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Image Source: Paradise Coast Sports Complex
On a balmy Friday night in Collier County, Florida, the lights at Paradise Coast Sports Complex cut through the twilight as local families stroll into the stadium. Anticipation already begins to build.
Kids in FC Naples jerseys race along the concourse, pausing to point at the video board. A supporter group of about 75 people gathers behind one of the goals. Together, lively drums, waving banners, and flying flags successfully create an unforgettable dynamic atmosphere.
For Collier County Commissioner Burt Saunders, that scene went beyond a good night at the sports park. It was proof of concept.
“The stands were completely filled, all of the viewing areas were filled with families,” he says, remembering the inaugural season of Collier County’s first professional soccer club, FC Naples. “The kids who play soccer were so excited. That was the moment I knew this was exactly the right thing.”
Paradise Coast Sports Complex was originally conceived as a youth and amateur sports facility in a county that needed more fields and wanted to grow its sports tourism economy. In a few short years, this venue has grown into something even bigger than anyone could have ever imagined …
The 175-acre site now anchors off-season visitation, provides local kids with a place to play, and serves as a community front porch for concerts, festivals, and holiday traditions.
For community leaders nationwide, the complex offers an ideal example of how a premier destination can balance visitor-driven returns with everyday resident use.
Image Source: Paradise Coast Sports Complex
From Local Fields to Regional Destination
When Collier County first advanced the project, the goals were practical: youth sports programs needed space, and parks staff needed flexibility. Tourism officials wanted a venue that could attract out-of-town teams in key sports.
“Initially, this was going to be an amateur youth sports facility for our local community,” Commissioner Saunders says. “Equally as important was to provide a venue for out-of-town youth sports groups to come to Collier County and participate in a very high-quality facility.”
The design centered on multipurpose fields capable of hosting football, soccer, and other field sports during Florida’s busy winter season.
The complex opened in July 2020 with its first phase, though construction continued in stages — a pace that shaped how the facility grew its event calendar and management approach from the start.
In 2021, Sports Facilities Companies took over management and brought renewed operational focus. Even as Phase 2 construction extended into 2023 and Hurricane Ian disrupted the early 2022–23 season, the team pivoted — rescheduling canceled events, absorbing displaced tournaments from storm-affected venues, and ultimately outperforming revenue projections by nearly 50 percent that year. What began as a community fields project was quietly becoming a regional event destination.
The transformation accelerated as the facility’s reputation spread. National organizations, such as Football University, began selecting Paradise Coast for marquee events, including Top Gun Camp in June and their National Championship in December.
Since opening, the venue has generated tens of thousands of hotel nights and brought in tens of thousands of young athletes and their families, Commissioner Saunders notes. That activity has helped reimagine the county’s tourism calendar, which already sees significant visitation from early December through April. The complex was built to strengthen the shoulder season and the off-season that follows.
“These facilities are helping us generate a tremendous amount of tourism in that off-season,” Commissioner Saunders says.
At the same time, locals now have ongoing access to safe, well-maintained fields for league play, camps, and practices — ensuring that local recreation needs remain on par with visitor demand, which has been key to sustaining community support.
A Professional Club That Feels Local
Professional soccer wasn’t part of the county’s original plan. That opportunity arose as the complex gained momentum and operators saw the potential for a local professional club.
“Initially, there really was not a vision of having a professional soccer team there,” the commissioner admits. “That evolved over the last three years or so,” adds Commissioner Saunders.
Working with the facility’s management team, the county helped attract FC Naples, a United Soccer League franchise that has quickly become one of the complex’s most visible tenants.
“Paradise Coast Sports Complex has a growing base of young athletes and families that have been hoping for a professional soccer team like FC Naples to rally behind. With a professional team, tourists are going to have a new reason to explore all that Naples has to offer,” says Adrian Moses, General Manager of the Paradise Coast Sports Complex.
“We’ve paid attention to every detail, from the fan experience to creating a sense of pride for the team” says Moses.
That investment showed quickly on game day. The club’s first season attracted soldout crowds and offered local families a new kind of sports experience.
“The community reception has been phenomenal,” Commissioner Saunders proudly explains. “The games are sold out. They will get somewhere around 4,600 fans. Families are out there having a wonderful time. It is just a great venue for that.”
The connection does not stop at the gate. FC Naples runs youth soccer camps and clinics at the complex, giving local players a direct line to the pros they watch under the lights.
“In this day and age — when kids spend so much time on social media, watching TV, and on their devices — it’s extremely important that we create more opportunities for outdoor activity,” Commissioner Saunders says. “You see all the kids out enjoying the fresh air and enjoying soccer. You see the soccer moms and dads bringing their children out and keeping them excited about the sport because we now have this professional connection.”
For other communities evaluating a professional or semi-pro partnership, Paradise Coast demonstrates the value of choosing a tenant that blends with existing youth ecosystems and supports.
The Perfect Setting for Special Events
Sports may be the first thing one pictures when they think of Paradise Coast Sports Complex, but that’s only part of the story. By design, Paradise Coast Sports Complex also functions as a flexible event space for Collier County, filling a gap in the local venue mix.
SnowFest, a holiday event that brings in snow for a region better known for palm trees and white sand, attracts thousands of guests, creating unforgettable festive memories for families
Holiday celebrations, concerts, and festivals fill the calendar, as do more personal events such as weddings and birthday parties. Residents enjoy events such as movie nights, seasonal happenings, and neighborhood-style gatherings.
“This has provided a wonderful venue that was really not available in our community,” the commissioner said. “Those types of festivals and concerts, weddings, birthday parties, all of that kind of family activity naturally gravitate to this park because it’s so well run and so conveniently located,” he adds.
For city and county leaders, the complex is a place where residents see themselves and where community identity is reinforced.
A Positive Return on Investment
Behind those experiences is a significant public investment, which the commissioner estimates Collier County is already investing about $120 million in the complex. At full buildout, total costs are expected to reach around $200 million.
“These types of facilities are very, very expensive,” he says. “We’re talking about a $200 million facility that is really designed to serve the community.”
The return on that investment is evident throughout Collier County’s tourism economy.
Most Recent Figures (FY 2024–25)
County tourism data reports an estimated $59 million in economic impact during the 2024–25 fiscal year, generated by 33 qualified events.
Prior Year (FY 2023–24)
The economic impact for that fiscal year was reported at between $40 million and $50 million, from 34 events.
Visitor Growth
Attendance has climbed sharply, rising from approximately 172,000 visitors in fiscal year 2021–22 to more than 500,000 in FY 2023–24.
Future Growth Potential
Phase 3 of the complex, which includes an additional field and supporting infrastructure, is expected to generate an additional $300,000 in revenue and add $5 million to $6 million in economic impact to the area.
Image Source: Paradise Coast Sports Complex
“The number of people that are going through this facility generates a lot of hotel stays, thousands and thousands,” Commissioner Saunders explains. “Of course, that generates activity in our restaurants and other shops. It has been a tremendous success in that regard.”
To complete the project now, the county is asking voters to approve a one-percent increase in the tourism tax, which is paid by visitors rather than local property taxes.
“As an example, or proof, of the fact that it has been beneficial to our tourist industry, our hoteliers are supporting the increase in this tax,” he states. “They know that the increase in summer and off-season tourism will be a great benefit to the whole community.”
Working With a Third-Party Professional Management Company
One of the most critical decisions Collier County made was to bring in a professional operating partner rather than run the complex in-house.
The commissioner acknowledges that local government has its true strengths, such as roads, sewer systems, environmental protection, law enforcement, and emergency services, but candidly admits that managing a sports complex falls outside that expertise.
Instead, the county contracted with Sports Facilities Companies, a third-party management team specializing in operating sports, recreation, and event venues, to handle day-to-day operations, bookings, and revenue strategy.
“County government simply isn’t structured to run this type of business,” says Commissioner Saunders. “In our case, having a professional management team is essential. They’ve been very successful at generating revenue — frankly, in excess of what we initially anticipated — and maintaining high utilization rates. We’re very pleased with what they’ve accomplished.”
“As commissioners, we can take credit for having the vision to build it, and for hiring the right management company,” he adds. “But they are really responsible for the success.”
What’s Next for Paradise Coast Sports Complex?
It’s difficult to believe, but Paradise Coast Sports Complex is only about halfway built.
“We currently have about 10 or 11 fields out there, about half of what was envisioned from the beginning,” states the commissioner.
If voters approve the tax measure in November, the next phase will add nine or 10 fields, including five dedicated baseball and softball diamonds and additional multipurpose fields that can be reconfigured for various sports.
“This added capacity will give us far more flexibility in scheduling local community use while also allowing us to attract more baseball, softball, and other sports that are predominantly summertime activities,” he says.
The final phase will be the fieldhouse, likely around 100,000 square feet, designed to serve as a storm shelter and built to very high hurricane standards.
When that happens, he believes Paradise Coast Sports Complex will rank among the nation’s top youth sports facilities. More importantly, it will continue to serve as a year-round hub where economic development, visitor strategy, and community life intersect.
