The cost for retooling the golf course and clubhouse at city-owned Blue Rock Springs Golf Course has increased by around $4 million, a representative of the developer told the Vallejo City Council.
The costs are now estimated at $21.5 million, said Jeb Elmore, vice president-managing director, land acquisition at Lewis Management Corp., the company that partnered with Greg Norman Company to form Blue Rock Springs LLC.
“Costs continue to go up,” Elmore acknowledged. “These costs are quite a little higher than we anticipated.”
Blue Rock Springs is presently comprised of two 18-hole golf courses — the east and west courses — on either side of Columbus Parkway. The plans for redoing the golf course and clubhouse are only part of a proposed redevelopment project that involves building hundreds of new homes
The council approved preliminary plans for redeveloping the golf course in September, voting to move the clubhouse to where the driving range is now located and make the west course a 9-hole, par-3 course. Elmore gave the council an update on Tuesday.
The council had asked the developer to increase the event capacity from 350 to 500, to add golf court storage under the clubhouse, and to explore the possibility of locating a youth center on the overall development site on city-owned property.
The developer researched the youth center without making any changes to the plan, but did add the first two changes to the plan.
“To increase the event capacity to 500 people will cost $1.69 million as opposed to $1.55 million,” Elmore said, describing the cost as “nominal.” He said increasing space means losing parking, going from 350 parking spots to 339.
Putting the cart storage in the basement under the clubhouse upped the costs by $1.6 million, Elmore said.
Concerning the youth center, research into existing such centers in the area indicated that “the estimated cost of an 8,515 square foot structure including a basketball court, gym, and facilities is $5.99 million,” Elmore said.
The youth center would require a parking lot with approximately 49 spaces, the cost of which was not included in that estimate.
“I know this needs a lot more discussion,” he said. “Dialogue with council indicates we may have gone a little bit too far.”
Councilmember Alexander Matias said, “Say instead of a youth center, if I were to say I want a multipurpose indoor facility, whether for pickleball, badminton, whatever, what would that delta be between the $6 million you costed out and the facility I’m describing?”
Elmore responded, “After discussing more with council members, I did not get it right exactly what the goals for the youth center would be. We’re happy to narrow down the scope. Maybe there are existing unused facilities that can be purchased, or possibly reprogram facilities in nearby parks.”
Councilmember Tonia Lediju, who had first brought up the request for a youth facility, said, “There are many facilities already built, for example, the park across the street has many acres that can be used and still have green space, still have a huge indoor space.
“From my perspective, I don’t see the community youth center on the golf course,” Lediju said.
Assistant City Manager Gillian Haen said she is exploring the possibility with the Greater Vallejo Recreation District.
Blue Rock Springs is a city-owned facility. A previous council approved the sale of approximately 75 acres of the golf course in December 2022 for $400,000. Eight months later, it was advertised for sale with an $18 million price quote from the office of the new owner, Blue Rock Springs LLC, owned by the Lewis Management Corporation, with an incomplete profit-sharing agreement with the city.
That development sparked public outcry. In December 2024, the council approved in the second of two steps a profit-sharing agreement creating a $10.5 million minimum compensation to the city for the land. The agreement also arranges for the city to share in any profits from the sale of finished homes that the LLC is able to negotiate with homebuilders, among other things.
