The Texas city is betting big on fields. The question is whether private partners will show up to help build them.
Fort Worth is short on sports fields, and city leadership knows it. A preliminary plan shared at a City Council work session on November 4th proposes roughly $82 million in athletic field investments over the next 12 years, funded primarily through two bond cycles.
The centerpiece is a new baseball and softball complex with at least eight diamond fields, projected to cost $40 to $50 million and targeted for the 2030 bond. Another $48 million in upgrades to existing parks could hit the ballot as early as May 2026.
For investors watching municipal sports infrastructure, this is a signal worth tracking.
What's Actually on the Table
The proposal breaks down into two buckets: a new diamond complex and improvements to four existing parks.
The diamond complex doesn't have a site yet. City staff want to develop it on open land that hasn't been acquired, which aligns with Mayor Mattie Parker's goal of preserving 10,000 acres by 2028. The complex would be built in partnership with local and regional sports organizations, though specifics on those arrangements haven't been announced.
The park upgrades are more concrete:
Gateway Park gets the largest allocation at $25 million for expanded fields, restrooms, and lighting. Alliance Park would receive $10 million to complete its master plan, adding 11 long fields. Rolling Hills Park is earmarked for $10 million in renovations, including synthetic turf and better parking. West Park rounds out the list with $3 million for facility repairs and field additions.
All four park projects would be funded through the 2026 bond.
The Demand Side
Fort Worth's park and recreation director, Dave Lewis, was blunt about the current situation: the city doesn't have the infrastructure to meet existing demand, let alone grow it.
A 2024 study found Fort Worth needs about $80 million in sports complexes just to serve local teams. A separate 2019 study identified a "strong opportunity" for sports tourism, recommending a 20-field complex that could generate $16 million in annual spending. That facility was estimated at $55 million. The city passed on building it.
The numbers illustrate a familiar gap in youth sports infrastructure. Demand is growing. Capacity isn't keeping up. And the economic opportunity is real but unrealized.
Lewis pointed to the Cowtown Classic soccer tournament as an example. It draws more than 300 teams annually, but organizers turn away many more due to field constraints. In 2022, youth sports tourism was valued at $91 billion nationally. Fort Worth has been largely sitting on the sidelines.
Where Private Capital Could Fit
Lewis explicitly mentioned public-private partnerships as a potential accelerant. Finding "big funders or corporations" who want to invest in community infrastructure could speed up the timeline by nearly a decade, he said.
That's an open invitation for operators, sponsors, and investors looking at facility plays in growing Texas markets.
Fort Worth sits in one of the fastest-growing metro areas in the country. The city has identified the gap, proposed a funding mechanism, and signaled openness to private participation. For groups already active in youth sports facilities, this is the kind of early-stage opportunity that's worth watching before the bonds pass and the RFPs go out.
Takeaways for Investors
Municipal bond cycles create windows Fort Worth is telegraphing its priorities years in advance. The 2026 bond vote in May and the 2030 bond for the diamond complex give investors time to position for partnership opportunities.
Field shortages are a national problem This isn't unique to Fort Worth. Cities across the country are underbuilt for youth sports demand. Operators who can help municipalities close the gap, whether through management contracts, programming partnerships, or capital investment, have a growing addressable market.
Texas remains a hot market Population growth, youth sports participation rates, and tournament demand all favor Texas metros. Fort Worth is playing catch-up, but the underlying fundamentals are strong.
Public-private partnerships are on the table The city isn't trying to do this alone. Lewis's comments suggest Fort Worth is actively looking for partners who can bring capital, expertise, or both. That's worth a conversation for groups with facility experience.
