Opening in 2020, Paradise Coast Sports Complex powered by Sports Force Parks features professional-level synthetic turf fields, on-site recreation and entertainment options, and high quality concessions. Tournaments hosted will include youth travel soccer, lacrosse, football, as well as special events and festivals throughout the year.
One of the first secured events include hosting Football University.
The county’s Tourist Development Council unanimously recommended in favor of the sponsorship agreement, which county commissioners approved without discussion on their consent agenda Dec. 10.
“They really want to establish Naples as the real home for youth football and that helps when you have two events during the year,” said Jack Wert, Collier County’s tourism director. “It becomes a football destination.”
The showcase will be held at a slower time of the year for tourism, helping to fill empty rooms during the offseason. It’s expected to be one of the first events held at the new stadium, which is on schedule to have its first four fields open for play before July.
“The initial fields will be ready for play in May or early June. They are moving along pretty fast on phase one,” Wert said.
The first phase includes a welcome center and concessions, which should also be open in time for use during the Top Gun Showcase.
Quinn, a local resident on and off since 1996, and his business partner recently moved FBU’s headquarters to Naples, because they hope to play a big part in the growth of sports tourism that’s expected to come with the opening of the sports complex.
“We want to partner with Collier County, not just for football, but in any way we can help with all sports,” Quinn said.
FBU plans to bring four more football events to Collier County over the next few years.
“These will be homegrown, right here in Naples, Florida,” Quinn said.
That means no costly bidding fees to lure events away from other cities or towns, he explained, which could result in savings of $500,000 to $1 million a year to the county.
“We believe that the Paradise Coast Sports Complex will be an unparalleled first-class experience for families and athletes of all ages,” Quinn said. “This is the one-stop-shop sports complex of the future, and we are proud to be a part of it.”
Two new football events are being planned for 2020 and two more for 2021. These new events will be announced over the coming months.
Quotes and some information in this article are sourced from the Naples Daily News
To follow the progress and see videos of the Paradise Sports Complex being built, visit HERE
