​The City of Corpus Christi is one step closer to having a state-of-the-art $30 million sports complex with developer SQH Sports & Entertainment securing financing for the project.
 
“We are thrilled to have met this milestone in our contract with the city, although it took a bit longer than we expected due to holiday schedules and the highly regulated process for bank transfers,” said CEO Brent Statzer. “Now we can set our sights on bringing to life one of the best sports complexes in South Texas.”
 
The City of Corpus Christi approved the sports complex contract with SQH Sports in November 2019.

Our SQH Sports team briefed the Corpus Christi City Council on February 12 near the end of that days’ public session. The purpose of the briefing was to aid the new members in understanding the features and benefits of this project to the citizens of Corpus Christi and update the members on proposed changes requested by Council last year.   

You can watch it from here or click on this link  and select item  42 below the media viewer to see that segment. 
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The council asked excellent questions and maintained a business focus throughout the presentation. We are looking forward to being in front of Council for the final vote very soon.  

Perseverance.  Anyone who competes in sports knows the value of perseverance.  It means adjusting, forecasting and strategizing to meet your goal.

Perseverance applies to building sports parks, too.  And we believe this sports park is a win for the City of Corpus Christi. It’s a revenue generator and it provides a place to support sports activities and a healthy lifestyle without using tax dollars to build it.

As you can see from the timeline graphic above, the city and SQH Sports have worked years on this project to assure that it’s the very best sports park for residents and visitors.  

​Since we were awarded the contract for the project in 2015, we’ve supported and answered the city’s need for changes, additions or studies. They requested an expansion of the sports park, adding more fields and courts, and we did.  They asked us to generate engineering studies relative to wastewater and utility development, and we did.  They asked us to develop the road to connect communities to Oso Parkway and we put that in the plan.

Late last year, the city finalized the location.  In April, city staff requested that city council amend the lease. A large chunk of the land is within the 100-year floodplain, which prevents development—but without it SQH would not be able to build the road and nature trail.  

The city staff are working diligently to assure the project exceeds standards. They want to provide a sports hub in this community which will be a source of pride for residents. SQH is investing more than $25 million to make this sports park the crown jewel of sports in Texas. We believe our perseverance will be a win for Corpus Christi. 

​Why did you pick Corpus Christi for your first sports park?
 
We believe Corpus Christi to be the perfect location for a sports park.  Any family with a child in tournament level play between here and the Valley will tell you there are very few high quality fields for weekend tournaments.  Families in this region travel to Houston, San Antonio and even farther, to get the quality fields their teams require. 
 
What are the terms of the contract you are seeking with the City of Corpus Christi?
 
Our proposed contract with the city gives SQH Sports a long term lease on city-owned land in exchange for building, managing and maintaining a sports park.  It’s an innovative public/private partnership on a piece of land that the city is unable to develop on its own.
 
How will SQH sports maintain the property?
 
It’s a big commitment to maintain parklands at the level required for league and tournament play.  Because of the public/private partnership, SQH Sports will be responsible for maintaining the highest level of playing fields.  And tournament user fees and guest/athlete amenities are how we’ll keep that up to the necessary standard. Users will pay, not the taxpayer in Corpus Christi.
 
What is a public/private partnership?
 
A public/private partnership is when two parties come together, one public or a government entity and one private, or a corporation, to bring to life a project that is mutual beneficial.  In this case, the city of Corpus Christi is offering SQH Sports a long term lease on a piece of land, in exchange for us promising to build and maintain a sports park there that benefits the entire community and brings financial benefit back to the city.
 
How many sports teams could use the facility during the week at max capacity?
 
This park can be configured to maximize 12 softball fields concurrent with 6 basketball courts or twelve volleyball courts inside, allowing hundreds of athletes to participate at a time. For example, for a large volleyball tournament, the indoor courts can hold 120 teams.  For basketball, 60 teams.  The outdoor fields can handle 10 teams per field.  
 
Where will you get the money to build the park?
 
We are working with a group of private banks to finance the construction of the park.  Once the lease is finalized with the City Council action on May 29, we’ll begin to finalize that step.  We’ve already worked with Joeris Construction and Urban Engineering for the necessary infrastructure and construction estimates so we already have a clear idea of construction costs.

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​Who will run the park?
 
The park will be managed locally with in-house management and a local team.
 
What is the benefit of this park to Corpus Christi?
 
We believe that this sports complex will bring enormous benefit to the Corpus Christi community.  The economic impact study projects that the addition of this park to the CC community will generate: revenue through the HOT tax, through sales taxes and will draw visitors to the city, attracting millions in visitor spending.  
 
Are there specific tournaments that SQH is already eyeing to bring to CC?
 
We’ve had inquiries from tournament directors but most of these tournaments work two years in advance of their tournament date, so as soon as we are under construction, we’ll begin the process to target specific regional tournaments.
 
Has SQH built a sports park before?
 
This is a new venture for SQH Sports and Entertainment. The business was formed in 2014 so we could prepare a response to the City of Corpus Christi’s desire to build a sports park as part of a public/private partnership.
 
What’s the timeline for getting the sports park open?
 
As soon as we finalize the contract with the city of Corpus Christi, we’ll get to work on it.  We anticipate that the sports park will take 18-24 months to build once we break ground. 

​Corpus Christi City Council last week approved an amendment to revise the existing Wastewater Master Plan that will allow SQH Sports & Entertainment, Inc. (SQH) to conduct budget analysis and finalize project costs, thus moving the plans forward to build a regional multi-sports complex.
 
The land which SQH Sports is leasing from the city of Corpus Christi does not have access to a sewer. The city agreed to bring a wastewater line to the lease property, allowing the proper infrastructure to be built and making the land feasible for development. SQH Sports will be assuming responsibility for sewer access and the lift station necessary to support the wastewater line; these two items, which are key to getting construction underway, are at no cost to taxpayers.
 
“Today’s amendment is a key component to making the sports park a reality,” said Bert Quintanilla, Vice President of Governmental Affairs of SQH Sports & Entertainment. “The last hurdle is the private acquisition of an additional 68 acres of adjacent land so that we can build an amazing park that meets the city’s requirements,” he said.
 
SQH Sports is working with the Community Foundation to purchase the additional acreage and hopes to finalize the transaction in May. Once the final land acquisition is completed, the sports park could be opened within 18 months of breaking ground. The actual timeline for that is largely dependent on finalizing the additional land acquisition needed for the sports park.
 
SQH Sports has a contract with the city to lease city-owned land on which to build a regional sports park. The park is an all-inclusive sports complex that features a multi-use field house, numerous indoor and outdoor fields for a variety of sports, all professionally maintained and surrounded by full lights to maximize night play.   

Corpus Christi city council on Tuesday approved the SQH Sports & Entertainment (SQH) bid to build an all-inclusive sports complex on 68 acres of city-owned property on Crosstown Expressway through a long term lease agreement. This new public/private partnership, the first of its kind in the region, will change the face of youth and adult sports. 

The regional sports park is a master-planned, inclusive sports complex that features a multi-use field house, numerous outdoor fields for softball, baseball, soccer and sand volleyball pits, all professionally maintained and surrounded by full lights to maximize night play. This family-friendly sports and entertainment complex will offer a sports-themed restaurant with high levels of hospitality and service, and an outdoor play area for children.

“Our team is excited to move forward on this sports complex, knowing it will become a regional hub for sports programs and tournaments, an economic driver for the city, and enrich the quality of life for local residents,” said Brent Statzer, CEO of SQH Sports.

The company began talks with the city in 2010 when they identified a need for additional sports fields and recreational sports facilities. In August 2014, the city issued an RFP for a sports complex and SQH Sports responded.

“This new sports park will be built with private funding, which at this time is estimated to cost $25 million,” said Bert Quintanilla, SQH VP of Governmental Affairs. “As the former President of the Convention & Visitors Bureau, I understand the impact a sports complex can have on the overall economy, especially January through May, which are usually shoulder periods,” he continued.

 “We will create an integrated approach to sports complexes where families play, stay, eat, linger and enjoy the total experience,” said Derrick Hegmon, COO of SQH Sports.

“We believe Corpus Christi is a perfect market for this type of sports complex,” Hegmon said. “More than seven million people visit Corpus annually, it is already a destination, and with an active local sports community, it makes a highly desirable place to build a regional sports facility,” he said.

Numerous members had comments during the deliberation period.

“I see this as a launching point for moving our parks and recreation master plan to the next level, said Chad Magill, representative at-large. “This is about embracing the fact that we are a sports city.  I applaud your confidence and willingness to invest in Corpus Christi.”

“I’m so happy about this. This is a long time coming,” said Carolyn Vaughn, representative for District 1.  I hope it starts development on the South Side. “

“This has been a long time coming,” said Mayor Nelda Martinez. 

“I welcome you to district 3,” said Lucy Rubio. The sports complex will be built in Rubio’s district. 
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The measure passed 7-0.  

We are excited to share with your our site map for the proposed new SQH Sports complex in Corpus Christi. Once built, it would provide a destination in South Texas for recreational and amateur youth sports. We are building a safe place for a variety of athletes to “show their stuff.”

The site will include:

• Lit baseball/softball fields with dugouts and stadium seating bleachers
  
• Lit multi-sport rectangular fields (soccer, lacrosse, flag football)
• Indoor field house (up to 6 regulation size basketball courts or 12 regulation volleyball courts)
• Sports-themed restaurant, game center, and concession stands throughout the park

What are you most excited about?

What if the citizens of Corpus Christi had a better youth sports complex? That’s exactly what SQH Sports hopes to bring to citizens AND visitors to the Coastal Bend. The new sports park will be a tournament-quality, multi-sports complex that will give the community a new advantage in youth sports tournaments.  

SQH Sports is working to gain acceptance for a unique public/private partnership with the City of Corpus Christi on 50 acres of city-owned land on Crosstown Expressway. The city would provide the land and infrastructure and we would build and operate the complex. 

Our plan is for an all-inclusive sports complex with a multi-use field house, indoor and outdoor fields for baseball, softball, soccer and volleyball with lights for night play.  It will be family-friendly with an outdoor play area, restaurant, ample seating and deluxe comfort areas.  

Youth sports in America is a $7 billion dollar industry, based on a survey by the National Federation of State High School Associations. We estimate that this sports complex could draw more than 400,000 people annually to Corpus Christi who would stay in our hotels, eat in our restaurants, and bring economic benefits to visiting to Corpus Christi.

Would you like to know more about making this happen? Sign up for our email newsletter and we’ll keep you updated on the latest developments.