$3.2 million recommended for Fort Mill School District fields

York County’s hospitality tax advisory group will recommend spending more than $3.2 million for athletic fields on Fort Mill School District property.

The advisory group voted 8-2 on the recommendation Sept. 22. Now the Fort Mill plan joins a recreation complex proposal in Lake Wylie on an Oct. 5 county finance and operations committee meeting agenda, with York County Council later casting the final vote.

School district leaders made a pitch in April for money to help build a facility then called Spratt Fields and since changed to Riverview Athletic Complex. They returned Sept. 22 to answer questions fielded by the advisory group; Mainly what partnerships the district has in place with the town recreation department, why the complex wouldn’t be funded through school district bonds and how often the new fields would host outside tournaments.

The plan is for four lighted, artificial surface fields next to Riverview Elementary School. The cost including the land purchase is $6.4 million, with $600,000 approved from the district’s general fund. The district estimates the new fields would draw more than 75,000 tourists the first three years at an estimated $8.5 million in tourism revenue, both key selling points for hospitality tax spending.

“Our goal is to create a tourism destination spot,” said Tommy Schmolze, assistant superintendent. “We think we’re in perfect position to do that.”

Soccer, lacrosse and field hockey tournaments all are possibilities for the new venue. District leaders expect tournaments to pump visitors into local restaurants and attractions.

“Carowinds is a big draw for us,” Schmolze said. “Teams like to have something to do when they’re not playing.”

An initial concern for the advisory group was a lack of commitment from the town. There is no plan to work with the town park and recreation department, though the town could apply to host events at the new fields. The school district closed on the 56 acres that includes both the field and elementary school space in 2012. Two months later the district and town met to discuss town use of the field space, the district proposing a $1.3 million contribution from the town that would allow recreational use.

According to the district, repeated attempts to move forward with that plan found little momentum, the final communication being a letter from the town in September 2013 saying a meeting should be scheduled.

“Since that date we have had no further contact,” said Patrick White, school board chairman.

Fort Mill parks and recreation leaders are looking at property from the Waterside on the Catawba development to put new fields, and have a series of related needs on their capital improvements list. The town recently passed impact fees that will contribute to parks and recreation funding.

Hospitality tax advisory group members weren’t concerned that the town and school putting separate field projects together would hurt the district’s ability to host tournaments.

“Even if (the town) are building the fields, it sounds like there’s a demand,” said Watts Huckabee, advisory group chairman.

Dissenting votes Sept. 22 had less to do with the school district plan and more to do with budgeting. The county tax, collected in unincorporated areas on food and drink sales, has about $5 million banked. About $2.1 million comes in annually. Projects could be bonded up to $10 million.

The Clover School District and Upper Palmetto YMCA pitched improvements to its aquatic center plan at $1 million, which already received council approval. The park plan for Lake Wylie was recommended at $4.9 million. Even with the advisory group tabling a $1 million proposal from a film studio on the Catawba reservation, the recommended projects outspend available money.

Group member Brenda Robbins had concerns depleting the fund, when a plan for an agritourism or other worthy facility could come in at any time.

“He’s going to come to us for money, and we’re not going to have any,” she said.

County Council will determine whether to fund the projects recommended by the advisory group, but also at what level they will be funded, how they will be funded and over what time span. District leaders believe their plan will complement county goals not only of spending revenue well, but of helping drive more money into the hospitality tax fund.

“This area is ripe for economic development and tourism,” White said. “We think this can be a part of that.”

This story was originally published September 23, 2015 at 3:41 PM with the headline "$3.2 million recommended for Fort Mill School District fields."