Brady PieperOne of Colorado’s fastest-growing communities, Douglas County is announcing a partnership to develop a new sports complex and preserve over 400 acres of open space.
The partnership, unanimously approved by the county’s Board of Commissioners in March, will pave the way for the Zebulon mega sports complex project in Sterling Ranch, south of C-470. Working with the Sterling Ranch Development Company, the county will pursue additional public-private partnerships (P3s) to construct the Zebulon complex and catalyze Douglas County’s economic and population growth.
“Our voters and taxpayers have been waiting for us to take action and invest this voter-approved funding,” Commissioner Kevin Van Winkle said. “It’s time we start putting meat on the bones and working with our partners to bring our community’s vision to life.”
The proposed Zebulon project would be funded by the county’s Parks, Trails, Open Space and Historic Resources Fund, which utilizes a 0.17% sales-and-use tax last approved by voters in 2022. The fund supports the acquisition, administration, planning, development, operations and maintenance of Douglas County’s parks, trails, historic resources and open spaces.
The multiphase project calls for a 500-acre sports and recreation complex and entertainment district, providing new shopping, dining, recreation and community gathering space to residents. The megacomplex would be constructed off Waterton Road and near Moore Road with space nearby for housing developments in the future.
The megacomplex will feature a variety of sports spaces, including basketball courts, baseball and softball fields, football and soccer fields, volleyball courts and an ice rink for hockey and events.
The project’s first phase, which is estimated to cost up to $70 million, will construct a 239,000-square-foot indoor sports complex and a baseball complex with four fields built to CHSAA and NFHS standards. Currently, the county and project partners are designing these facilities, according to county officials.
As part of the Zebulon site, more than 200 acres of space would be preserved for wildlife near Sterling Ranch and Louviers. An additional 200 acres of open space in Highlands Ranch will also be preserved that was previously dedicated to the Board of Commissioners.
In addition to the major sports complex initiative, the county will prioritize and include two new park projects through the Parks, Trails, Open Space and Historic Resources fund.
The county will engage with the City of Lone Tree and South Suburban Parks and Recreation for the collaborative High Note Regional Park Project, which seeks to develop an 80-acre park along Happy Canyon Creek near I-25 and Ridgegate Parkway.
The second new parks project, Wildcat Regional Park, is meant to preserve critical wildlife corridors for elk and other inhabitants and open space on 202 acres in Highlands Ranch.
Douglas County will provide opportunities for potential partners and stakeholders to learn more information on the sport complex project and parks, trails and open space funding. The county plans to put on a live town hall in April to provide more information.
Zebulon Rendering Courtesy Douglas County, Colorado
