The Marion County Planning and Zoning Commission will consider a proposal by the owners of the Golden Ocala Golf & Equestrian Club and the World Equestrian Center to build a new sports and entertainment complex in Ocala that would feature an arena for concerts and sporting events, a variety of fields and courts, a restaurant, a hotel, and other multi-purposes fields.
On Monday, June 30, the commission will consider multiple requests, including a comprehensive plan amendment and zoning change, from Golden Ocala Equestrian Land, LLC, related to the proposed sporting and entertainment complex.
The organization is asking the county to amend an existing planned unit development for the nearly 4,300-acre site, with the complex proposed for a location on W State Road 40, just west of NW 87th Court Road.
As part of the request, the group is seeking to amend two existing planned unit developments (PUDs) in Golden Ocala-WEC and Golden Ocala Garcia, in order to unify the two PUDs into a single, consolidated PUD.
Additionally, the group wants to revise the development program for the southern portion of the unified PUD to introduce new potential uses, including the indoor/outdoor sports complex and event venue facilities.
This item was originally scheduled to go before the PZC in May, but had to be continued to June 30, due to an issue with the mailers to the surrounding property owners having the wrong year on them.
Ocala-News.com first reported the proposed sports and entertainment complex in April.
According to a conceptual plan, the new facility would feature an indoor arena capable of housing ice hockey, volleyball, basketball, concerts, and graduation ceremonies, among other sporting and general events.
The complex would also feature multiple baseball fields, a soccer stadium, natural grass soccer and football fields, tennis and pickleball courts, a restaurant, and a location for food trucks.
Earlier this month, Horse Farms Forever (HFF), a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving horse farms in Marion County, issued a public statement of its opposition to the proposed complex. The nonprofit claims the facility runs in direct conflict with agreements previously made by WEC’s owners to ensure its compatibility with the surrounding horse farms and Farmland Preservation Area.
In letters written to Ocala-News.com, as well as multiple comments on stories, several readers have expressed similar points of view.
Since it opened in 2021, WEC has added several components to its large property, including a UF hospital facility and The Riding Academy Hotel. Currently, there is a 180,000-square-foot event center and a large outdoor shopping complex under construction.
Regardless of the PZC’s recommendation, the requests must be presented to the Marion County Board of County Commissioners for final approval.
What are your thoughts on the proposed sports and entertainment complex? Do you support it? Share your comments below or, if you have more to say on the topic, write a letter to the editor.