Morgan Hill Youth Sports Alliance is the lead candidate among
three companies that have submitted proposals to manage and run the
Outdoor Sports Center.
Morgan Hill Youth Sports Alliance is the lead candidate among three companies that have submitted proposals to manage and run the Outdoor Sports Center.
Following the first round of interviews with Upper V Management Group, LLC, whose clients include the San Jose Earthquakes and FC Gold Pride, MHYSA and the center’s current operator, California Youth Soccer Association, Inc., city staff last week concluded that the alliance’s plan best fulfills the city’s priorities. Those include operating the 35-acre facility, located 16500 Condit Road, at no cost to the city, demonstrating balance of local and regional handling and ensuring a diverse mix of field use.
City staff has passed its recommendation to the Parks and Recreation Commission, which will hold a second round of presentations starting at 7 p.m. today at City Hall.
“They had a comprehensive business plan that was thorough and consistent with what the city’s objective is,” Steve Rymer, director of recreation and community services, said Friday. “We are in full support.”
Leasing the complex would be a watershed undertaking for MHYSA, a nonprofit group that provides financial assistance for young athletes and coordinates practices for member sports league in South Valley.
The alliances’ package opens the door to projected large increasing revenue, including a first-year goal of $50,000 that the alliance plans to put back into the city in quarterly payments. That money would go toward youth sports in Morgan Hill on top of maintaining the outdoor center.
“We want to turn that facility into a sustainable revenue source for the city, which we believe we can do,” MHYSA president Jeff Dixon said Friday. “We were aggressive but conservative with the projections we made in our plan, so the numbers are realistic.”
Requests for proposals went out Feb. 10. From that day, Dixon estimated that he and his staff – vice president Dave Payne and treasurer Rui Azevedo – spent 500 hours working on their plan, which was submitted March 19. The 28-page proposal lists several innovative ways MHYSA can generate funds through the center. On top of hourly field-rentals, snack bar sales and parking fees, there is room to do so through marketing strategies, like using the facility’s fences for advertisement space.
“There is room for this city to make huge revenue off the complex,” Dixon said.
The CYSA has provided fair treatment for those who use the outdoor Center, Dixon added, but there is more to be gained. The grass fields are currently open to the public on weekends with a day-use fee of roughly $300. On most weekends, the CYSA reserves the entire facility, including the turf fields.
Dixon’s group wants to open the fields to youth leagues during the week, creating a “home-field” venue that will be the site of local teams’ practices.
“As of now, we’re using 100 percent of our resources 80 percent of the time,” Dixon said. “Thinking of it as a hotel, we want 90 percent occupancy. That means more fields being used, more parking spaces filled and more snacks possibly being purchased.”
It also means more money for local businesses. In its plan, the alliance outlines weekend promotional packages with Morgan Hill merchants, who can reserve discounts for out-of-town field users.
This community focus was a major plus to city staff.
“Their proposal tied into their goals with local development,” Rymer said. “Our hotels and downtown businesses would benefit each weekend.”
The CYSA had a similar approach in its proposal. District II commissioner Rodney Robinson said the association wants to make the outdoor center more accessible to the community by opening it during the week and being “more accommodating” to local groups on the weekend.
“We want to invest more money into the fields,” Robinson said Monday. “The problem is, we’re on a month-to-month lease. Going forward, we want to be on a multi-year basis. If we do that, we’ll invest more.”
That the alliance would be more than willing to continue keeping the facility open to the CYSA – and possibly Upper V Management – was another keynote of MHYSA’s proposal.
“CYSA has done a lot for the community, so we want them to continue using the complex. If the Earthquakes want to use it, they can too,” Dixon said. “But we want all dealings to be transparent.”
The city’s endorsement is a major step forward, but Dixon said it is only the beginning. Should the alliance’s package merit consent by the Parks and Recreation Commission, it will move to the City Council in the coming weeks.
Parks and Recreation Commission Chairwoman Katharine Hardt-Mason wants a recommendation to be made soon, though there is much to consider.
“I’d like to stay local with this, so the Youth Alliance has a lot of strengths to me,” Hardt-Mason said Monday. “But they’re also very inexperienced. CYSA has a great history, and they’re well respected in the state, so they have a reputation we can rely on.”
For reasons unknown, Upper V Management will not be represented at today’s meeting, Hardt-Mason said.
Ultimately, the City Council will consider approving an operator with which to begin contract negotiations. Dixon is confident in his groups chances.
“We clearly believe that we can do this,” he said. “We wouldn’t have stepped up to the plate if we didn’t think it was realistic.”
