Kicking Around the City's Proposal For Naming Rights to Elm Fork Soccer Complex

About a month back we sneaked a peek at the city's fingers-crossed attempt to find someone interested in buying the naming rights to the Elm Fork Athletic Complex off Walnut Hill Lane just west of Stemmons, a project expected to run upwards of $38 million and funded with 1998, 2003 and '06 bond money. The bidding process is due to wrap Wednesday, but you never know -- the city's been known to extend deadlines in the past when it couldn't find takers for the Dallas Farmers Market or when it ran a mountain of what-the-whats over concessions at Love Field. Anyway.

At the end of last week, the city posted to its bids website an addendum filled with Q's and A's for those interested in the soccer complex, chief among 'em: How did the city arrive at the $10 million figure for the Elm Fork naming rights? Says The Official Response: "This figure would allow the City to complete the Phase 2 build-out of the master plan, primarily, the construction of the championship field and supporting facilities." And by supporting facilities, it means, among other things, permanent concessions stands -- because right now, says the addendum, "Phase 1 provides for vending machines at three satellite pavilions with room for concession trailers." Ah. Food trucks.

We also learn that the city's still not sure who's going to run the facility, construction of which, says the doc, is expected to begin next month. Turns out another RFP's going out to see if the city can find "a private/non-profit operations/ management" company to run the complex; if not, "the responsibilities will be handled by the Park Department." Jump for the whole Q&A, which also explains why the soccer complex is being sold separately from that other proposal to "generate additional income for the City through naming, sponsorship, advertisement, and marketing partnerships with private corporations."

Elm Fork Naming Right Addendum