Douglas County commissioners on Tuesday unanimously approved a crucial land exchange deal to build a massive sports complex on land previously bought by developers of Colorado’s largest master-planned community.

The county partnered with Sterling Ranch to create plans for a 500-acre sports complex in northwest Douglas County called Zebulon.

The land transfer impacts 46.5 acres of land planned to be the project’s first phase and will include a sports facility with hockey rinks, gyms, baseball and soccer fields.

“The amendment provides Douglas County with an additional 34.2 acres of land in a configuration that is intended to facilitate development of a sports complex,” county staff said Tuesday in a presentation to commissioners.

The land is located at Moore and Waterton roads between Sterling Ranch and Louviers. Douglas County received an additional 34.2 acres, thus totaling 46.5 acres in the transfer. The agreement also requires the county to pay $5 million for infrastructure.

The plans for Zebulon require up to $85 million for the first phase to construct a 239,000-square-foot indoor sports complex. Plans include three hockey rinks, and spaces for basketball, baseball and softball, volleyball, football and soccer. Further phases of the project include expansion of open space and nature preservation.

Plans also include a 160,000-square-foot sports dome with a removable roof, four baseball fields, 700 parking spots, 17,000 square feet of restaurant and retail space, plus a botanic garden.

In its Zebulon economic impact report filed in May, the Douglas County Economic Development Corp. estimated the sports complex will generate $1.3 billion in tax revenue and create almost 1,800 jobs between 2026 and 2036.

As part of the Sterling Ranch agreement, Douglas County will ensure conservation of 185 acres of open space containing elk migration corridors and a “community separation buffer” surrounding Louviers.

Under the plan, Zebulon would be partly funded by Douglas County’s Parks, Trails, Historic Resources and Open Space Fund, a 0.17% sales tax voters approved in 2022 to generate $330 million over 15 years for preserving and creating outdoor amenities.

“This is what responsible development looks like – community-driven, environmentally sound, and forward-thinking,” Sterling Ranch Development Co. President Brock Smethills said in a statement. 

“We’re not just building new facilities,” he said, “we’re building trust and creating a legacy of recreation, open space, and opportunity for generations to come.”

Surrounding Sterling Ranch development will include privately funded housing, restaurants, retail and amenities. The master planned community, with more than 2,500 homes already built, plans to grow to 12,050 homes over the next two decades, with more than 33,000 residents on its 3,500 acres.

Supporters outweigh critics during Tuesday’s approval

Proponents from throughout Douglas County claim Zebulon would provide a world class sports facility that would draw everyone across metro Denver, while providing more youth sports opportunities and recreational accessibility.

Critics of Zebulon, however, wondered if the area could absorb major development, more traffic, the need for more water and whether the land is contaminated from its previous suitor, as previously reported by The Denver Gazette.

The 46-acre facility sits on land formerly occupied by the DuPont Chemical dynamite plant, which ceased operation in 1971 and became open space.

In December 2022, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment determined the site doesn’t pose any environmental risks.

There is a pollution liability insurance policy as a part of the Douglas County land transfer, according to Smethills of Sterling Ranch.

All residents who spoke Tuesday, from sports advocates to local constituents, showed support for Zebulon.

The only individual to speak against Zebulon was state Rep. Bob Marshall (HD-43).

Marshall argued the land exchange was introduced too soon and not thought through. The Highlands Ranch representative called Zebulon a bad deal, arguing the county would be paying too much on acreage on previously toxic land.

“None of my constituents in Highlands Ranch are going to get free access. If you’re going to use Douglas County property and Douglas County taxes, all Douglas County residents should have that same privilege,” Marshall told commissioners.

In response, Commissioner George Teal tussled with Marshall, asking whether or not the representative can offer land other than Sterling Ranch.

“We talked to people, and it was really only Sterling Ranch that said ‘We think we’ve got a way to make this work,’” Teal said before approving the land transfer.

Commissioner Kevin Van Winkle said Sterling Ranch is “a willing partner in a community that is fast growing on the west side of the county,” adding that the land was deeded because “young kids and old folks and everyone alike can get outside and enjoy recreation.”