"Let’s Head to the Sports Ranch in Ouray"

A Sport’s Ranch? What the heck is it? We consider a “Sports Ranch” to be an exciting concept in lodging, and a possible use for Ourays 9 Acres. It can feature a combination of fields, courts, parks, walkways, and even a staging and seating area – places to play, gather, and recreate, along with the lodging that is designed for hosting groups, teams, and events.

Here is a concept sketch - one way to do it on Ourays 9 Acres:

Within the lodge, guest rooms might adjoin each other, with interior doors and an interior meeting room wedged between a couple of bunk rooms.

The interior room - a “parlor,” can multi-function – sports team coaches or event leaders can sleep there, but also primarily use the room as a gathering space and a meeting / media room for the team. It’s a good place to coach and view video of the team. And not a bad place for a wedding or anniversary party either. It is a purpose-built facility with gatherings, groups, and recreation in mind. How important is screen and media access, that is AV, or audio / video / internet today for groups, teams, and meeting spaces? … pretty important.

An example of a sports ranch is the Rising Star in Mesquite, Nevada: http://www.risingstarsportsranch.com/rooms-en.html .

At the Rising Star, a variety of fields and recreational venues have been constructed for team play and development, including soccer, baseball, softball, and basketball. A cost-effective metal field house for hosting indoor events, with rolling bleachers and chairs was constructed to provide a year-round, weather resistant venue. It further expands the venue from a Sports Center to an Event Center - with lodging and dining thrown in.

A variety of available floors to choose from make the field house truly multi-purpose.

What and to whom does a Sport’s Ranch market to?

- Sports teams, a half a day’s bus ride away (front range, Salt Lake City, Albuquerque, etc.) ... It’s tournament or competition time. There are also teams that will travel from many states away to play in a tournament or compete and learn in a sports camp.

- Weddings and Anniversaries. Families and friends can gather and enjoy time together, the venue, and its amenities. Throw Ouray in the mix and you have the beauty and activities of Southwestern Colorado in addition to the Ranch’s recreational opportunities.

- Conferences … Retreats (we prefer the term Advances) … Company and corporate meetings.

- Festivals (music, art, food, etc.).

In essence, we consider the Sport’s Ranch to be an "event center" concept, actually encompassing more than just sports and providing additional opportunities for Ouray. Ouray sports interests are quite varied, and because there are truly four seasons, winter sports brings ice and snow interests into the mix, along with spring and summer water-based recreation. Indoor events occur all twelve months, and every season, regardless of weather.

Could an outdoor music venue, or amphitheater with stage, lighting, and sound, designed for permanent use, actually attract festivals to SW Colorado? (we recently attended big-name music headliners on the grass at a golf course in Montrose, and an internationally renowned festival in a city park in Telluride). If Grand Junction attracts tens of thousands of music lovers to events such as Country Jam, wouldn't many also attend in a venue designed for music, but with the San Juans as a backdrop?

Situated along the Uncompahgre, with views to Mt. Abram, and purposefully designed to create a fine sound and easy viewing, why not? When the event is over, grab a bite in the restaurant and retire to your room. Watch the event highlights and hear the music replay in your parlor. Or take a stroll along the trail to the hot springs and relax in the steam. Bad weather? Switch the venue indoors to the field house.

As Colorado’s Western Slope continues to grow, and SW Colorado’s discovery as an attractive vacation and resort area continues, now is a good time to grab real estate (Ourays 9 Acres) that could help this vision (or your own) become a reality. Call, come by, and we will walk the property and provide information and tour as desired. It can be fun to dream and imagine, but carefully considered and well-planned investments are the best. We'll help in that regard - the future is bright in SW Colorado.

Ouray Colorado Land, Ouray Colorado Development, Ouray Colorado Real Estate