Ridgeland leaders seek tourism tax bump

RIDGELAND — Local leaders are hoping to hit an economic home run with a $30 million expansion of the sports complex at Freedom Ridge Park with an added tourism tax.

The pitch, however, involves a local and private tourism tax on the city’s restaurants and hotels officials hope to get introduced in the Legislature this session. 

If passed by the Legislature and approved by Ridgeland voters, the measure is expected to generate $30 million over its 15-year lifespan and the money would be used to upgrade the sports complex in hopes of attracting more tourists for sports tournaments.

Visit Ridgeland President and CEO Chris Chapman said the measure would not reverse, add to or change the existing 1% tourism tax that goes to the Ridgeland Tourism Commission. 

Rather, it would be a separate tax of 1% on restaurants and 2% hotels in the city of Ridgeland and the proceeds would be only for expansion of the sports complex at Freedom Ridge Park, located off of W. School Street, Chapman said.

If approved, the measure would bring Ridgeland’s restaurant tax to 2% and hotel tax to 3%. Both are currently at 1%, which is among the lowest in the state. 

“Ridgeland Tourism will not receive these funds and the bill expires in 15 years when the complex is paid off,” Chapman said. “The Board of the Ridgeland Tourism Commission is 100% in favor of this bill and development.”

Likewise, Ridgeland city officials support the measure and the Mayor and Board of Aldermen approved a resolution last November to petition the Legislature to allow them to consider the tax.

“If Ridgeland can move forward on the enhancement of Freedom Ridge Park it would be a tremendous boost to the economy post COVID,” Chapman said. “It would be a new market for sports tournaments in Ridgeland and the economic impact from each of those tournaments is tremendous.”

Chapman said the tournaments would bring people to the city’s 16 hotels and 140 restaurants and other businesses.

“That’s the reason for focusing the tax on tourism and usage of hotels and restaurants,” Chapman said.

Lisa Walters, administrative assistant to Ridgeland Mayor Gene McGee, said the city supports the proposal.

“We are all for it and would definitely love for it to go through,” Walters said, adding the city backed a similar measure last legislative session. 

“Last year we had a bill number and everything.”

Last year’s measure failed, however, Walters said, adding she is not sure why it failed.

Chapman provided a handout with a tournament economic impact formula, which shows the economic impact for a two-day tournament with 100 teams,12 players per team, and 50% of teams from out of town, to be $641,250 including rooms, dining, retail, auto and miscellaneous spending.

The Freedom Ridge Park expansion, according to Chapman, would include the addition of 1,362 parking spaces; eight regulation baseball/softball fields 300 feet (artificial turf, ages 6 – adult) 325-360 feet; 16 batting cages; recreation and parks/tournament headquarters offices; four full-size artificial turf soccer fields; festival/special events area (grass pavers for overflow parking); multi-purpose trails throughout connecting with Ridgeland’s Trail System with 12 total baseball fields, able to accommodate up to 100 teams each weekend and two regulation size sand volleyball courts.

Chapman said Ridgeland currently has the lowest tourism tax in the state 1-2% under other areas of the state including nearby Brandon and Jackson.

Chapman said sports tourism was the leading travel sector market to survive COVID-19 conditions.

“It is outside play with family pods safely distanced,” Chapman said. “Families need this activity to feel a sense of pride in their community, even during a pandemic.”

Chapman said residents and restaurant owners have expressed support for the project and has letters of support from such local restauranteurs as David Conn of Amerigo, Sombra and Anjou; Tico Hoffman of Tico’s Steakhouse; and William Merchant of Soulshine Pizza Factory. 

Hoteliers from Springhill Suites, Home2 Suites and Intermountain Hotels provided letters of support as well.

So far, the measure does not have a sponsor and has not been introduced in the Legislature.

If the measure gets introduced and passes the Legislature, it would still have to be approved by voters, Chapman said.

“The sports complex tax would be voted in or out by the citizens of Ridgeland,” Chapman said. “They would make that decision and rightfully so. It is their decision to make. We are just trying to offer them a chance to bat ... pardon the pun!”