Dublin's $44.6 Million SportsOhio Purchase: Vision Adopted, Construction Cost Presentation Overdue

Along the I-270 corridor, Dublin taxpayers now own a 243-acre tract that combines SportsOhio's playing fields and golf facilities, an active commercial site and a broad stretch of farmland. The city paid Steele Land Company and related entities $44.6 million for the West Innovation District property—but the public still lacks a full accounting of what the acquisition will cost to operate, improve and transform.

City Council authorized the purchase by approving Ordinance 16-24 on July 1, 2024, following a public hearing on June 17, 2024. The deal closed in September 2024. The acquisition brought three distinct properties under public ownership: 97.5 acres containing SportsOhio, 7.9 acres occupied by Shepherd Excavating and 137.1 acres of Carter Farms land.

What the City Acquired

The SportsOhio complex on the 97.5-acre parcel includes Soccer First, Field Sports and The Golf Center, comprising indoor turf and multi-sport facilities, outdoor fields, a par-3 golf course and a driving range. PowerPlay, another facility within the complex, is permanently closed. The 7.9-acre Shepherd Excavating parcel includes an active commercial operation. The 137.1-acre Carter Farms property remains largely undeveloped farmland, purchased at approximately $110,000 per acre. The city has not publicly disclosed condition assessments, deferred maintenance costs or infrastructure liabilities for the acquired properties.

The Price Tag and the Financing Gap

The city has not detailed how the $44.6 million purchase was financed, whether it incurred debt to complete the transaction or what debt service obligations taxpayers will carry. Nor has it disclosed projected annual operating costs for the SportsOhio facilities or what capital improvements are planned beyond the initial purchase.

City officials stated the acquisition aims to support economic development, transportation enhancements and recreational expansions, but have not released cost-benefit analyses or revenue projections to substantiate those goals. The public record does not identify which council members or administrators led the negotiation with Steele Land Company, what alternative properties or uses were considered or what criteria guided the $44.6 million valuation.

What Comes Next

The city has described a vision for integrating SportsOhio and Darree Fields into a unified athletic recreation campus, but has not released detailed design plans, construction timelines or cost estimates. It has not disclosed what zoning, lease agreements or donor commitments constrain or enable changes to the SportsOhio facilities, or whether the Carter Farms parcel is earmarked for recreation, economic development or another use.

What It Means for Dublin Households

The acquisition is part of Dublin's West Innovation District, a multi-county economic development zone spanning Franklin and Delaware Counties that has drawn resident scrutiny at recent council meetings. Residents along the I-270 corridor face potential changes to recreational access, youth sports programming, traffic patterns and development density depending on what the city builds or permits on the 243 acres, but the city has not disclosed what impact analyses or traffic studies it conducted before the purchase.

The financial implications for Dublin households will depend on how the city financed the acquisition, what debt service it incurred and what additional capital spending it commits to in coming years—information the city has not made public.

The Accountability Test

Nearly two years after council authorized the acquisition, no upcoming public forums, work sessions or master planning milestones have been announced where residents can review and comment on detailed plans for the 243-acre site. The city has not announced when it will present construction budgets, design options or timelines for the SportsOhio campus or the Carter Farms property.

Residents who want to hold city officials accountable for fiscal transparency and public engagement on this major investment should press for the release of financing details, construction cost estimates and a formal community input process at upcoming City Council meetings.