VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — The Virginia Beach City Council on Tuesday approved of a new 20-year contract with the current management of the Sportsplex and Field Hockey Complex.
Hometown Sports Management LLC currently runs the sportsplex and was the sole bidder for a new contract to manage the facilities at 2044 Landstown Centre Way.
Council Member Chris Taylor was the sole dissenting vote to approve the contract. At the Sept. 24 informal meeting, he cited concerns with the 20-year timeframe and unanswered questions.
In the new contract, Hometown Sports Management will pay the city 5% of the combined annual gross revenues of both cities that are in excess of $1.1 million. Revenue generated from the sale of sponsorships and naming rights is included in the gross revenues.
The management company also has to invest up to $600,000 in upgrades to the facilities. The city also will fund improvements not exceeding $4,138,500, including artificial turf fields, new lights for one of the field hockey fields, converting grass fields, and flattening the berm.
The sportsplex opened in 1999 and originally was a facility of the Convention & Visitors Bureau. It transferred to the city’s Parks and Recreation Department in 2003, and in 2009, the city outsourced its operation to Hometown Sports Management with a contract that ends in 2025.
