Ybor Alvarez soccer clock is winding down
The soccer clock is ticking.
There are about nine months remaining on the scoreboard before the city of Fernandina Beach must break ground for new municipal airport hangars or keep the existing soccer and softball fields at Ybor Alvarez Sports Complex.
The city last week received an appraisal of the 15.25 acres of city-owned airport land mandated by the Federal Aviation Administration for property that is used for non-airport related activities.
That market appraisal has pegged the land value at $3.5 million — up from the original estimate of $2.2 million. To keep the fields, the city is required to buy or lease the property with the money going into the city's airport fund and restricted for use only by the airport.
The 15.25-acre parcel is located on the grounds of the Fernandina Beach Municipal Airport, a city-owned facility overseen by the FAA. While the land belongs to the city, federal law requires the city to compensate the airport fund — not the FAA — if it wants to use the property for non-aeronautical purposes.
Currently, the city also has a federal grant in hand to build T-hangars — structures that efficiently accommodate small aircraft — on a portion of the parcel. Airport Contract Manager Nathan Coyle said the city should begin construction by August of next year or risk the possibility of losing the grant funding.
Last August, the head of youth soccer asked the city commission to detail a future plan for facilities before the holiday season.
“Uncertainties surrounding Ybor fields have presented planning challenges for years,” Soccer Director Toby Lentz told the commission. “As the process advances, we respectfully request the commission provide a framework within the next 90 days, outlining the proposed direction for these facilities and establishing some key milestones and target dates for decision points. We need a new, consolidated facility that is ready before we’re forced to leave.”
The original plan was to partner with Nassau County — which was paying for 50% of the costs — to build new soccer fields at Ybor Alvarez where the existing softball fields are. The city planned to use Parks and Recreation impact fees to buy the land and fund the project. At the time the agreement was reached, the land was valued at $2.2 million.
Since then, a new commission was seated and in an August commission workshop, commissioners balked at buying the land. The county is currently designing a new soccer complex, and the city is weighing whether to expand the county's soccer project to accommodate players from Ybor Alvarez. No cost considerations have been discussed.
City officials said if the Ybor Alvarez site becomes unavailable next year, soccer can be played at the Hickory Street fields until the county completes its new soccer facility.
What happens next may be discussed at Tuesday's city commission workshop, but a decision must be reached by the first quarter of 2026.
Comments
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Mark Tomes
The devil is in the details, of course, of which I really don't know many and will stand corrected, but on the face of it, it seems typical in today's world that there are grants to build hangers for small planes (and guess who owns those?) but not for recreational activities for the average Joe and Jane and Jose and Juanita and Jabbar and Jabella.
Monday, November 3 Report this
JofusD
I wish the airport were moved off the island. What a noisy nuisance. Giant aircraft are allowed to come and go. Not just small planes.
The airport rules state that there is to be no activity after 8:00 p.m.. and yet there is - lights in and out.
Why do we need an airport to fly over a peaceful residential Island spreading Avgas when we have JAX only a few miles away?
Monday, November 3 Report this
PaulaM
I agree with Mark….Robin Hood in reverse…state of our Union.
Monday, November 3 Report this
FunnyGirl4615
Why did the commissioners balk? Who paid for the current appraisal? Who performed the work? What were the comparables used for this assessment? Hard to imagine that the real estate involved has gone up so significantly in the current climate. I can't even imagine trying to get kids off the island and out to a soccer practice or game in Yulee or elsewhere in the late afternoon with all the commuter traffic to contend with.
Monday, November 3 Report this
Mark Tomes
I love riding my bike past the soccer fields on a Sunday morning and seeing all the young guys and gals out there in a variety of skin colors. There's much more diversity on the island than we realize (although I sure wish there was more), and soccer is a good example of different people with different languages and backgrounds coming together to have fun. Just don't see that too much on this island.
5 days ago Report this