The news media and naysayers of a proposed $39 million sports and athletic complex in the city of Clarksdale were caught in the crosshairs of blistering criticism by one of the main players in the revitalization project Monday.
In a spirited presentation before the city’s board of commissioners and mayor Chuck Espy, developer Dwan “Dee” Brown presented examples of what he called “fake news” and said inaccurate reporting was part of a “seek and destroy mission” that had caused at least one company to pull out of the Corey L. Moore Sports and Recreation Complex.
He repeated that sentiment during Tuesday afternoon’s meeting of the Quality of Life Commission, the group of five Clarksdale citizens appointed by commissioners and the mayor to oversee the project.
The main thrust of Brown’s criticism was directed at a series of articles published last week by Mississippi Today. The articles included questions about how the sports complex would be funded, pointed to a failed urban renewal project in Jackson and included comments from citizens questioning the viability and need for such a high-dollar sports complex.
Brown said some of the photos accompanying the articles were misleading, while there were inaccuracies in reporting those companies involved in the project. He also said information provided in articles, including those in The Clarksdale Press Register, were being used by detractors to sabotage the project.
Editors with Mississippi Today said Tuesday they stand behind their story.
“We 100 percent back our reporting and we offer any input from city officials if they would like to sit down and talk with us,” said an emailed response.
The sports complex would include a 120-room hotel, 750-person-capacity conference center, zip lines, water park, rock climbing walls and five synthetic turf baseball and softball fields.
The complex is expected to inject $70 million into the local economy during the construction phase and have 190 people working at the complex upon completion.
Espy said he was “stunned as these reports have come forward” in attacking a venture that he believes would be a boost for a city struggling to meet growing infrastructure demands with a shrinking tax base.
While he touted the work done by the city’s staff in reducing its annual deficit from the $1.4 million it showed when he took office last fall to its current $100,000 shortfall, Espy said more money is needed and the sports complex could provide that boost.
“We have to create new revenue to make sure the city is not a one-trick pony” tied directly to the sales tax monies generated by the annual Juke Joint Festival and other tourism-related events downtown.
Still, Espy said there are “some people who’d love to see nothing happen in this town.”
Brown said he doesn’t believe Monday’s departure of the Sports Facilities Management Group is going to delay the project. The company emailed Brown to say they were withdrawing from the project due to “negative press and publicity.”
Brown told members of the Quality of Life Commission on Tuesday that an unnamed partner had also withdrawn from the project, but he said they were not a “major player.”
Brown said the “core team to deliver the first part of the project is still intact.”
In a meeting earlier this month, Brown said he hoped to have the bond process completed by July 31 with construction on the sports complex scheduled to begin this fall. Developers are anticipating 14 to 16 months of work with the complex open by the spring of 2020.
Commissioners Ken Murphey, Willie Turner and Ed Seals urged Brown to continue doing the good work he’s done and pledged their support.
“We can’t afford to not try to move forward,” Murphey said. “I’m behind you.”
