OCALA, FL (352today.com) – Is a major new sports and entertainment complex in Ocala on the horizon?

Golden Ocala Equestrian Land has proposed a 236-acre indoor/outdoor facility featuring sports fields, a stadium, restaurants, a hotel, and a concert venue. But not everyone is on board – especially a local watchdog organization concerned about its location and impact on the area’s rural and equestrian identity.

The complex would sit next to the World Equestrian Center, which was named one of Time Magazine’s 2024 World’s Greatest Places. Despite the location, the proposal does not include any equestrian components. Instead, it outlines fields for soccer, lacrosse, baseball, softball, and football, along with an indoor facility for ice hockey, volleyball, basketball, and soccer.

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The plans also call for two restaurants, a hotel, supporting buildings, and a concert venue. Just south of the proposed development lies the Farmland Preservation Area, established to protect Marion County’s equestrian and agricultural lands. 

Conservation concerns

“This facility is proposed in the wrong location, on lands designated and restricted to low-density residential homesites for the World Equestrian Estates,” said Busy Shires, director of conservation strategies for Horse Farms Forever. “In 2018, at the request of Golden Ocala, nearly 1,000 acres were removed from the Farmland Preservation Area for the World Equestrian Center and the World Equestrian Estates low-density residential homesites.”

Shires said the scale and intensity of the proposed commercial development is fundamentally incompatible with surrounding horse farms and rural neighborhoods.

Horse Farms Forever formally opposes the requested Marion County Comprehensive Plan Amendments and accompanying zoning changes tied to the project.

“At 236 acres – which includes 90 acres for outdoor sports, including a stadium, and 30 acres for expo and indoor sports – the sheer size and scale of the proposed facility is on par with Disney’s Wide World of Sports,” Shires said.

Upcoming public hearing

The Marion County Planning and Zoning Commission will hold a public meeting to discuss the proposal at 5:30 p.m. on June 30 at the McPherson Government Campus Auditorium.

Editor’s Note: Golden Ocala was contacted for comment; however, our requests were not returned by the time of publication.

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