Clearwater developer Les Porter has added an indoor fieldhouse to his proposed redevelopment of The Landings Golf Course, bringing the estimated cost to $300 million. City officials will consider competing proposals for the city-owned property this week.
The 220,000-square-foot fieldhouse would include eight full-size basketball courts convertible into 16 volleyball courts, along with flexible space for indoor soccer, flag football, cheerleading and gymnastics. The announced investment is about $120 million above the $179.6 million estimate in the city’s earlier review.
The announcement comes ahead of an Oct. 12 Clearwater City Council work session and an expected Oct. 14 vote on competing proposals for the golf course, located at 1875 Airport Drive beside Clearwater Executive Airpark.
Porter said the expansion grew out of conversations with residents about recreational facilities.
“Through our extensive community engagement one of the most consistent themes that persisted was the desire for more indoor basketball courts, indoor soccer, and indoor flag football,” Porter said in a prepared statement.
The revised plans also include four padel courts and 24 proposed pickleball courts indoors. Those facilities would operate under the Clearwater Racquet Club name within the larger campus.
Indoor facilities could expand the campus’s ability to host tournaments throughout the year by reducing disruptions from summer thunderstorms and extreme heat. Visiting teams could generate demand for hotel rooms and restaurants, although those benefits would depend on bookings and how many participants travel from outside Pinellas County.
The broader proposal includes outdoor sports facilities, a major water attraction, fitness and wellness amenities, dining and entertainment.
Proposed field house. Rendering by Fisher Architects.
Porter’s team submitted its initial unsolicited proposal in 2025. Clearwater subsequently opened the property to competing proposals, receiving submissions from Sunshine Recreational and Entertainment LLC, the entity behind Porter’s plan, and Clearwater Golf Associates.
An evaluation committee ranked Sunshine first Oct. 1. City staff recommends authorizing negotiations for an interim agreement with the company. Council selection would precede a final development agreement and approval of construction.
The expansion also introduces a potential emergency-management function. According to the developer, the property sits approximately 70 feet above sea level and immediately adjacent to the airpark.
Porter intends to work with Pinellas County officials to explore whether the fieldhouse could accommodate emergency staging, logistics and other operations before and after hurricanes.
Elevated indoor space could accommodate supplies or response teams, but those uses would require appropriate building specifications and coordination with emergency management agencies. The announcement describes an intention to explore that role and does not identify a county agreement.
The redevelopment would also involve environmental work associated with a former landfill on the property. Porter proposes pursuing brownfield designation, undertaking environmental mitigation and replacing aging stormwater infrastructure.
The scope and cost of that work remain considerations for the project. Nearby residents have raised concerns about flooding and traffic, including how development would affect surrounding streets and stormwater runoff. An expanded indoor venue would require the city to assess parking and vehicle movements during tournaments alongside the drainage improvements.
The project’s financial structure will be another issue in negotiations.
Porter argues that private redevelopment would generate property tax revenue from a site currently operating as a tax-exempt municipal golf course.
“For far too long Clearwater residents have received very little economic benefit from the existing golf course,” he said.
The earlier proposal contemplated a longterm ground lease and approximately $45 million in Pinellas County tourist development tax funding. The expansion announcement does not specify whether the additional investment would change that request or the financial arrangement with Clearwater.
Porter says the project would have no tax exemptions. Negotiations would need to establish the ownership, lease and tax terms before the city could assess the revenue it would receive.
Replacing the golf course would add recreational options while ending its existing use. Residents’ access to the new facilities would depend on operating schedules, prices and any public-use requirements negotiated by Clearwater.
Council members are expected to discuss the proposals today at 1:30 p.m. and vote Oct. 14 at 6 p.m. Both meetings are scheduled for the Clearwater Main Library Council Chambers, 100 N. Osceola Ave. Public comment will be taken Oct. 14, but not at the work session.
If negotiations proceed, the city and selected applicant would have to turn the proposal into enforceable terms covering investment, environmental work and public access. Those obligations would determine what Clearwater receives in exchange for committing the city-owned property to a new use.