Fort Worth doesn鈥檛 have the sports fields and stadiums needed to meet growing demand, city staff found.
To fix that, preliminary plans suggest investing roughly $82 million into local athletic fields over the next 12 years, according to an informal report shared at a City Council work session Nov. 4.
About $40 million to $50 million would fund a new baseball and softball diamond complex 鈥� possibly funded by a city bond proposal in 2030, according to the report. Another $48 million in improvements to current stadiums and parks could be funded by the expected 2026 bond, which voters will weigh in May.
The diamond complex would include at least eight fields of varying sizes and be developed in partnership with local and regional sports organizations, according to the proposal. The plans are contingent on the city鈥檚 land acquisition for the project.
The city doesn鈥檛 have a current planned location for it, but staff know they want to develop it out of yet-to-be-preserved open space 鈥� a mission in line with Mayor Mattie Parker鈥檚 goal to by 2028, said Dave Lewis, park and recreation director.
Fort Worth staff also plan to expand and improve four athletic complexes across the city: West Park, Alliance Park, Gateway Park and Rolling Hills Park.
Parks and open space initiatives currently take up about $185.1 million, or 22% of the , which totals $840 million.
Over $80 million for local sports
Sports investments would bolster Fort Worth鈥檚 ability to host tournaments as well as to support the city鈥檚 growing recreational and youth sports needs, but they 鈥渟top short of the professional level,鈥� Lewis said.
A 2019 study commissioned by the city found that Fort Worth had a 鈥渟trong opportunity鈥� to capitalize on sports tourism, he said. It recommended building a multifield athletic complex with at least 20 long fields for sports such as soccer, lacrosse, rugby and field hockey. Such a complex could generate $16 million in annual spending, the study noted.
鈥�(Sports) is a very large, $11 billion industry, and Fort Worth is kind of missing the boat by not being able to capitalize on that,鈥� said Lewis, who admitted the city doesn鈥檛 have the infrastructure to accommodate its current sports demand.
Separate from the proposed diamond field, to build a new long field athletic complex on the scale recommended six years ago would cost upward of $55 million, Lewis said. Instead of a whole new complex, the city has opted for a roughly $10 million expansion of Rolling Hills Park, adding synthetic grass, better lighting, more restrooms, concessions and parking.
鈥淲e believe that might be our best bet to really not only capitalize on sports tourism, but also make that a better facility for local play as well,鈥� Lewis said. 鈥淩ight now, if we have a large tournament, they鈥檙e parking across the street, and then, you know, it鈥檚 unsafe to get across the street.鈥�
A separate 2024 study highlighted a significant shortage of both long and diamond fields in Fort Worth with the city needing about $80 million in sports complexes for local teams, Lewis said.
City staff now recommends building out existing parks with new and improved athletic fields, restrooms, parking lots and lighting.
What sports projects are Fort Worth city staff floating?
Fort Worth staff recommended funding the following park investments in future bond proposals:
West Park 鈥� $3 million to repair and expand facilities, adding both long and diamond fields with upgrades, funded by 2026 bond.
Alliance Park 鈥� $10 million for completing improvements in the park鈥檚 master plan, adding 11 new long fields with lighting and restrooms, funded by 2026 bond.
Gateway Park 鈥� $25 million to expand and upgrade the park, including new long and diamond fields, more restrooms and lighting, funded by 2026 bond.
Rolling Hills Park 鈥� $10 million to renovate and build new athletic fields, along with additional parking, restrooms, lighting and drainage, funded by 2026 bond.
A new diamond complex 鈥� $40 million to $50 million to build a new sports complex that will relieve field shortages and expand the city鈥檚 capacity to host baseball and softball tournaments, funded by the 2030 bond.
Lewis said public-private partnerships could be key to completing the renovations and maintaining the parks over the next 12 years. He said finding 鈥渂ig funders or corporations鈥� who want to help better the community could speed up improvements by almost a decade.
The need for sports complexes isn鈥檛 new. In 2022, staff found that the city for the state鈥檚 most popular youth sport. A 2019 study found that in Frisco, 15% of children play soccer, while only 5% do in Fort Worth.
Fort Worth鈥檚 annual soccer tournament includes more than 300 teams, but organizers are forced to turn away many more. In 2022, youth-centered sports tourism was valued as a the city was largely missing out on.
Lewis said encouraging children to play sports is a priority as many youth athletic groups want to grow, but they don鈥檛 have the capacity within the city鈥檚 complexes.
鈥淲e want to make sure that we have enough fields to accommodate these associations and the youth that play with them, so that a lack of room is not the reason kids aren鈥檛 activating,鈥� he said.
The city is already investing in encouraging youth athleticism, Lewis said, aiming to embed youth sports into schools, keep fees low and provide access to fields near schools.
鈥淲e know that wrap-around services such as physical activity and nutrition are also going to help our students be more equipped to learn,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t could help literacy rates. Hungry kids don鈥檛 learn very well 鈥� they aren鈥檛 activated. They don鈥檛 learn very well.鈥�
Drew Shaw is a government accountability reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at drew.shaw@fortworthreport.org or .
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