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Tourism tax may build horse arena
By Eve Modzelewski, staff writer ST. LUCIE COUNTY - Money generated from a proposed increase in the tourist bed tax is expected to pay for more than just the New York Mets' spring training facilities. If enacted by the County Commission this month, the new fifth-cent tax would also be used to build a 44,000-square-foot covered equestrian arena at the new St. Lucie County Fairgrounds on Midway Road. The $750,000 facility would host horse shows and rodeos that could potentially draw thousands of tourists to the area, Fair Manager Jeanne Keaton said. County Administrator Doug Anderson has proposed using $500,000 of the new tourist tax revenue to build the horse arena. He suggested another $839,000 be used for tourism-related activities in north county, such as improved beach access and a joint project with Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution. "We've refocused the tourist tax so that instead of just about all of it going to the Mets, we're building a first-class equestrian facility out at the fairgrounds," Commission Chairman Cliff Barnes said. "That will be a huge tourist draw." Keaton said the arena would be suitable for top-class horse shows, and seating could accommodate more than 3,000 people. "There's an agricultural heritage within our community, and I think there's tremendous interest," Commissioner Doug Coward said. "At the same time, we'd be bringing in like-minded folks from out of the region to spend their dollars there." Since a spring training contract with the Mets hinges on the passage of the fifth-cent bed tax, the commission is expected to approve it without delay at its Jan. 28 meeting. More than $8.2 million of the fourth and fifth cents of the tax are designated for improvements at the St. Lucie County Sports Complex over 15 years, as part of the county's agreement with the Mets. The first three cents of the bed tax, which is levied on short-term lodging, are permanent and the fourth cent was reinstated in December by the commission. At the time, commissioners held off passing the fifth cent until after the county came to terms with the Mets on a spring training deal. The Mets announced Wednesday they had reached an agreement with the county, but the commission must approve a letter of intent and the final contract before sealing the deal. If the fifth cent is enacted, the equestrian facility could be up and running within six months to a year, Keaton said. "It'll just open up tremendous
opportunities for visitors that come to attend horse events," she said. |
