Carlsbad.
When looking over the material you will see that there is also an economic benefit as well
in real dollars and in exposure to visitors and business persons to showcase and promote
our city. From what I have read, it appears one of the ballot measures would require the
city to spend millions of dollars without any or little revenue in return. With the
proximity to the beach, Legoland, hotels, shopping, restaurants, new golf course and all
that North County has to offer, a major sports complex such as this would seem to be an
economic benefit and fit in with the Carlsbad active, sports image.
Being a parent who has taken youth baseball teams to tournaments in Cathedral City,
Riverside and Chino Hills, I have seen firsthand the thousands of families who
participate, have fun and spend their disposable income at these unique sports venues.
My perception, as well as that of many other Carlsbad residents I have spoken with, is
that this sports experience would be enhanced even greater in a coastal temperature
setting such as Carlsbad. As recently as August 22nd, an article in the Business section of
the North County Times indicated county tourism officials want to gain hotel market
la.
share from Riverside, Anaheim and even Florida. These areas attract a large out of state
participation in sporting tournaments and events.
I have personally talked briefly with Mr. Webber as a Carlsbad citizen only, not as any
representative of the city. He would welcome a city official to inquire with any
development questions. All of the material I have sent was obtained from the Big League
Dreams website, www.bigleaguedreams.com. As mentioned in the material, local
Carlsbad school and recreational teams would also benefit with quality field availability,
which has been an issue in recent years.
I realize this proposal is not any part of the November ballot options. However, I felt
compelled to inform the council of this sports complex as a possible option if another
alternative to the ballot proposals exists in the near future. Please consider this type of
sports complex for the Cannon Road property or reconsider if this option has been
previously proposed. Thank you for your time and consideration of this information.
Sincerely,
( ...>' r—<M^<^S \/f~*'—^^"VNVA '/ $Jr^Angelo Januzzi <s "
3523 Hastings Drive
Carlsbad, Ca 92010
(760) 729-6535 Home
(760) 201-9087 Cell
Officials: Identity
of N. County key
to tourism
• Leaders talk about
need to increase
variety of eating,
overnight options
PATRICK WRIGHT
STAFF WRITER
North County's tourism in-
dustry is at a crossroads, ac-
cording to tourism officials.
On the one hand, North
County gets millions of
tourism dollars from catering
to San Diego visitors. On the
other, increasing those dol-
lars requires creating North
County as an attractive desti-
nation apart from its neigh-
bors in south San Diego
County.
Carol Mattson, president
and chief executive officer of
the San Diego North Conven-
tion and Visitors Bureau, said
the key to tourism growth is
creating North County as a
separate "brand" from San
Diego County. She said the
area is poised to take on
some of the bigger communi-
ties and tourism names in the
country.
"Ideally, I want to take
market share from Riverside,
Anaheim and even Florida,"
.Mattson said.
Mattson spoke at a discus-
sion of tourism sponsored by
the San Diego North Eco-
nomic Development Council
on Monday afternoon. She
and other tourism officials
talked about the need to
boost North County's $1.7 bil-
lion industry by increasing
the variety of entertainment,
eating and overnight options
available to potential cus-
tomers..
A visitors bureau release
said North County's hotel tax
generated $59.3 million in
2005, an § percent increase
from 2004, and more than
$12 million from April to
June this year.
The number of local hotel
rooms continues to grow.
North County has almost
19,000 rooms, with plans to
add more than 1,000 by 2007,
according to a hotel industry
official.
But the news isn't all good.
Hotel occupancy rates in the
region are down almost 3 per-
cent from 2005 to 2006, ac-
cording to Smith Travel Re-
search, an independent Ten-
nessee-based research com-
pany that tracks the U.S.
lodging industry.
Mattson Said filling hotel
rooms is a main focus of her
agency because those
tourists generate more mon-
ey than day visitors. "I want
to bring in overnight visi-
tors," she said.
North County can offer
visitors a different experi-
ence than in central San
Diego.
"When you stay here, you
aren?t dealing with the con-
gestion," Mattson said.
•', "If you bring your family
here, you get to stay in a
more eclectic city, like Carls-
bad."
Gary Knight, president
and chief executive officer
for the council, said the
.area's combination of golf-
ing, casino gaming, wine
tasting and other venues
makes it attractive for re-
peat visitors.
"We've been fortunate to
have a broad spectrum of in-
dustries," he said.
In addition to the in-
crease in hotel rooms, little
things such as the beautifi-
cation projects in Vista are
important for making visi-
tors want to return, Knight
said.
Contact staff writer Patrick Wright
at (760) 739-6675 or
pwri0it@nctimes.com. To
comment, go to nctirnes.com.
Big League Dreams Page 1 of 2
New Park Development
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New Park Development
Big League Dreams works with cities, counties and special districts to
help them bring world-class recreational facilities to their
communities at little or no cost to the taxpayer. Our parks have
become so popular that we are bringing parks to cities all over
California and the West. Those existing parks are listed here.
Big League Dreams is the premier developer and operator of amateur
recreational sports facilities in the country. Our parks have been
recognized as the "Best New Sports Complex in America" by the
Sportsplex Owners and Developers Association, the "Best
Public/Private Partnership" by the League of California Cities and the
"Business of the Year" in Cathedral City, CA. We have also won other
awards including the Desert Beautification Award in Coachella Valley
and the Business Beautification Award from the Jurupa Valley
Chamber of Commerce in Mira Loma, CA.
Our parks bring many benefits to the regions in which they operate.
Big League Dreams brings a top-quality playing experience for your
local families, through our world-class facilities in a variety of sports.
A typical Big League Dreams facility offers baseball, softball, soccer,
indoor soccer, in-line hockey, basketball, and sand volleyball for all
ages. We are best known for our baseball/Softball fields that are
designed and built as replicas of famous, historic major league
stadiums. Youth and adults can play on a replica of Chicago's Wrigley
Field or New York's Yankee Stadium (and others) or even hit one off
the "Green Monster" in a replica of Boston's Fenway Park!
more>
For more information contact:
http://www.bigleaguedreams.com/newparkdev/newparkdevO 1 .htm 10/4/2006
Big League Dreams Page 2 of 2
Don Webber
Vice President Development
(909) 287-1700 Ext. 206
http://www.bigleaguedreams.com/newparkdev/newparkdevO 1 .htm 10/4/2006
Big League Dreams Page 1 of 2
New Park Development
< Menu | 1 2
New Park Development
Huge economic benefits are created through our multi-use facilities
being booked almost every day of the year, more than a year in
advance for league play and special events. Examples of past special
events include: national tournaments, local tournaments, concerts
(Wynonna Judd, Garth Brooks, etc.), other sporting events (Pepsi Ail-
Star Softball Game, WBF World Championship Boxing, etc.), Easter
Sunrise services, July 4th celebrations, dog shows, art shows, and
many other local and regional events. In all, our park in Cathedral City
hosted more than 400,000 visitors last year (35,000 from out-of-town)
bringing an estimated $13 million economic benefit to the city.
Our parks host many group/corporate events each year. Some
examples of companies that have held their special events with Big
League Dreams include; Nike, Toyota, Mutual of New York, Sony,
Anheuser Busch, Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Hartford
Insurance, Delta Faucets, Mutual of Omaha, Outback Steakhouse and
many others.
A Big League Dreams park also creates large-market visibility. The
past three years the Pepsi All-Star Softball Game has been televised
by NBC to more than 8.5 million viewers. As well, the WBF World
Championship boxing match was broadcast live around the U.S. and
17 Latin American countries.
These are just a few of the benefits that could be realized by your
community. Since our parks are built through a public and private
partnership, typically the city would incur no maintenance or
operations costs. Additionally, the city could participate in the revenue
generated by Big League Dreams. In all, this partnership truly creates
a win-win environment for the city and the community.
n
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BLD - Frequently Asked Questions Page 2 of 7
1) What is "different" about a Big League Dreams Park?
Our parks are designed to make athletes of all ages and skill levels feel like they are "playing in the
big leagues". From our professionally built and maintained fields to the real dugouts with cooling
mister systems, to the home run leader board, players get a taste of world class. Our radio
broadcasts, "players of the night", newsletter and public address announcements of achievements
help with the feeling of being part of something special at Big League Dreams.
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2) Would you run our youth leagues?
No, Big League Dreams will simply provide immaculately groomed, world-class fields on which you
can play. We will work with your league to schedule your field times. Otherwise, your league will
operate the same way you have been.
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3) How much more can our youth leagues expect to pay in your park?
This is another area of operations that is negotiated with our city partners. Usually, your leagues
should pay no more to play at Big League Dreams than you are currently paying in your city. At
many Big League Dreams Parks we charge no field rental to youth teams.
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4) Do you charge to enter your park?
This operations decision is usually negotiated with our city partners. Big League Dreams typically
charges a nominal token fee at the gate, beginning at 5:00 PM on weekdays and all day on
weekends. This charge is for adults and children (under 13) who are playing in a game. All other
children are free. Every person paying a token fee receives a token worth $1.00 off any item they
choose at our concession areas. Since most people spend the token on a soda, the net cost for
youth is usually zero.
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5) Can we come and practice at BLD?
Yes, every Big League Dreams Park has open gates from the time our maintenance crews arrive
at 6:30 in the morning until the last person leaves at night. We encourage people to come to the
park and walk in to play any time. At around 5:00 PM on weekdays we start charging a token fee.
Prior to that however it is free to enter the park. Anyone can come in to play basketball, Frisbee,
baseball, or whatever. We simply ask that once the ball fields are groomed and lined for the day's
games (usually around 4:00 PM), that people not play on them.
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\&
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BLD - Frequently Asked Questions Page 3 of 7
6) How can our youth league generate our revenue if you are running the concessions?
Big League Dreams understands that many youth leagues rely on running a volunteer concessions
operation to generate revenue. Since we will be providing all concessions at the park our people
can work with your league to create a replacement source of revenue. In some cases we assist the
youth leagues with running their own tournaments, the proceeds of which go directly to the youth
league. In addition, we have helped leagues run clinics, with "big-name" athletes in attendance -
again with the proceeds going to the youth leagues. Big League Dreams is a family park and we
will make every effort to make your youth league experience a positive one.
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7) Do you serve beer in your concession area?
Yes, Big League Dreams serves beer just like any pizza restaurant. We have a full time staff that
monitors the responsible sale of alcohol and we take pride in our family atmosphere. Big League
Dreams control over alcohol sales is actually stronger than at professional stadiums, pizza
restaurants, bowling alleys, golf courses, etc.
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8) Doesn't your park generate more noise?
A Big League Dreams facility will not generate any more noise than a typical city sports park. In
fact, tests have proven that due to the nature of our "replica fields", the noise is contained within
the park even more than a typical city sports park.
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9) Doesn't your park create traffic and parking problems?
No. Again, our parks do not generate any more traffic than a typical city sports park. Due to the
fact that families are arriving and leaving our parks at regular intervals to play their games, our
parks have less traffic impact than your neighborhood school. When there are special events
planned, special use permits are received with the permission of the city and traffic concerns must
be alleviated. Also, during the design process Big League Dreams ensures that adequate parking
spaces are incorporated.
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10) Which "replica stadiums" are built?
There are several "replicas" that we have found to be the most popular (Yankee Stadium, Wrigley
Field, Fenway Park and others) but each city has input as to which designs are used in their park.
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11) What type of facilities do you build?
Every community has different needs. Big League Dreams work with the city and local sports
leaders to determine the needs of that community. Then the facilities will be designed to meet the
specific needs of that community. The park may include more or less fields for soccer, baseball,
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BLD - Frequently Asked Questions Page 4 of 7
softball, basketball, indoor soccer, roller hockey, volleyball or other sports.
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12) How safe are your parks?
Since our parks are staffed full time and we take great pride in maintaining our family atmosphere
our parks are very safe. Our parks are "controlled access" and we do not have people loitering
about looking for trouble. You will find it very common for parents to come with their children and
feel perfectly at ease letting the kids go play in the tot lot area unsupervised. Also, the park patrons
take pride in their "home field" and assist in the safe environment.
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13) Who uses your parks?
Big League Dreams Parks are designed, built and operated to meet the sports and recreation
needs of the local youth and adult sports leagues. Kids and adults may participate in baseball,
softball, basketball, soccer, inline hockey, indoor soccer, volleyball, flag football, and other sports.
Our parks are not for the elite but for all families.
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14) Can I bring my cooler into your park?
No, our food and beverage policy, the fact that we have a licensed restaurant on site, as well as
health codes require that no outside food or beverage be brought into a Big League Dreams Park.
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15) Have your parks won any awards?
Yes, we are proud to say that we have been named "2003 Best Sports Complex" by the USSSA
and "The Best New Sports Complex in America" by the Sports Operators and Developers
Association, We were awarded the "Best Public-Private Partnership" for the League of California
Cities, We won the "Business of the Year" for 1999 in Cathedral City, CA, as well as the "Desert
Beautification Award" in Cathedral City, CA. We also were named the "Best New Business" and
received a "Business Beautification Award" by the Jurupa Valley Chamber of Commerce in Mira
Loma, CA.
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16) What is a "public-private partnership"?
A partnership between a government agency and a private company that allows them both to
accomplish things that cannot be accomplished separately, with the community as the ultimate
beneficiaries.
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http://www.bigleaguedreams.com/newparkdev/faq.htm 10/4/2006
BLD - Frequently Asked Questions Page 5 of 7
17) How much does it cost to build your parks?
Each park is different depending on the type and size of the facilities built. Generally, our parks will
cost slightly more initially to build than a typical city sports park. However, since Big League
Dreams takes on all of the maintenance and operations costs and shares park revenue with the
city, the return on investment is usually a few short years after which the city is actually returning a
profit.
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18) How are your parks financed?
Again, each park is different. The city will pay for the initial capital costs just as they were planning
without Big League Dreams. This may include money already set aside, grant funds, bond issues,
or other sources. However, with Big League Dreams the city is able to expand the financing
options due to the fact that the city will have no maintenance costs and will also realize park
revenue.
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19) How much can you save a city in maintenance and operations costs?
For a 20-acre sports park most cities will estimate at least $250,000 to $400,000 per year in
savings.
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20) How much revenue can a city expect to generate?
This number varies greatly from market to market and also depends on what the city is trying to
accomplish with the facility. Some cities simply need a small facility to meet the needs of their local
sports groups while others want a larger facility that would draw tournaments and group events. A
city can expect between $25,000 and $200,000 annual revenue from a park when it is fully
operational.
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21) Does your park generate any positive economic benefits for the surrounding
community?
Yes, for those communities that want to draw sports tournaments and group events. The City of
Cathedral City (site of the first Big League Dreams Park) estimates a benefit to the community of
$13 million annually.
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22) How does your operating agreement with the cities work?
We act as partners with the cities and we enter into a long-term agreement with them to completely
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BLD - Frequently Asked Questions Page 6 of 7
maintain and operate their facility at our cost.
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23) What is Big League Dreams investment in the park?
Big League Dreams accepts a financial risk when opening a new park. We work with your city for
many months before each park opens. We will assist the city in design, architect, engineer and
contractor selection. We will also assist the city during the construction process. In addition, we will
begin hiring and training park staff many months before park opening. We expect the park to
operate at a loss for the first two to three years. Big League Dreams covers all losses as part of
our operations agreement with the city. Big League Dreams and the city also enter into a licensing
agreement that assures the city that no other Big League Dreams park will be built in the area.
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24) Are there any other privately operated sports parks?
Yes, there are dozens of privately operated sports complexes in the United States. Most of them
charge a gate fee or parking. Most of them are little more than a typical city park that is privately
operated. There are no other facilities in the country with the quality and diversity of sports as Big
League Dreams.
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25) Do you already have the construction plans for your parks?
Yes, we have built several parks so we have designs for the replica fields as well as our
concession buildings, etc. However, since each site and each community is different the plans
need to be adapted to be site-specific. The fact that we bring some of the designs to the project
saves that city considerably on other engineering and design fees.
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26) How do your parks affect the restaurants in the area?
Positively. Since our parks are so popular, the cities in which we are located find that they have
more local tournaments in town. Therefore, the participants stay in town for dinners, lunches, and
etc. rather than going out of town. In addition, with the tournaments that come to Big League
Dreams and the other group events, many travelers will come to town to stay in hotels, shop, eat
out, rent cars, etc. This influx of people is a positive impact to the entire business community.
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27) Do your parks generate any local jobs?
Yes, each park will employ approximately 60 - 75 people depending upon the facilities and size of
the project. About 60% of these jobs are full time. Examples of the type of employees are; General
Manager, Food Service Manager, Group Events Director, Sports Coordinators, Maintenance, Food
Service Staff, etc.
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BLD - Frequently Asked Questions Page 7 of7
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28) In what way does Big League Dreams benefit a community?
There are many positive benefits that are realized by a community with a Big League Dreams
Sports Park including:
City Park Development on Limited Resources
Zero City Maintenance Costs
Positive City Revenue
Significant City Financial Gain
World-Class, Multi-Sport Facilities
Competitive League and Tournament Fees
Increased Tourism
Enhanced Community Pride
Safe and Secure Park
National Recognition
Professional Park Operation and Customer Service
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28) Who can I contact regarding new park development?
Don Webber (909) 287-1700 Ext. 206
http://www.bigleaguedreams.com/newparkdev/faq.htm 10/4/2006
Big League Dreams Page 1 of 1
New Park Development
Benefits:
<Menu
• Brings additional recreational sports
facilities to your community
• Local youth and adults served first
• No city maintenance or operations costs
• No taxpayer expense
• Revenue generated for the city
• Positive local economic impact
• Large market visibility
http://www.bigleaguedreams.com/newparkdev/benefits.htm 10/4/2006
Big League Dreams Page 1 of3
New Park Development | Emtiii Facilities
< Menu
Gilbert, AZ (in design stage)
Oxnard, CA (in design stage)
Cathedral City, CA (existing)
Description: 5 Baseball/softball fields (3 replica
stadiums), covered multi-sport pavilion, Stadium
Club restaurant, concession building and patio,
sports office, batting cages, instructional area, tot
lot, 4 beach volleyball courts, and 3-acre passive
park on 25 acres.
Mira Loma, CA (Riverside County, existing)
Description: 5 Baseball/softball fields (3 replica
stadiums), 3 full-sized soccer fields, covered multi-
sport pavilion, Stadium Club restaurant, concession
building and patio, sports office, batting cages,
instructional area, tot lot, and 4 beach volleyball
courts on 30 acres.
Chino Hills, CA (existing)
Description: 6 Baseball/softball fields (all replica
stadiums), covered multi-sport pavilion, 2 Stadium
Club restaurants, sports office, BID corporate office,
batting cages, instructional area, 2 tot lots, a
skateboard park, and 4 beach volleyball courts on
35 acres. Phase 2 will include 16 full-sized soccer
fields, another Stadium Club restaurant, and
possibly tennis courts on 105 acres.
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Big League Dreams Page 2 of 3
Redding, CA (existing)
Description: 5 Baseball/Softball fields (3 replica
stadiums), covered multi-sport pavilion, Stadium
Club restaurant, concession building and patio,
sports office, batting cages, instructional area, 2 tot
lots, and 4 beach volleyball courts on 30 acres.
Phase 2 will include 5 full-sized soccer fields and a
Stadium Club restaurant.
League City, TX (existing)
Description: Six baseball/Softball fields (all replica
stadiums); multi-sport covered pavilion; a skate
park; two Stadium Club family style, sports-themed
concession buildings; administration office; batting
cages and instructional area; two children's
playgrounds; four sand volleyball courts; and
maintenance facilities on 32 acres.
Manteca, CA (Under construction)
Description: Six baseball/softball fields (three replica
stadiums); multi-sport covered pavilion; Stadium
Club family style, sports-themed concession
building; additional food and beverage concession
building and patio; administration office; batting
cages and instructional area; two children's
playgrounds; four sand volleyball courts; and
maintenance facilities on 30 acres.
West Covina, CA (in design stage)
Description: Six baseball/softball fields (all replica
stadiums); multi-sport covered pavilion; two Stadium
Club family style, sports-themed concession
buildings; administration office; batting cages and
instructional area; two children's playgrounds; four
sand volleyball courts; and maintenance facilities on
35 acres.
Mansfield, TX (in design stage; construction scheduled Fall
2005)
Eight baseball/softball fields (all replica stadiums);
two multi-sport covered pavilions; two Stadium Club
family style, sports-themed concession buildings; an
additional food and beverage concession building
and patio; batting cages and instructional area;
corporate events area, two children's playground;
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four sand volleyball courts; administration office and
maintenance facilities on 40 acres.
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Big League Dreams Page 1 of 6
New Park Development | (tutu
< Men i
Quotes
What Are People Saying About Big League Dreams?
" / want to thank you for bringing such an incredible
park to League City (Texas). Big League Dreams
has made it possible to provide a new quality youth
baseball opportunity and a very high quality facility!
We pack the park full of very happy kids, excited and
amazed parents and many local teams from the
League City and Houston areas as well as teams
from Austin to Louisiana. Our association has grown
from 20 teams to 120 teams in a two month period."
-Ron Kerr
President, Bay Area Baseball
League City, TX.
www.bayareaball.org
" It is my pleasure to say that our Big League
Dreams Sports Park has truly been a hit! Practically
each weekend, visiting teams play in tournaments
that have enhanced our economic development by
bringing thousands of tourists to town each year. Big
League Dreams Sports Park has brought countless
television events (Pepsi All-Star Softball Game
televised on NBC), corporate events and even a
concert featuring Wynonna Judd. Bringing Big
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Big League Dreams Page 2 of 6
League Dreams to Cathedral City is one of the best
things that the city has ever done. "
Donald Bradley
City Manager
Cathedral City, CA.
" Our league's experience with Big League Dreams
has been very positive. The park is clean, well run,
and much safer than the unsecured county park on
which we used to play. The fields (which are
maintained by Big League Dreams) are much better
than any city/county field we have ever played on.
The number of teams playing PONY Baseball in our
district has grown from six to more than fifty since the
opening of Big League Dreams Jurupa. PONY
Baseball is thriving at Big League Dreams. "
Bob Burke
President, Jurupa PONY Baseball
" We held our Big League Dreams Redding Grand
Opening in July 2004 and could not be happier with
the park. It has exceeded our expectations and is
truly a gathering place for families in Redding. We
firmly believe that this public-private partnership has
been one of the best decisions we have made. Over
200,000 people have gone through the gates in the
first six months since opening. It is with great
pleasure that I give my highest recommendation to
Big League Dreams. "
Michael Warren
City Manager
Redding, CA.
" The Palm Springs Classic has quickly become one
of the premier NCAA collegiate fastpitch tournaments
in the country and a huge part of that excitement
comes from playing at the Big League Dreams
complex in Cathedral City. The elite teams in the
country have loved the facility and look forward each
year to the tremendous atmosphere that is created in
a complex like Big League Dreams. The three-time
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Gold Medal USA OLYMPIC Team loved playing in
the venue and is making plans to return on an
annual basis. "
Kirk Walker
Head Softball Coach,
Oregon State University
" As a first time visitor to one of your parks, I can
only say, Wow! What a great place! My son and I
thoroughly enjoyed our recent experience at an
ASSSU Baseball Tournament held at your Redding,
CA, facility"
Lee Flippin
Director of Medicinal Chemistry,
FibroGen, Inc.
"Big League Dreams Sports Park has done more to
increase tourism and recognition for Cathedral City
than anything ever. We are proud to have them as
partners".
George Stettler
Mayor, Cathedral City
"... Truly exciting! Great benefits for the city and
youth. We are making history for League City."
Mayor
League City, Texas
"It has been a good investment for the city, providing
recreational opportunities for residents..."
Julie Baumer
Interim City Manager
Cathedral City - The Desert Sun, 4/19/99
"Big League Dreams has been an absolutely great
2P
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addition to our city, providing first-class recreation to
our kids and adults."
Greg Pettis
Mayor Pro Tern
Cathedral City
"It's a facility that serves the need in our community
for additional ball fields and other recreational
amenities. But first and foremost, it will help us
bridge the funding gap that will be created in Chino
Hills as development dollars go away."
Doug La Belle
City Manager Chino Hills, CA
The Los Angeles Times, 8/18/00
"...ultimately my goal (for bringing in Big League
Dreams) was to provide the area with a top quality
recreational facility."
Supervisor John Tavaglione
Riverside County
The Los Angeles Times, 8/18/00
"It is in fact being maintained and managed at a
higher level than what we could do from a
government side, yet our taxpayers do not have the
burden of paying those costs."
Tony Barton
Parks and Recreation Director
Cathedral City
Letter to The Manteca Bulletin
"A Big League Dreams Park with its controls is much
preferred for a city than an open park."
Stan Henry
Cathedral City Chief of Police
31
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"By far, Big League Dreams is the most significant
project Cathedral City has built in the past five
years."
former Mayor Gary Amy
Cathedral City
The Tri Valley Herald, 10/8/00
"Every time we see a Cathedral City Councilman, we
thank them for providing us with this park. I hope you
and your kids get the same great experience that we
do."
Mark Cresse
Director Cathedral City Youth Baseball
"We can hardly wait. We are talking up the Big
League Dreams Park. Our prospective buyers are
excited about having such a wonderful facility in their
neighborhood. We even have a waiting list for people
who want to purchase a home that overlooks the
park."
Terri MacMillan
Sales Representative
Centex Homes
Chino Hills, CA
"Big League Dreams would give us a higher-class
facility to play in. A secure atmosphere would be
comforting to the residents."
Jim Christensen
President Manteca Youth Softball Association
The Tri Valley Herald, 1/23/01
"It will actually be less expensive for us to play at Big
League Dreams. Playing at Big League Dreams will
save our league approximately $1, 200 per year. "
Jim Christensen
President Manteca Youth Softball Association
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