The Jackie Robinson Training Complex in Vero Beach is poised to become an even stronger destination for youth sports, with plans for construction nearby of a $37.3 million, 116-room TownePlace Suites by Marriott hotel, and a high-tech indoor baseball and softball batting complex called Home Run Dugout. The Vero Beach City Council last week agreed to lease city-owned property near the airport to a developer who plans to build the hotel and the entertainment facility, expanding the amenities available to the thousands of families who travel to Vero Beach for youth baseball and softball tournaments and other sporting events each year. The 3.45-acre site at 3800 Aviation Dr. is northeast of the Jackie Robinson Training Complex. VB Hotel 1, LLC, a subsidiary of Deerfield Beach-based real estate developer Diversified Companies, will lease the property for 40 years, with an option to renew for an additional 10 years. Diversified also plans to lease an adjacent 1-acre parcel for a family restaurant, said Cary Goldberg, the company’s principal. Goldberg hopes to break ground on the hotel and entertainment project in the first quarter of 2027, with construction completed in the final quarter of the year. In the meantime, he is seeking entrepreneurs interested in developing the restaurant. Major League Baseball hosts dozens of tournaments and events at the Jackie Robinson Training Complex, attracting more than 400 youth sports teams each year, Goldberg said. With activities scheduled 36 weeks out of the year, he sees an opportunity to build on the complex’s established reputation by making it easier and more enjoyable for families to spend several days in Vero Beach. “Youth sports is a $46 billion industry right now,” Goldberg said. “And the Jackie Robinson complex schedules these and other activities 36 weeks out of the year. That makes us the best positioned hospitality option. You can park your car once and walk back and forth to the complex.” The development reflects Goldberg’s own experience as a youth sports parent. For 11 years, he traveled with his three sons to tournaments and sporting events, an experience that gave him a firsthand understanding of what families need when they spend weekends on the road. “We love it as a family,” he said. “We’ve made some of our best friends doing this. We really enjoy it.” Those experiences helped shape the hotel concept Diversified developed with Marriott over approximately two years. Rather than simply offering conventional hotel rooms, the proposed TownePlace Suites will be designed with the needs of traveling sports families in mind. Guest rooms will feature smaller queen-size beds suited to families with teenagers, along with in-room kitchens. Other planned amenities include complimentary hot breakfast, a large swimming pool, a fitness center, a full-service lobby bar, a flexible meeting room for groups of various sizes and concierge service for visiting families. The goal, Goldberg said, is to give families a comfortable place to stay while making the Jackie Robinson Training Complex the center of their visit. While the hotel site is near the airport, but “we didn’t want to build a typical airport hotel or a resort,” Goldberg said. Nevertheless, he expects the airport’s growth and the addition of commercial airline service to provide another source of demand. The second major component of the development, Home Run Dugout, will extend the baseball experience beyond the playing field. The concept, which Goldberg has licensed along with its patented equipment and technology, is similar to Topgolf, substituting baseball and softball for golf. Participants will hit balls into screens in two augmented-reality batting bays. Advanced tracking technology will measure the speed and trajectory of each hit, projecting the results into virtual renderings of iconic Major League Baseball stadiums. Players ages 6 through adulthood will be able to compete individually or in teams, with a computer system keeping score and offering different game formats. Goldberg anticipates that Home Run Dugout will appeal to more than tournament participants. Families could visit for birthday parties, while businesses could use the venue for corporate gatherings and team-building events. The facility could also provide an entertainment option for visiting families during downtime between games. “I can see it being popular not just during youth tournaments, but for corporate events and birthday parties,” he said. The Vero Beach City Council’s approval of the hotel lease included discussion of the project’s financial arrangements. Under the agreement, rent will begin 25 months after the lease start date, allowing time for construction. Council member John Carroll objected to the delay, arguing that the developer would control the property for two years without making rental payments to the city. “I think that’s wrong,” Carroll said. “And I think it’s contrary to the policy that we outlined in our (airport property leases).” Airport Director Brandon Dambeck acknowledged the delay in rental income but emphasized the project’s anticipated economic benefits. “The hotel project is going to pump over $30 million into the local economy, as well as create over 60 middle class jobs,” Dambeck said. Assistant Airport Director Will Howard added that Diversified had already paid the city $500,000, representing the required 50 percent local match for a $1 million infrastructure grant awarded to the city by the Florida Department of Transportation. Diversified has also recently completed construction of six new hangars on property it leases from the city on the north side of the airport.