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Zebulon Regional Sports Complex

Following strong voter support for extending the Parks, Trails, Historic Resources and Open Space Fund in 2022, Douglas County launched a series of surveys, town halls and stakeholder meetings to better understand residents’ priorities. Throughout this process, the need for additional sports facilities consistently emerged as one of the community’s top requests. Now, Douglas County is embarking on a journey to expand youth and adult recreation opportunities for residents with the development of a state-of-the-art sports complex.

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Zebulon in the News

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Play Ball! Partnerships will bring new Zebulon Regional Sports Complex to life

March 31, 2026

Pictured: Douglas County Commissioners and citizens at the Zebulon Special Business Meeting March 31, 2026…

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Commissioners acquire 46.5 acres for new regional sports complex

October 14, 2025

Pictured: During public comment, Oct. 14, 2025, a resident asked for those who support Zebulon…

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The Public Process

With community feedback and guidance from engineering, planning and private‑sector experts, Douglas County has been shaping a vision for a comprehensive, multi‑sport destination that will serve local families and the broader region. The timeline below highlights the key milestones that have brought the project to its current stage from early visioning and land agreements to engineering studies, public input and how we select development partners.

2022

  1. Voter Support: In 2022, voters overwhelmingly extended a sales tax measure for the Parks, Trails, Historic Resources and Open Space Fund (PTHROS), expected to generate over $330 million over 15 years.

2024

  1. Community Survey: To further understand the community’s priorities for the PTHROS fund, the County engaged citizens with a survey in 2024. Survey methodology was designed to ensure the best means for reaching a statistically accurate and representative sample of opinion from Douglas County residents, aged 18 and older.
  2. Public Input: During a Live Town Hall in May 2024 about the Fairgrounds Master Plan, the Board of County Commissioners heard from a large group of parents and youth about the need for more youth sports facilities.
  3. Community Engagement: The Board hosted a Live Town Hall on June 27, 2024, to further explore the community’s priorities for the PTHROS Fund, hearing again about the need for youth sports facilities.

2025

  1. Visioning: In early 2025, Sterling Ranch approached Douglas County with the idea for the Zebulon Regional Sports Complex.
  2. Stakeholder Engagement: The Board of County Commissioners met with more than 10 key stakeholders on Feb. 24, 2025, including municipalities, HOAs, sports organizations and developers. During this meeting, they discussed location, land use, funding and potential partnership opportunities to meet the needs of the community and surrounding regions. Meetings like this one are open to the public and notified weekly via the the Board’s weekly schedule.
  3. Community Engagement: The Board hosted a Live Town Hall on April 14, 2025, to debut the initial vision for Zebulon. It was the county’s most-attended Live Town Hall to date, reaching more than 10,000 people online and via phone. More than 200 people attended in person.
  4. Engineering:
    • On May 27, 2025, the Board approved a contract for $325,000 with Felsburg, Holt & Ullevig (FHU) to investigate long-term and short-term roadway infrastructure needed to support the Zebulon Sports Complex.
    • On July 22, 2025, the Board approved a contract for $410,000 with engineering firm Kimley-Horn to design the land development infrastructure for the proposed site, including grading, roads and utilities (sanitary/sewer, water, electric, gas and fiber). The consultant was also tasked with estimating the costs to build the site’s land development infrastructure. 50% of the design and initial estimates for the land development and roadway infrastructure were due in late September/early October 2025.
    • The County also retained Wember as an owner’s representative for a total of $71,690.
  5. Call for Private Partners: On Aug. 15, Douglas County started a competitive process to partner with private companies to design, build, finance, operate, program and maintain the various elements of Zebulon, such as an ice complex, baseball fields and an indoor sports complex. Interested organizations were invited to submit a response to the Request for Expression of Interest (RFEI) to partner on aspects of the project and/or the Request for Qualifications/Proposal (RFQP) to be the developer or general contractor.
  6. Land Transfer: On Oct. 14, 2025, Douglas County and Sterling Ranch agreed to a land transfer during a public business meeting. Douglas County received 46.5 acres of land to develop Zebulon Regional Sports Complex, and Sterling Ranch received 23.8 acres of land owned by the County. Sterling Ranch residents will also receive free, but not exclusive, access to future amenities, and Sterling Ranch will continue its commitment outlined in a 2023 agreement to preserve 185 acres of open space for elk migration in the area.

2026

  1. Partner Negotiations: After reviewing the responses to the RFQP during several posted executive sessions, the Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved a motion on Jan. 6, 2026, directing staff to begin formal negotiations with KT Development to establish a comprehensive agreement for the design, construction and long-term operation of the Zebulon Regional Sports Complex. Any and all contracts will be considered at future Business Meetings.
  2. Planning Commission Review:
    • On Monday, Feb. 2, the Douglas County Planning Commission voted to approve a Location & Extent request for site-wide grading and essential infrastructure that will support future development of both Zebulon and the Emergency Vehicle Operations Center (EVOC) in northwest Douglas County. This request approved site-wide grading and essential infrastructure, including drainage, water and sewer lines, utilities, and roadway improvements near Moore and Waterton Roads, where construction for both facilities is planned.
    • As planning continues, additional Location and Extent applications will be submitted for future EVOC facilities, Zebulon facilities and site improvements as the design team and partners refine uses and site development. The current request for Zebulon represents the first Location and Extent review for the project and is focused on site infrastructure only. Future phases of the sports complex will go through the same review process. Learn more about the Location & Extent process.
  3. Upcoming Decision: The Board will host a Special Business Meeting on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, to discuss and vote on four Zebulon-related items:
    1. A contract with KT Development to program, design, build, operate and maintain Zebulon Regional Sports Complex
    2. An agreement so infrastructure installation and site grading can begin
    3. A contract with financial consultant Stifel
    4. A resolution declaring the County’s intent to finance Zebulon with Certificates of Participation

Next Steps

  1. Community Engagement: When more is known about potential partners and the cost of the infrastructure, Douglas County will host additional public meetings. Sign up for updates.
  2. Construction Documents: Engineering firms Kimley-Horn and FHU are designing the basic infrastructure like roads, grading and utilities. Their plans will be used to open a competitive bidding process for contractors to begin preparing the site for future building construction. A separate bidding process will follow for the actual sports facilities and other buildings, called vertical construction.
  3. Contracts & Public Meetings: All contracts for construction, programming and other operations related to Zebulon will go before the Board of County Commissioners for consideration during regularly scheduled public Business Meetings.  
  4. Building Design: Once a developer is chosen, the developer is expected to lead a design process that includes a program phase, schematic design and full design. This process will put a final price tag on construction.
  5. Funding: Douglas County plans to contribute $60 million to $80 million toward project costs including site and infrastructure improvements, design, soft costs and construction costs. Specific funding sources will be defined through the public call for proposals and may include COPs, CRAs or other available County resources. The County seeks equity partners to support funding construction costs of the complete project. Additional funding partners will help achieve the vision.
  6. Construction: Construction on the initial grading is expected in early 2026.
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Want to partner with us on Zebulon?

Email [email protected]

Land & Environmental History

The land near Moore and Waterton Roads has transitioned from a former industrial site to a key part of Douglas County’s long‑term vision for public safety, open space and recreation. Once home to the Dupont/Chemours dynamite facility, the area underwent decades of environmental cleanup and was formally cleared by state regulators in 2022. Douglas County’s 2014 purchase of a portion of the property enabled critical infrastructure while ongoing planning with Sterling Ranch positioned a fully remediated 46.5‑acre site for the proposed Zebulon Regional Sports Complex. Today, the broader Waterton Road area is planned as a mix of open space, public safety facilities and private development, with the Zebulon site requiring no further environmental remediation.

  • 1906-1908: E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, better known as DuPont, builds a dynamite plant and company town at Louviers.
  • 1908-1971: The DuPont Louviers Works factory manufactures dynamite for military, mining and construction uses.
  • 1967-1989: The facility manufactures pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN), a new type of explosive in rope form.
  • 1989: Facility operations ceased, buildings were demolished and long‑term environmental monitoring and remediation began.
  • April 2014: Douglas County purchased 295 acres from DuPont for $2.3 million, with 39 acres designated for the planned Southern Connector roadway to improve regional mobility.
  • December 2014: The County transferred 100 acres to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office to build the Emergency Vehicle Operations Center (EVOC), addressing a regional need for emergency response training space.
  • 2014–2022: Environmental testing and cleanup continued across the former DuPont/Chemours property as part of state and federal oversight.
  • 2022: The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment issued a closure letter confirming that the remediated DuPont/Chemours site required no further environmental cleanup, with remaining restricted parcels located outside the area proposed for the Zebulon Regional Sports Complex. Read the letter in the Additional Materials & Resources section below.
  • Early 2020s: Sterling Ranch acquired and began planning redevelopment of the larger 400‑acre property, including preserved open space and new infrastructure.
  • 2025: Douglas County conducted its own due‑diligence assessment and confirmed that the land proposed for Zebulon required no remediation, aside from a limited area of PFAS not subject to cleanup requirements.
  • October 14, 2025: Douglas County and Sterling Ranch approved a land exchange: the County received 46.5 acres for Zebulon, while Sterling Ranch received 23.8 acres for commercial development and continued its commitment to preserving 185 acres of open space.
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Frequently Asked Questions

What is included in the land transfer that will allow for Zebulon Sports Complex?

A parcel of land owned by Sterling Ranch was identified as the preferred location for the new regional complex. At one time, the property in Highlands Ranch, known as Wildcat Regional Park, was slated to include a large sports complex. However, the surrounding community is opposed to that idea, and the Board decided to preserve the Wildcat Regional Park area as open space and move the preferred location for a regional sports complex to Sterling Ranch.

On Oct. 14, 2025, Douglas County and Sterling Ranch agreed to the land transfer during a public business meeting. Details of the transfer include:

  • Douglas County will receive 46.5 acres of land to develop Zebulon Sports Complex.
  • Sterling Ranch will receive 23.8 acres of land owned by the County for commercial development
  • Sterling Ranch residents will receive free, but not exclusive, access to future amenities
  • Sterling Ranch will continue its commitment to preserve 185 acres of open space for elk migration in the area

Will the County be required to do any environmental cleanup of the former DuPont/Chemours dynamite facility site?

No. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment issued a closure letter confirming that the remediated DuPont/Chemours site required no further environmental cleanup, with remaining restricted parcels located outside the area proposed for the Zebulon Regional Sports Complex. Read the letter in the Additional Materials & Resources section below.

When land negotiations began for Zebulon, the County prudently completed its own environmental assessment and found four areas where chemicals were still present. Those areas are not included in the area the County is acquiring for Zebulon, with the exception of a small amount of PFAS (a chemical commonly found in cookware and firefighting foam) – which, at this time, is not required to be remediated.

As is the County’s practice with construction projects, the County will monitor environmental conditions during construction.

What other sports and recreation amenities is the Board funding across Douglas County?

Thanks to voter approval to renew a 0.17% sales and use tax for the Parks, Trails, Historic Resources and Open Space Fund, the County–in partnership with Lone Tree, Parker and Castle Rock–announced historic investments in new park amenities across Douglas County.

What are Certificates of Participation and how will they be used to fund Zebulon?

A Certificate of Participation (COP) is a financing tool that allows investors to buy a share of lease revenues from a local government rather than purchasing a bond secured by those revenues. The County anticipates using COPs to fund portions of this project, while at the same time seeking equity partners.

How has the Douglas County community been involved in the development of Zebulon?

Community feedback has been the driving force for the development of Zebulon Regional Sports Complex:

  • Voter Support: In 2022, voters overwhelmingly extended a sales tax measure for the Parks, Trails, Historic Resources and Open Space Fund, expected to generate more than $330 million over 15 years.
  • Community Survey: To further understand the community’s priorities for this fund, the County engaged citizens with a survey in 2024. Survey methodology was designed to ensure the best means for reaching a statistically accurate and representative sample of opinion from Douglas County residents, aged 18 and older.
  • Public Input: During a Live Town Hall in May 2024 about the Fairgrounds Master Plan, the Board heard from a large group of parents and youth about the need for more youth sports facilities.
  • Community Engagement: Based on the feedback from the May 2024 Live Town Hall, Commissioners followed up with a Live Town Hall on June 27, 2024, to further explore the community’s priorities for the Parks, Trails, Historic Resources and Open Space Fund, hearing again about the need for youth sports facilities.
  • Stakeholder Engagement: Douglas County Commissioners hosted a public meeting with more than 10 key stakeholders on Feb. 24, 2025, including municipalities, HOAs, sports organizations and developers. During this meeting, they discussed location, land use, funding and potential partnership opportunities to meet the needs of the community and surrounding regions. Meetings like this one are open to the public and notified weekly via the Commissioners’ weekly schedule.
  • Community Engagement: Commissioners hosted a Live Town Hall on April 14, 2025, to debut the initial vision for Zebulon. It was the county’s most-attended Live Town Hall ever, reaching more than 10,000 people online and via phone. More than 200 people attended in person.

What else is being funded with the Parks, Trails, Historic Resources and Open Space Sales Tax?

Zebulon is one of the Board’s priorities for voter-approved parks funding. Additionally, the County–in partnership with Lone Tree, Parker and Castle Rock–has announced historic investments in new parks amenities across Douglas County.

While part of the same voter-approved 2022 funding measure, funding for these park priorities is, per voter-approved ballot language, separate from funding for Open Space. Learn more about the Parks, Trails, Historic Resources and Open Space Fund.

Economic Impact

The Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation and Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce provided an Economic and Fiscal Impact Analysis on the proposed Zebulon and private development site, known as The Waterton West Development that will include 2.39 million-square feet of mixed-use development.

The report estimates that “from 2026 to 2036, the Zebulon Regional Sports Complex is expected to generate a total economic impact of $1.3 billion, including $528.4 million in labor income and support for 1,764 jobs through construction and ongoing operations.” Read the full report in the Additional Materials & Resources section below.