(Photo from cortland-co.org).
Update: The Federal Aid Allocation Citizen’s Advisory Committee approved the PBR deal, but it still has to go through the Finance and Administration Committee on Thursday. “If it passes there then (it will go) to the Legislature (Thursday night),” said County Legislator Beau Harbin.
Here is the original article as it ran Wednesday:
A partnership with baseball scouting service Prep Baseball Report(PBR) could turn the Gutchess Lumber Sports Complex in the Town of Cortlandville into a destination for sports tourism, according to county elected leaders. The deal, Cortland county officials said, could prove crucial for economic development in the region and thus is deserving of federal funding provided by Cortland County.
Members of the Cortland Regional Sports Council (CRSC), and local officials presented the partnership with PBR to the county’s Federal Aid Allocation Citizen's Advisory Committee early on Tuesday. The group presenting requested $500,000 in aid from the American Rescue Plan — a national stimulus package approved by federal legislators earlier this year.
County legislators approved the funding request via a vote of 5-2, agreeing to provide Cortlandville with $250,000 this year and the rest of the share next year. Legislators Cathy Bischoff (D-LD 3), and Minority Leader Beau Harbin (D-LD 2) voted against the resolution. The legislators in the Democratic minority cited concerns about the uncertainty of projected revenues. Bischoff also noted she would be voting no on any proposal because she wants to be able to hear all project proposals first before voting on anything.
The PBR deal will help the town build two new turf fields at the complex, and Cortlandville will use the federal funds to expand the Gutchess Sports Complex concession stands. It also includes additional parking, new walking trails, pickleball courts, picnic facilities, and other community amenities.
The Cortland Voice previously reported on the Cortlandville Town Board’s approval of the new deal with PBR.
You can read about it here: https://cortlandvoice.com/2021/08/09/town-of-cortlandville-reaches-agreement-with-sports-organization-videos-included/
The 100-acre sports facility, located next to Byrne Hollow Farm along the southern portion of Route 13, opened its doors in 2018, wrapping up what officials called phase 1 of the project.
Gutchess Park, as it is often referred to, currently supports several regional baseball tournaments, as well as several high school baseball teams from across the county, including the Cortland Crush. When it is all said and done, the project will have a price tag of anywhere between $16-18 million.
CRSC members noted they hope the PBR agreement, which will yield a yearly management fee of $218,000 paid to Cortlandville by PBR, will help offset some of those costs.
The agreement will run for 10 years, with two options to renew for five more years each. The disbursements to Cortlandville will be monthly, according to John Delvecchio, an attorney representing Cortlandville.
Delvecchio added Homer High School, Cortland High School, Cortland Crush, and Little League organizations would also pay a yearly fee to Cortlandville of around $20,000 to use the facilities.
Other revenue streams for the town, Delvecchio said, include income from concessions. As part of the deal with PBR negotiated on Aug. 4, the town will also retain 50 percent of the marketing and sponsorship rights for Gutchess Lumber Sports Complex.
Perhaps the biggest income stream sports tourism officials are banking on is sales tax generated from tournaments hosted at Guchess. CRSC executive director Machell Phelps said the baseball events have a significant impact on the local economy.
“This summer, we are on track to have $2.7 million in revenue from sports tourism,” Phelps said. “That is as much as we have brought in during entire years in the past. In the middle of COVID-19, with all the restrictions, we are still exceeding the economic impact from previous years. That says a tremendous amount about the people who are coming here and their loyalty to the community.”
Phelps added the economic impact is an important driver in trying to expand the facilities.
“The whole reason why we are trying to expand and add these amenities is to try and make their experience better,” Phelps said.
From June through August, roughly 5,632 people visited Cortland County due to the tournaments put on at the park, according to CRSC estimates. Athletes and their families made the trip from other parts of New York, as well as the states of New Jersey, Rhode Island, Maryland, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania.
Outside of the economic impacts, CRSC president Gary VanGorder noted Cortlandville is also seeking to make this Gutchess Park expansion into something the community can enjoy.
“The (Cortlandville Town Board) is laser focused on making sure that facility is not just a park that is rented to PBR. They are focused on making it a town park,” VanGorder said. “There is great recognition that this has to be more than just tournament baseball. This is a town park and I am convinced this is going to be a great park for everyone in Cortland County.”
For some officials, the expansion at Gutchess Sports Complex would signify a great investment in the future of economic development in the county.
“The county has been reaping the benefits of the investments Cortlandville has been making in our community for many years,” said County Legislature Chair Paul Heider (R-D-16) alluding to projects like the park and the Cortlandville Walmart. “I can’t think of a better investment at this time in Cortland County, but the economic investment we can make to help us move forward with the sports complex.”
Legislature Majority Leader George Wagner (R-LD15) said the investment that will add to Cortlandville’s sports tourism industry could be seen as the start of a growth process for Cortland.
“I am optimistic and I am thinking about expansion. This is the best thing I have seen for this county in quite a while,” Wagner said. “We always suppress what we are doing and we never look at the next step of what we are doing. I think this is going to take off, it is going to benefit the taxpayer and make money for this county.”
