On Tuesday afternoon Odessa City Manager John Beckmeyer will update the city council on the latest developments regarding the new sports complex, including the fact he hopes to sign a memorandum of understanding with Centurion, the company financing the project, on Wednesday.
“It’s just been held up with the lawyers for longer than what I liked, but it’s on the move right now,” Beckmeyer said during a Thursday interview.
Sixteen months ago the Bell family donated 100 acres to the city for a new sports complex and Synergy Sports told the council they expected a January 2024 groundbreaking.
However, emails obtained by the Odessa American under the Texas Public Information Act showed the complex was hung up when it came to signing an MOU with Centurion, which said it planned to issue revenue bonds to finance the project.
There was confusion over whether the Texas Attorney General’s Office had to get involved and how Centurion was going to get paid for the $70 million project.
According to one email, Collin Sewell, who heads up the foundation formed to accept donations for the project, told city officials he was uncomfortable accepting any funds until the financing had been secured.
The emails also showed that Councilmember Mark Matta asked at one point if the project was beyond Centurion’s scope and Councilmember Steve Thompson also expressed serious doubts, writing “We must force something to happen or the project is over.”
Under the proposed MOU, Centurion is to sell revenue bonds in either Texas or Georgia and lease the property to Sports Med Properties, which will then lease it to the foundation.
On Thursday, Beckmeyer said he discussed the situation with the city’s own bond counsel out of an “abundance of caution” to make sure the AG’s office didn’t have to review all of the leases.
Centurion has also agreed they’ll only get paid once they meet certain milestones, Beckmeyer said.
He said he’s sorry for the delays, but “I’m truly trying to watch out for the best interests of the city and I don’t want us to end up in a situation because I didn’t ask a simple question.”
The council has already given him permission to sign an MOU with Centurion, but he won’t sign until the council can give “informed consent,” Beckmeyer said.
Once ground is broken, construction is expected to take 18 months.
The complex is going to be 140,000 square feet with 30 pickle ball courts, 20 volleyball courts, 10 hardwood courts, a portable 200-meter banked competition track, fitness centers, conference rooms, offices, a concession area, a cafe and a retailer. In addition, outside there will be 12 fields for soccer, football and lacrosse and up to eight softball and baseball fields. There are also plans for athletic training and physical therapy.
The council will also hear details about 2025 benefit options for employees during their 3 p.m. work session.
During their regular 6 p.m. meeting, the council will:
- Discuss purchasing two automated side load trucks and one roll-off truck for the solid waste department at a cost of $1.1 million.
- Discuss replacing a bucket truck in the traffic department for $187,300.
- Discuss buying a Ford F-550 for the traffic department for $193,000.
- Ratify the property tax revenue increase. It will be $0.466275 cents per $100 valuation.
- Discuss replacing four aging valves for the elevated water tower on Dawn Avenue north of 52nd Street. The estimated cost is $67,680.
- Adopt the city’s 2024-2025 budget.
- Approve water and sewer rate increases of 3% each.
- Approve a solid waste rate increase of 3.5%.
- Discuss purchasing aerator replacement parts for the Bob Derrington Water Reclamation Plant for $150,850.
- Odessa City Councilmember Chris Haney could also recommend a replacement for Odessa Development Corporation vice president Jeff Russell, who was removed from the ODC last month.
