Title
Resolution of Acceptance for a Lease/Joint Use Agreement with Ragain Sports Regarding the Use of Sand Creek Stadium for a USL Pro Soccer Franchise
Body
From:
Karen Palus. Director of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services
Summary:
Ragain Sports, owner of the Switchbacks Football Club, has worked with the City of Colorado Springs to establish a lease/joint use agreement for the use of the Sand Creek Stadium which is located at Coleman Park at the corner of Barnes Road and Tutt Boulevard. The team is a member of the United Soccer League Pro Division and will be playing a sixteen to twenty game schedule in 2015. Ragain Sports has selected Colorado Springs in which to locate their franchise.
Previous Council Action:
This item was presented to Council during their May 27, 2014, informal meeting. No action was taken at that time.
Background:
In September, 2013, the Parks Department was approached by Mr. Nick Ragain, President of Ragain Sports, regarding the possible use of Sand Creek Stadium at Coleman Park as the home field for a United Soccer League (USL) pro soccer franchise that Ragain Sports was interested in acquiring. Ragain Sports had been investigating possible locations along the Front Range and were very interested at locating their franchise in the Colorado Springs area. They had identified Sand Creek Stadium at Coleman Park as a venue that, with modification, would satisfy USL league requirements for a team's home field. Pursuant to that first contact and their initial review of the facility, Ragain Sports began a more in depth assessment of whether the Sand Creek facility would be an acceptable venue that could be reasonably brought up to the required league standards. During this period of time Ragain Sports continued the necessary steps to acquire the Franchise.
On December 5th, the United Soccer League Pro Division officially awarded Ragain Sports an expansion franchise to be located in Colorado Spri...
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