Redding Sports Park's future could be decided in March

Redding Sports Park’s future could be decided in March

Posted by author February 6, 2025 Sports

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Parks director Travis Menne will come back in March with a long-term plan for the city to run Redding Sports Park, formerly known as Big League Dreams.

But at their meeting Tuesday, city council members also directed staff to send out a press release that says Redding still isn’t ruling out a nonprofit or for-profit entity operating the park, and officials will consider ideas from those who express interest in doing the job.

Whether the city or a third-party vendor takes over operation of the renamed Redding Sports Park, someone will need to come up with at least $5 million to pay for upgrades, or the park likely will be forced to close in two years, the council was told.

Taking on that deferred maintenance means it will be difficult for a nonprofit or for-profit group to agree to take the park over, Community Services Director Menne said.

“The initial hurdle to get over is how do we bring this up to the condition it needs to be at to be able to attract a third party that wants to do it?” Menne said.

Leaky roofs, fields that need to be replaced, and a new walk-in refrigerator/freezer for the restaurant are examples of items that need to be replaced.

Menne said the price tag to bring the park up to tip-top shape could be closer to $10 million.

With the city facing an estimated $5 million budget shortfall, where the city would go to pay for the upgrades is not known at this time.

Councilwoman Tenessa Audette did not like the idea of the city running the sports park and said the city should send out a request for proposal to operate the facility.

“I do think people are interested, but they don’t want to come forward and say their names because they don’t want other people to call” and tell them how to do it, Audette said.

Menne said a third-party vendor will still need to spend millions to make the park viable “and that may be problematic.”

The city has operated the sports park since it reopened in October after Big League Dreams’ operator TC Sports Group abruptly closed it in July. Big League Dreams opened in 2004 at cost of about $12 million.

Menne said the park attracted 15,750 people the first three months after it reopened.

The city has rebuilt the batters’ boxes, fixed the irrigation issues, and received a $150,000 grant to upgrade the lighting at one field.

Also, the city has secured a naming rights deal worth $1 million, but Menne said it’s contingent upon the fields being replaced.

Last year, the city received a $200,000 commitment from the Redding Tourism Marketing Group to help upgrade the four sand volleyball courts so the sports park can host sanctioned collegiate and other types of tournaments, Menne said.

Menne told councilors that the current operation can continue until April 1.