Economy & Economic Development  May 30, 2017

Developers announce $225M sports complex in Windsor

WINDSOR — Developers on Tuesday announced that they will break ground this fall on the Rocky Mountain Sports Park in Windsor, a $225 million sports park mainly for baseball and softball tournaments expected to draw teams from around the world.

An architectural rendering shows the Stadium District of the planned Rocky Mountain Sports Park in Windsor.

Described by developers as “the world’s largest of its kind,” the park will be built on 413 acres of land at the northwest corner of Colorado Highway 257 and Harmony Road (Weld County Road 74), three miles north of Windsor Lake in Weld County. The property has been annexed into Windsor.

The project will also include 207 acres of land for commercial development.

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The complex is expected to include 65 fields, including a 10,000-seat stadium, five high school/collegiate fields, 10 youth fields, four T-ball fields, 16 tournament baseball fields and 16 tournament softball fields and 12 multi-use fields that can be used for lacrosse, football or soccer.

The complex will include an indoor-training facility that could be used year-round, and a “Miracle Field” for players with disabilities.

“It will be the most advanced facility in the world, but with a throwback feel to it,” said Mike Billadeau, the president and director of operations for Rocky Mountain Sports Park LLC, based in Fort Collins.

Ryan Spilborghs, a former Colorado Rockies player and current sports broadcaster, serves as vice president for RMSP. He said he’s been working with Billadeau on the concept for the past two years.

“This is a labor of love for me. The idea is to give every kid an experience that right now not all kids get,” Spilsborgh said. “There are silent partners involved that I can’t name right now, but you will learn of them over time as this plays out.

“Whether a kid is good or not doesn’t matter. We want to create good teammates, and kids from New York, Arizona or Japan can interact and learn from each other.”

Billadeau said the park will be privately funded. Stacy Johnson, director of economic development for the town of Windsor, said standard incentives will be available to RMSP, and mayor Kristie Melendez said the project will be put on the fast-track through planning.

Because the land initially was slated for industrial development, Johnson said she is hopeful residents near the complex will be excited for the baseball fields and retail.

Billadeau said with the possibility for hotels to build on the land, families will be able to stay nearby when their children participate in tournaments that could last up to 14 days.

“We’re looking to be an ultimate stay and play,” said Shawn Logan, director of marketing for RMSP.

Tournaments will be held from Memorial Day to Labor Day, Logan said, and he hopes families will be able to follow the students who play in the tournaments and then spend their time and money in Windsor.

“We want them to be able to come, watch baseball, watch their team and then enjoy great retail,” he said.

During the winter, when tournaments are not underway, Billadeau said Spilborghs’ connections may allow for opportunities for clinics and training in the indoor-training field.

According to Logan, the sports park will create more than 50 full-time jobs in the first phase of the project, with additional seasonal employees and the opportunity for employment after retail develops.

RMSP hopes the park will bring more than 100,000 annual visitors and more than 80,000 hotel room nights in a 14-week tournament season.

Logan said the project is expected to start construction this September, with the completion of the first phase in fall 2018, which will include the indoor-training facility geared to baseball and softball.

The final phase, Logan said, is expected to be completed in spring 2019.

The second phase will include the rest of the fields, all built with artificial turf to cut down on watering and increase “playability,” Billadeau said.

 

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