Clearwater approves interim agreement for $180 million sports complex at The Landings Golf Course

The Clearwater City Council voted 4-0 Wednesday night to approve an interim agreement with a developer that wants to replace The Landings Golf Course with a $180 million sports and entertainment complex, choosing the redevelopment plan over a competing bid to keep the city-owned property a golf course.

The vote, reported by WFLA and FOX 13, lets city staff negotiate with Sunshine Recreational and Entertainment Development over the 77-acre site at 1875 Airport Drive. It does not approve construction. City officials and the developer still have to work out the terms of a deal, including a lease, and bring a proposed term sheet or agreement back to the council before anything can be built, according to WTSP.

What the council chose

Two groups competed for the right to the property. Clearwater Golf Associates, which operates the course now, proposed extending its existing lease by 20 years and improving the golf course, FOX 13 reported ahead of the vote. The sports complex proposal, which FOX 13 has attributed to Clearwater-based Porter Development and which the city has evaluated under the name of Sunshine Recreational and Entertainment, called for a 99-year lease and a $180 million investment.

An evaluation committee ranked the Sunshine proposal highest, and city staff recommended it, WTSP reported. Both developers made short presentations to the council at a Monday work session before Wednesday's vote, according to FOX 13.

The 56-year-old golf course would be replaced by a complex built around youth and amateur sports. Plans presented to the city have included:

• Multipurpose sports fields, with 13 proposed in an earlier version of the plan
• Covered pickleball courts and sand volleyball courts
• A resort-style water park
• A family entertainment center and restaurants
• Fitness and wellness facilities and walking and biking trails

The developer has said the complex would draw tournaments and visitors to Clearwater.

How the project would be paid for

Under the developer's plan presented in August, Sunshine would lease the land from the city, finance the redevelopment and run the complex. Its financing plan for the roughly $180 million project included about $108 million in private debt, $26.9 million in equity and about $45 million it hoped to obtain from Pinellas County tourist development taxes, FOX 13 reported at the time. That county money has not been secured.

The financial terms that matter most to Clearwater taxpayers have not been settled. In August, the city's financial adviser told the council that the lease, taxes and rent all still needed to be negotiated. The city attorney's view is that no referendum is required for the project, according to Bay News 9.

How the vote unfolded

The proposal has been working its way through City Hall since late 2025. In early August, the council voted unanimously to treat the Sunshine plan as a qualifying proposal and opened a 30-day window for competing bids, which brought in the Clearwater Golf Associates plan.

Residents who spoke at Wednesday's meeting were split, according to Bay News 9. Council members said they supported continuing the process because of the revenue the facility could help generate, and some supporters said a local complex would spare families long drives to similar facilities elsewhere.

Supporters see a youth sports hub

Supporters, many wearing green T-shirts, told the council that Pinellas County needs more space for youth sports and recreation, WTSP reported. Gym owner Abigail Kantzler said the project could help keep families in the community, according to FOX 13.

"When a community builds a quality sports venue, the economic and social return is real and immediate," Joshua Borne, who spoke in support, told the council, according to Bay News 9. "Families travel, hotels fill, restaurant and retail benefit."

Ken Jewell, president of the Clearwater Chargers Soccer Club, has backed the complex, citing tournament revenue. In August he told FOX 13 that the club cannot meet current demand, and that its recreational program, which serves about 400 children, could serve 1,000 with more field space.

Neighbors raise traffic, flooding and contamination concerns

Opposition has been organized by Keep Keene Green, a neighborhood group. Co-founder Melissa Stamos, who lives near the course, cited stadium lighting, roughly 2,000 cars coming into the neighborhood, artificial turf and possible flooding, FOX 13 reported.

"What is the value of being able to leave our neighborhood without having to fight event traffic?" Stamos asked the council, according to Bay News 9. "Where in the financial presentation is the cost of residents losing the enjoyment of their homes they work their entire lives to afford."

Stamos told WTSP the property had previously been proposed for an industrial park, a plan that was abandoned in 2019. The group has pointed to a 2019 geotechnical and environmental study that found contaminants in debris on the property, including arsenic, lead and several pesticides, FOX 13 reported. Residents have also raised concerns about a former landfill beneath part of the site.

Patrick Raftery, speaking for the Clearwater Neighborhoods Coalition, urged the council in August to reject the plan. In response to earlier criticism, the developer eliminated regular vehicle access from Airport Drive, dropped paid parking, added 24-hour security and said it plans to cover the pickleball courts, according to FOX 13.

Keep Keene Green plans to stay involved as the project moves through the approval process, FOX 13 reported.

What's next

With the interim agreement approved, Clearwater staff and Sunshine will negotiate the terms for redeveloping and operating the property, including the lease, rent and taxes. City officials must return to the council with a proposed term sheet or agreement before a final deal can be approved, WTSP reported, and council members said the next step is talking with the developer about addressing residents' concerns.

Any project that advances would still face detailed reviews of traffic, parking, stormwater, environmental cleanup, utilities and compatibility with neighboring properties before construction plans could be approved. The developer's hoped-for $45 million in tourist development tax money would also require separate action by Pinellas County.