SEBASTIAN — The first phase of an enhancement and expansion of the Indian River County Public Shooting Range in Sebastian is scheduled to be completed before the mid-July arrival of the Shooting Industry Masters, a 12-year-old tournament that will be held in Florida for the first time.
It’s the second phase of the project, however, that is expected to have the greatest impact on the range’s 88,000- plus registered shooters.
Shortly after the Masters event and its nearly 500 competitors leave town – the tournament is considered an annual networking opportunity for bigwigs in the firearms and ammunition industry, as well as a chance for them to compete alongside members of the U.S. Shooting Team and former Olympians – County officials will begin seeking bids to build skeet and trap facilities at the range.
“Since we opened the range in April 2001, the public has wanted us to add skeet and trap,” said Holden Kriss, manager of the County-operated range, which is on 102nd Terrace, just off State Road 512 and approximately three-quarters of a mile east of Interstate 95. “Right now, on a good Saturday or Sunday, we’ll get 300 to 400 people using the range. When we add skeet and trap, we’ll be even busier.”
Currently, the privately owned Indian River Trap and Skeet Club, west of Vero Beach on 82nd Avenue, is the only local facility offering those particular shooting specialties.
The County Commission already approved an expenditure of $131,520 to cover the costs of designing, engineering and permitting for the project, which could include a third phase in coming years.
Assistant County Administrator Mike Zito said the planned improvements and expansion of the range are expected to cost another $100,000.
The entire project, he said, will be funded through impact fees collected by the County.
“The first phase of improvements certainly will enhance the tournament, and the event makers had a preference that we complete the initial phase beforehand, but we’ve been looking at this as more of a longer-range plan,” Zito said. “We would’ve gone ahead with these plans, anyway.”
The Masters, scheduled for July 18- 19, is a three-gun shooting match – rifles, pistols and shotguns – among 100 four-person teams. The competition does not include a trap and skeet component.
The County’s initial plans included an expansion of the existing rifle and pistol ranges by adding a 300-yard rifle range and large-action pistol range; building trap and skeet houses and fields; and increasing storage and parking availability.
But wetlands concerns, along with a desire to reduce costs, prompted the Zito and his staff to recommend postponing those additions, which were not necessary to host the tournament.
The addition of the 300-yard rifle and large-action pistol ranges were removed from the project – at least for now – after the County staff determined they would not generate enough revenue to justify the construction costs and environmental impact.
Those ranges eventually could be included in a third phase of the project.
The trap and skeet facilities, however, were bumped to the second phase, which is expected to begin before the end of the year.
“Based on what we’re hearing from the public and from the people who use the range, there’s a much higher demand for the trap and skeet addition,” Zito said. “So that will be our next priority, once the tournament is over.”
County officials partnered with the Treasure Coast Sports Commission and Indian River County Chamber of Commerce to lure the Masters shooting event, which is not open to the public but is expected to have a significant economic impact locally.
Zito said tournament organizers have told him the event is sold out – according to the Masters website, 100 percent of the proceeds are donated to the U.S. Olympic Shooting Team and First Shots educational outreach program – and is expected to generate “upwards of 1,200 room nights” at local hotels.
“We’re looking at this as a way to enhance our sports tourism industry and to invite them to do business in Indian River County,” Zito said.
As for the money the County is spending on the upgrades and expansion, Zito said the revenue generated by the 13-year-old shooting range “is just about exceeding the cost” of its operations. “We’re projecting trap and skeet to further those revenues.”
