Helena officials have said roughly $23.5 million is available for sports-complex development, but the project’s site, revised total cost and construction schedule remain unsettled. That leaves open what the available money would cover and what facilities, if any, the city may need to defer.
In its report, WBMA said Helena is negotiating for property at a site different from the one originally considered. Officials have not identified the location, disclosed an anticipated purchase price or set a date for a land agreement. The city also has not established a revised cost, confirmed whether the original amenities will remain, or said whether more funding will be needed.
A Years-Long Plan Still Taking Shape
The sports complex concept dates back to 2024, when the city outlined plans for a roughly 90-acre facility. That proposal, known as the Hillsboro Sports Complex, included 16 tennis courts, two multipurpose fields, six baseball fields, a disc golf course, a splash pad, a playground and walking trails, per the station's report. Early coverage from abc3340.com described the project as a 90-acre facility estimated to cost $58 million, though a separate search snippet tied to that same report instead cited a figure of around $85 million — a discrepancy that remains unresolved in the available record.
Officials at the time said groundbreaking was expected in November 2024, with the first phase potentially opening about a year later. The al.com reported in August 2024 that the sportsplex was expected to open in November 2025, even as critics questioned whether the broader $45 million price tag for the sports complex and a new city hall was too high for the growing suburb.
Bond Money and a Separate Renovation Track
That $45 million bond, approved by the Helena City Council, split funding between the two projects: $18 million for city hall and $27 million for the first phase of the sports complex, according to WBRC. City leaders had said at the time that building the complex all at once would not be financially responsible, opting instead for a phased approach, as the Shelby County Reporter noted in its coverage of the city's detailed project budget.
Separate from the new-site negotiations, Helena has also been working on renovations to its existing sports complex. At an Aug. 25, 2025 work session, the council heard updates on both the Hillsboro Sports and Leisure Park construction project and renovations to the existing facility, the Shelby County Reporter reported. Those renovations were described as including turf on four baseball fields and the football and soccer fields, along with upgraded concrete sidewalks, with the first phase of the Hillsboro park — including turf playing fields and a concourse — slated for completion before the spring 2026 baseball and softball seasons.
A preliminary master plan from April 2025 put the cost of phase-one renovations to the existing Helena Sports Complex at $4.56 million, with two additional alternates totaling $1.65 million. The same plan set targeted budgets of $5 million for phase two grading and $16 million for phase three of the Hillsboro Sports and Leisure Park, per the same account.
Funding Questions Remain Open
The city is considering a site different from the previously discussed Coalmont Road location. Rosener said additional location details might be available within two to three months; the city has not disclosed an anticipated purchase price or a target date for a land agreement.
City Councilman Jeff McDaniels has urged city leaders to gather feedback from residents and local sports organizations — including the tennis, soccer, baseball and girls' sports communities — before any final decisions are made. McDaniels also suggested considering whether future facilities could accommodate a new public library location, though no such plan has been formally proposed or approved.
Rosener has said he plans to present a general framework to residents at a town hall before the project moves forward, and that he will update council members once the property is under contract and preliminary plans and renderings are available. No date for that town hall has been announced, and the city will seek public feedback before proceeding with the new site under consideration.
Debt, Taxes and Existing Parks
What the financing documents show
The City of Helena’s FY2024 audited financial statements show that it issued $45 million in general-obligation warrants on Sept. 17, 2024, maturing in 2054, to fund public capital improvements including the new city hall and sports complex, according to the City of Helena. The city’s FY2027 budget describes how dedicated sales-tax revenue is expected to cover debt payments; it does not establish the final cost or financing plan for the revised complex.
The Helena City Council has also approved the city's fiscal year 2027 budget, which outlines plans to use revenue from two dedicated one-cent sales taxes to cover outstanding debt. An education sales tax is restricted to school-related expenditures, while a separate bond sales tax is dedicated to debt payments; the city projects roughly $1.86 million in annual revenue from that bond tax, with recent monthly collections generally ranging from $158,000 to $162,000.
Helena plans to use education sales tax revenue to cover school-related warrants and about half of the sports-complex-facility debt, with the remaining debt paid through the bond sales tax. Rosener has said current projections appear sufficient to fund debt service without tapping the general fund, though the city has not established total outstanding sports-facility debt, how funds will be allocated under the revised project, or how the new site might affect financing.
Meanwhile, concerns persist about the condition of existing facilities. Penhale Park has drawn reported complaints involving fencing, restrooms, lighting and field scheduling, and Helena resident Tim Hill has raised concerns about improving current parks while the city pursues a larger new development. Rosener has promised improvements to existing parks, but the city did not provide a specific update on the completion or timing of those improvements at its Nov. 9 work session.
For now, the project's next steps remain what they have been for months: securing property, identifying which facilities residents actually want, and determining how it all fits within the money Helena has available.
