Weld County commissioners pull out of Windsor sports complex project, angering town officials

WINDSOR — Leaders from the town of Windsor admonished the Weld County Board of Commissioners this week after the county pulled its support for the troubled Future Legends Sports Complex project.

In a statement, the city said the commissioners voted to withdraw its participation within a joint effort to secure $20 million in low-interest loans through the state. The project’s developer and Windsor officials claim they weren’t notified of the vote ahead of time.

The county’s rescindment of support makes the project ineligible for the state loan, which would have funded 13% of the project’s budget. Windsor mayor Kristie Melendez said the commission’s departure all but guarantees that the complex’s development is stalled in its tracks, which includes not generating an estimated 1,500 jobs.

“We were on the verge of something great, something for which we all could have been proud,” she said. “Instead, we are now facing a severe negative financial impact for not only Windsor, but for all of Northern Colorado.”

In a letter to Windsor officials dated April 6, the commissioners said it pulled out because it didn’t receive a presentation outlining how that loan-application process to the state would work. However, the board said it is still willing to partner with the city and the developer in other financing options.

“Weld County has always worked in partnership with the town of Windsor on economic development efforts to bring businesses and jobs to the Windsor area,” the board’s letter reads. “We would like to continue our partnership and collaboration in the future.”

The Future Legends complex is a broad effort to build a venue for statewide and national youth sports tournaments on a 100-acre plot, along with a 300,000-square-foot hotel and convention center and a retail center. Windsor’s master plan called for $8.5 million in spending to begin development.

But the plan for the complex has changed multiple times since it was first pitched in 2017, including a change in lead developer and long-term delays. The park was originally slated to open to the public last year as a 490-acre development, but has since been significantly downsized.

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