Council reviews ITA master plan update that emphasizes sports tourism, staged industrial growth and stormwater solutions

City planners and consultants told the council an updated ITA master plan would guide investment to balance sports tourism, light industrial/flex development, municipal facilities and agriculture.

Clay Dills, the staff lead, said the approach concentrates tournament sports and turf conversion in the northern ITA to create a contiguous sports tourism district with an 11‑field tournament complex, a multi‑use championship stadium, expanded parking and a possible 150‑room hotel outside the ITA restricted area for a "stay‑and‑play" model. Victus and SB Friedman pro formas presented by staff estimated the tournament complex would cost ~$44.5 million and generate about 83,000 annual room nights and $2.4 million in annual taxes; adding the championship stadium (about $12.5 million) could bring another 26,000 room nights and ~$820,000 in taxes.

For the southern ITA, staff proposed an integrated regional stormwater facility that also supports recreational uses — cross‑country courses, trails and paddle amenities — and preserves large wooded buffers and farmland. Dills said stormwater constraints grow moving south and west in the ITA (engineered stormwater needs could require setting aside 25–40% of land for ponds), and steered heavier impervious industrial development toward northern and northeastern parcels where development costs per acre are lower.

Phase estimates presented to council included: sports‑tourism/recreation Phase 1 (tournament complex, stadium work and cross‑country) at approximately $62.8 million (projected 125,000 annual room nights, 1,435 jobs, $3.36M in annual taxes); and industrial Phase 1A/1B infrastructure (roadway and stormwater) at about $26.4 million, estimated to support ~1,148 jobs and $3.25M in annual taxes.

Council discussion touched on noise and flight‑safety overlays (the ITA/AUS restrictions), stormwater trade‑offs, the availability of larger contiguous parcels elsewhere (Corporate Landing) and the balance between tourism and industrial investments. Council member Barbara reminded colleagues that "there can be no residential in that area because of the noise" and urged care about siting. Dills said the Navy has attended briefings and "so far doesn't have any issue with the way the layout" but staff committed to continuing Navy coordination on noise and survivability constraints.

Council voted to send the ITA master plan update to the planning commission for formal consideration and additional public input.

What’s next: planning commission review and public hearings to refine phasing, road/stormwater costs and development restrictions.