Who Will Run Elk Grove's New Sports Park?

Which part of the City of Elk Grove's planned seems to be speeding most quickly towards completion? Is it the new government offices? The library?

Nope, it's the $12 million tournament-quality city officials hope to build as part of the project on Elk Grove Blvd between Big Horn Blvd and Laguna Springs Drive.

City staff put out a request for proposals last year seeking an operator for the park, and three groups stepped up to bat.

Representatives of San Diego-based SportsPlex USA spoke to community members at co-sponsored by the Elk Grove Community Connection. Two other contenders will make presentations at : for-profit company Big League Dreams, and the .

Big League Dreams runs scaled-down replicas of Major League ballparks in cities throughout the Western and Southwestern United States. Some are thriving—like the one in Manteca—while others, like the company's Redding location, struggle.

Then there's the CSD, which boasts an existing relationship with the Elk Grove community—but lacks experience with the kind of complex council members hope to build, which would lure regional tournaments with a sit-down restaurant in additon to the ball fields.

In an interesting twist, the community group that helped organize the original town hall meeting last year is crying foul over the process for considering the bids. Elk Grove Community Connection organizer Connie Conley says the city should have held separate meetings with a chance for audience questions to discuss the Big League Dreams and CSD proposals, and that SportsPlex USA now holds an unfair advantage.

City manager Laura Gill disagrees.

"Nothing [SportsPlex] had in their presentation is different from what they provided in response to the request for proposals," she told Elk Grove Patch. "We have the information we need and everyone is on a level playing field."

Either way, it should be an interesting meeting Wednesday night as two of the contenders try to sway council members with their versions of, "If you build it, they will come."

Who do you think should run Elk Grove's sports complex, if one is built? Tell us in the comments.