- April 3, 2025
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Flagler County and Palm Coast are holding a joint workshop on April 7 to discuss the potential for a $110 million sports complex for the county, to be located in the northwest section of Palm Coast.
The large-scale sports complex would include indoor and outdoor facilities for a variety of sports, retail and dining options, sports medicine, and opportunities to attract high-level competitions and training programs, a Flagler County press release said. The county and city are inviting residents to discuss the idea at 1 p.m. on April 7 at the Flagler County Government Services Building.
"It’s about $110 million investment, but it’s an investment that we’re not making," County Administrator Heidi Petito told the media on March 27. "They come and develop the site."
The way it would work is the government leases the land to the developer for a one-time, low fee — like $1 — and the developer would then build the facility. The government then pays off the cost of the project through the lease over a set term.
A similar project was proposed by Synergy Sports to the City of Palm Coast in February 2024. At that time, a proposed 180-acre sports complex was estimated to generate an economic impact of over $79 million in its first year alone.
Synergy Sports, a company with 15 years of experience building sports complexes, told the Palm Coast City Council that the annual impact could reach $154 million by year 10.
The project did not come to fruition in the city in part because the City Charter forbids public-private partnerships. A charter amendment was voted down in November 2024, so the city could not entertain something like the Synergy proposal. The county does not have the same charter restriction, so the county is now exploring the project instead.
According to Palm Coast Chief of Staff Jason DeLorenzo, the project is projected to be "self sustaining," meaning it would pay for itself without government subsidy.
The complex would serve as a place for athletes of all skill levels to train, families to gather for tournaments and events and a source of sports tourism to fuel economic growth, the press release said.
“This is about planning for the future,” Petito said. “As our community grows, so does the demand for quality recreational spaces. We want to hear from our residents about what they envision for this type of project.”
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