Study On Regional Sports Complex Delayed, Still On Course

Progress on a feasibility study for a Wenatchee area regional sports complex is being delayed but is still on course for completion.  

Consultant Berry Dunn is reanalyzing some existing baseball and softball fields at the direction of the Regional Sports Complex Steering Committee. 

The process has delayed a final report on Phase 1 of the study, which will be released in the coming days. 

Phase 1 is a couple of months behind after originally being scheduled for completion by October. 

The new completion date for Phase 2 of the study is being moved back from February of next year to June.  

Stacie de Mestre is Director of Economic Development and Capital Projects for the Chelan Douglas Regional Port Authority which commissioned the study. 

She told Port commissioners at a meeting Tuesday that Berry Dunn would define the goals and objective for the sports complex in January under the watch of the Steering Committee. 

The consultant will then formulate a conceptual design of the facility, although de Mestre says there'll be a new wrinkle to the process.  

"They've also added a section where they're going to suggest upgrades and expansion to existing facilities," said de Mestre. "And they're really going to work with those facility owners to involve them in that process." 

The current study uses previous feasibility studies as an outline for direction. de Mestre says adjustments are being made to Phase 2 based on the results of Phase 1. 

She said Phase 2 will narrow down specifics of the sports complex. "In the end, they're going to suggest a couple of different facilities with different components," de Mestre said. "They're going to look at possible locations. There's going to be capital costs, operational costs and some funding scenarios as well." 

Earlier, de Mestre told KPQ that Phase 2 will determine what the regional sports center would look like, where it would be located and how it would be paid for.  

Phase 2 would also determine the trickledown effect of the regional center; how many people it would bring into the area for hotels and restaurants.  

A possible Phase Three would focus on a survey of voter support for the sports complex project. Any Sports Complex would likely be financed by sales tax money, which would require a public vote. 

The feasibility study is being paid for by Chelan and Douglas counties, the cities of Wenatchee and East Wenatchee, the Regional Port Authority and a group that oversees the Town Toyota Center. 

A rundown of their financial commitments is below: 

• Greater Wenatchee Public Facilities District (Town Toyota Center) $100,000 
• Chelan County $ 50,000 
• Douglas County $ 50,000 
• City of Wenatchee $ 40,000 
• City of East Wenatchee $ 30,000 
• Chelan Douglas Regional Port Authority $ 30,000 

Once the feasibility study is complete, the Port's involvement in the process will be over. 

Funding for a regional sports complex would require voter approval for two tenths of 1% (0.2%) sales tax increase. The state legislature approved the funding process in the past year. 

Cities and communities as well as residents in Chelan and Douglas counties would participate in funding the project based on voting results.