Cash-strapped Fernandina Beach faces potential $380,000 bill for airport soccer fields

FERNANDINA BEACH – Already grappling with budget pressures and major capital needs, the City of Fernandina Beach may soon face a new annual expense of nearly $380,000 if it wants to continue using the Ybor Alvarez soccer fields at the municipal airport.

"As a result, there's not enough space to support expanding soccer program in the area," Lomond said, adding that delays in the opening of the Yulee Sports Complex have further complicated the situation.

Campbell said the city is continuing to pursue a plan that would relocate aviation-related uses to the adjacent softball field area, a concept currently being designed by Passero Associates. The proposal would then be submitted to the FAA for review.

"As a reminder, the city does not own that land," Campbell told commissioners. "However, the FAA has indicated strongly that lease payments will begin soon, that we will have to start paying for those fields very soon."

The city is also exploring a lease-to-own arrangement that could eventually allow Fernandina Beach to acquire the property. Campbell said FAA officials have expressed openness to that concept, but the city must first submit a formal proposal outlining how such an agreement would work.

The future of the Ybor Alvarez fields has been a recurring concern for city leaders. The fields have long served as a centerpiece for youth soccer on Amelia Island, but because they are located on federally obligated airport property, the city has faced increasing pressure from the FAA to ensure the land is being used in a manner consistent with airport requirements.

Tuesday's discussion highlighted the growing urgency of the issue. While Amelia Island Youth Soccer continues to report strong participation and increasing demand, local governments have yet to identify sufficient additional field capacity to accommodate future growth.

"Youth sports is one of the most powerful ways the community comes together," Lomond said. "We owe it to the next generation to ensure that we have access to these opportunities."

What is clear is that if the FAA begins requiring lease payments before a permanent solution is reached, Fernandina Beach could be facing a new six-figure annual expense at a time when recreational field demand is increasing and available funding remains limited.

Previous discussions with the FAA have placed the purchase price for the Ybor Alvarez property at approximately $5.5 million, with Nassau County offering to contribute $1 million toward the acquisition. If the FAA rejects the proposed land swap and requires the soccer fields to be relocated, the city could face not only the cost of purchasing or leasing the existing property, but also millions of dollars in additional expenses to construct replacement athletic fields elsewhere. City officials have previously estimated that developing new soccer fields, along with the necessary infrastructure, could cost several million dollars, potentially making preservation of the existing complex the least expensive long-term option.

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