Firm wants to manage fields

Municipal Sportspark Management, a Mission Viejo-based company, is proposing to manage Costa Mesa’s softball and baseball fields at TeWinkle Park and take the burden of maintaining the fields off the city’s back.

In exchange, the organization would run a baseball and softball training center, operate a restaurant, and provide some scholarship opportunities to youths who can’t afford to pay for sports lessons.

“We would like to make it a hub for baseball and softball for the Newport-Mesa area,” said Mike Balliet, a partner with Municipal Sportspark Management.

Last year, the group approached the city about taking over the management of the sports fields to provide a place for youths to be trained by professionals.

Sportspark Management is looking for a 20- to 25-year lease from the city. In exchange, the company would invest between $2 million and $3 million to make renovations to the fields, including building a 14,000-square-foot training facility for skills development, adding a second story for dining, expanding the parking lot, changing from bleachers to stadium-style seats, and installing numerous signs to commemorate the city’s history and the “Golden Age of Baseball.”

Sportspark Management is offering to maintain the fields and give the city 10% of its revenues, which would amount to about $350,000 a year, Balliet said.

“It’s revenue to the city,” said Tom Hatch, Costa Mesa assistant city manager. “This will reduce the operating costs as well as provide revenues, but is the revenue for sure? There’s still a lot of work that needs to go into it confirming the accuracy of this information.”

The city spends $220,000 to maintain the four sports fields at the park each year, Hatch said.

Costa Mesa also spends about $100,000 a year to run 14 adult softball leagues, said Jana Ransom, the city’s recreation manager. The city makes about $128,000 in return.

Costa Mesa might continue to administer the adult leagues even if the company signs a lease to maintain the fields and run a training center there.

Sportspark Management also promises to allow nonprofit organizations to continue using the fields at no cost.

The City Council gave its staff the authorization to further study the company’s proposal before a decision can be made, Hatch said.

At this time, city staff is meeting with members from the Mesa del Mar Home Owners Assn., as it is the closest to TeWinkle, and development and activities there could affect its residents.

City staff will present the council with their findings in May or June to determine whether an agreement can be forged between the group and Costa Mesa, Hatch said.