BEAUMONT, Texas — Members of the Beaumont community expressed their disappointment about no longer being able to use Ford Park facilities to county officials.
(Editor's note: The above video is from an April 12, 2022 newscast.)
Beaumont Independent School District Trustee Stacey Lewis Jr., and members of the Beaumont Panthers spoke to the commissioners court, requesting for county officials to end their contract concerning Ford Park with Spectra. Spectra has managed the facility for the county since 2017.
The owner of the Beaumont Panthers told county officials the Renaissance Development Group said they would not have to pay to use Ford Park facilities. Commissioners voted to sell Ford Park to the development group in 2020.
The deal county commissioners were trying to reach with the development group ultimately failed in late March of 2022, after the Renaissance Development Group missed a string of deadlines to pay for the complex.
The owner of the Beaumont Panthers said if Kevin Johnson, who works for the development group, was not in charge, then it was not fair for Spectra to make them stop using the facility.
Officials with Ford Park said the Beaumont Panthers were told of the upcoming limited access they would have to the facility.
"The Beaumont Panthers lease is direct with Ford Park and was executed last summer," Lauren Layman, Ford Park marketing manager, said. "Due to a concern over outstanding balances owed, we advised the team last week of their default with the agreement and that access to Ford Park would be restricted until the issue was handled and their contractual responsibility fulfilled."
Commissioner Bo Alfred responded saying the Renaissance Development Group was not given permission to make contracts with anyone or allow anyone to play for free because the deal never went through.
Alfred said the Beaumont Panthers fight was with the development group and not with the county.
Johnson called the current issue a, "media frenzy." Johnson said the Renaissance Development Group made no "agreements" or "decision" concerning Ford Park, the county or Spectra.
Johnson agreed with what Alfred said and stated the development group could not have and would not have made decisions concerning the operations.
Johnson said Ford Park was not for sale, the Renaissance Development Group asked to buy it. He asked why, "is it always the story Renaissance left the County holding the bag."
Johnson said the Renaissance Development Group are not the bad guys and that there are no bad guys.
Regardless of whether the group buys it or not, Johnson said the development group did not build Ford Park, "or have anything to do with putting this on the taxpayers back."
"Renaissance is just a interested company trying to bring something good to Beaumont," Johnson said in a statement. "The community needs to standup and put a stop to all this nonsense as they are the ones that get hurt in all of this misleading information and drive business away from our community."
Johnson acknowledges that the deal is taking a "substantial amount of time" to close. However, he said the project is big and the group has, "great things planned for the community."
Johnson said Renaissance had been working on being an entertainment venue to Jefferson County for more than a decade.
"Our investments were not in Ford Park," Johnson said. "Renaissance started this way before Ford Park was on any one’s radar. Renaissance is invested in the process of bringing a venue to Beaumont. Anyone stating anything other than this is confused and we will do everything we can to rectify it."
Negotiations between county commissioners and Spectra representatives began after a $22 million sale of Ford Park fell through with the Renaissance Development Group.
In late March of 2022, Jefferson County commissioners unanimously voted to void the sale of after the Renaissance Development Group failed to met multiple deadlines.
In mid April, county commissioners met with Spectra representatives to discuss the future of Ford Park and a possible five-year extension of a contract with the company. Spectra has managed the facility for the county since 2017.
County Auditor Patrick Swain said an existing five-and-a-half-year contract with Spectra and Ford Park will expire in September..
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