St. George • A massive sports and cultural education complex may sprout up soon on tribal land just west of St. George.
Shivwits Band of Paiutes leaders told The Tribune this week that they have been in high-level discussions with Reef Capital, the developer of the $2 billion Black Desert Resort in nearby Ivins, about entering into a joint venture to build the new complex on 1,250 acres of reservation land that could include multiple golf courses, one of which would be designed by golfing great Tiger Woods.
“No decisions or commitments have been made at this point,” said Cameron Echohawk, economic development coordinator for the 322 members of the federally recognized Paiute band. “There are a lot of ideas being thrown out … to see which of them might gain traction.”
While there is no specific project for the Shivwits Band Council to vote on at this point, an internal document drawn up by the tribe and Reef Capital that was mistakenly placed on the band’s website provides some clarity about what is being considered.
Among the ideas floated in the document is the construction of four golf courses — two public and one private 18-hole course, and a smaller short course. TGR Design, which is led by golfing great Tiger Woods, has committed to design one of the public courses if the project becomes a reality, while Jackson Kahn, a renowned golf course design firm, would design the project’s private and short courses, according to the document and Black Desert managing partner Patrick Manning.
The development, which is proposed for the north side of Highway 91, across from the Shivwits gas station and existing soccer fields, could also include a sports village to host soccer, baseball, basketball and volleyball events.
Cabins and other lodging, equipment rentals and a restaurant could be built to house and cater to athletic teams, coaches and visitors, according to the document. The project, the document states, might include an event plaza for festivals and a historical and cultural museum to educate visitors about the Shivwits and their heritage.
Other possibilities include improving beach amenities at Fire Lake Park at Ivins Reservoir, half of which is owned by the Shivwits, and constructing a pedestrian bridge so visitors shuttling between the existing store and soccer fields and the sports complex don’t have to cross the highway.
Airfield and water creating a buzz
(Mark Eddington | The Salt Lake Tribune) Land where a proposed airstrip would be built on the Shivwits Band of Paiutes Reservation west of St. George.
For nearby Ivins residents who saw the document on the band’s website or learned about it on social media, the biggest buzz is about the proposal to build an airfield on the reservation where visitors could jet in on private aircraft to golf at the Shivwits complex or at Black Desert, which is located roughly six miles to the east.
“I moved here from Seattle last year to get away from runaway development and noisy traffic and airplanes,” Ivins resident Lloyd Williams said. “I hope I don’t have to move again. I’m not sure where I could go or if I could afford it.”
Paul Kay frets about the drought-prone area running out of water. “I don’t see the need for more golf courses,” he said. “My concern is that at some point we will run out of water.”
Manning, the Black Desert managing partner, offered advice to worriers: Don’t panic. For starters, he noted, everything in the document is a compilation of every idea the Shivwits and he and Reef Capital partners have discussed since last October. He said there is no way everything listed on the document would be built.
“This is not a movement to build [another] Black Desert,” Manning said. “This is the Shivwits’ deal. It is their land and their water, so they are driving this ship.”
Assuming an airfield was built, Manning said, it would be situated on reservation land about 5 miles west of the proposed joint venture, near a warehouse and former gypsum mine just off Highway 91. He said aircraft would not fly over Ivins’ Kayenta neighborhood, which abuts the reservation on the east.
On par with Pebble Beach and Pinehurst?
(Mark Eddington | The Salt Lake Tribune) A government building on the Shivwits Band of Paiutes Reservation west of St. George.
Manning said the airfield would enable people to fly in and quickly access the reservation and Black Desert’s courses, transforming the area into a golf destination on par with California’s Pebble Beach and North Carolina’s Pinehurst. It would give golfers struggling to schedule a tee time at the area’s overcrowded courses another option.
As for people’s water concerns, Manning and others noted that the 2001 settlement the band inked with federal and state authorities, St. George and the Washington County Water Conservancy District requires St. George to supply 2,000 acre-feet of reuse water to the band each year.
In addition, the water district must supply up to 1,900 acre-feet of drinking water per year from Gunlock Reservoir, a total that can be cut to a fraction of that amount depending on drought conditions. An acre-foot of water is approximately 326,000 gallons, which is about how much water two households use in a year.
“We all have a legal obligation, and we will make sure that we fulfill that obligation,” said district water manager Zach Renstrom. “How the tribe wants to use their water is totally up to them.”
Kayenta resident Wayne Pennington, who is running for a seat on the Ivins City Council, is willing to give Shivwits the benefit of a doubt, saying the band “did a terrific job of respecting the night sky” with the lighting they installed on the soccer fields next to their gas and convenience store.
“If they manage other facilities with similar regard to the environment and aesthetics, and are able to hold developers to that ideal,” he added, “negative impacts might be minimized.”
Echohawk said the band is committed to being good neighbors and wise stewards. If tribal council members approve a project with Reef Capital, it could be a financial boon for the Shivwits.
Manning said one scenario might be for the Shivwits to lease the land and water for the project to Reef Capital, which would set up a limited liability company to run the resort. The deal could also involve paying the Shivwits some flat fees or a percentage of the profits.
If a project and a contract are approved, according to the document, it could provide the Shivwits up to $149 million, or a yearly cash flow of $9.6 million. Manning said a project could also employ up to 85 tribal members.
(Mark Eddington | The Salt Lake Tribune) Land on the Shivwits Band of Paiutes Reservation west of St. George where a proposed sports and cultural complex will be developed.
Echohawk won’t say how those cash amounts were derived, calling the numbers — like the proposal — purely speculative. The same is true of the project’s impact, which the document states would disturb roughly 600 acres, or 2% of the reservation’s 28,229 acres.
Tribal governments, he explained, don’t tax their members, opting instead to indirectly own and operate businesses to fund scholarships, health care, more housing and meet other needs.
“The Shivwits are looking to do successful economic development projects to empower and support the members of the band, and they also appreciate the chance to tell their story and exercise their sovereignty,” Echohawk said.
Tina Gonzales, chair of the Shivwits Band Council, told the Tribune earlier this month that members could vote on whether to proceed with negotiations with Reef Capital within weeks, but could not be reached this week for further comment.
The council’s next meeting is slated for July 30.
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