Sussex county officials called the potential purchase of a Georgetown sports complex a “dead issue” last week, saying they do not expect the county to pony up more than $7 million to keep the complex open.
A tournament, the first of 2007, is scheduled at Sports at the Beach for the last weekend in March but it is still unclear whether that will go on.
“I couldn’t get a consensus to do anything with it,” said Sussex County Council President Dale Dukes (D-1st), who favored the investment for potential expansion of the neighboring airpark and preservation of recreational open space. “As far as I’m concerned, it’s a dead issue.”
Sussex County Sports Foundation officials first approached the county on Nov. 6, asking for assistance in buying Sports at the Beach, the 93-acre facility on Route 9 that sports 13 baseball and softball fields and has hosted dozens of tournaments annually since 2003.
Some 33 tournaments were held there last year and more than 80,000 locals and visitors participate in events at the complex annually, officials said at the Nov. 6 meeting. Sports at the Beach adds $8.4 million to the local economy annually, according to a Delaware Tourism Office study.
County officials said a proposal to cosign a loan and pay $3 million over 10 years to help the foundation purchase the complex was unrealistic but they briefly considered buying the complex. According to officials, that plan has also fell victim to a lack of consensus.
“At this point in time, we have not been able to come to an agreement that would satisfy the owners and the council,” said David Baker, Sussex County administrator. “The consideration was either not get involved or look at purchase. There are some concerns, first of all, that it is a very large investment.”
Baker and County Councilmen George Cole (R-4th) and Dukes said that other investors have shown interest in buying the property but said they were not close enough to the details to comment directly. Richard Derrickson, majority owner of the complex, would not return calls seeking comment. Reached at their Rehoboth home last week, his wife said that Derrickson was not commenting on the matter.
Cole supported initiating discussions on forming a parks and recreation department but called a potential purchase in Georgetown “outrageous.” He noted that, while purchasing the property would essentially preserve 93 acres of open space, spending $7.5 million in one area would be unfair to other county recreational programs.
“That would be an insult,” Cole said. “We have a lot of (youth recreation) programs in this county in need of funds.”
Wendy Baker, a sports foundation board member who presented options to county council last month, said the board is still “evaluating” options but said she doesn’t expect it will consider purchasing the property without help from the county. She had asked council on Nov. 6 to assist the foundation in purchasing the property or to purchase the property and lease it to the foundation.
Baker said that Sports at the Beach owners approached the foundation last summer and asked them to consider purchasing the complex, which has made money in recent years but remained in debt because of an initial loan, she said.
“We were approached and asked if we were interested, and we did our due diligence,” Baker said. “There are some private opportunities for funding.”
Georgetown’s Sports at the Beach complex comprises seven 300-foot fields and six 200-foot fields, a pro shop where visitors can buy pictures and merchandise, four dorms, a pool, an arcade and other recreational areas, including fishing ponds and a playground.