Mark Bellissimo proposes new horse showground in Wellington; stadium could stand 65 feet high
WELLINGTON — Mark Bellissimo’s team has submitted a proposal to build a horse megacenter in the village’s equestrian preserve that would include a stadium that could be as tall as 65 feet and seat as many as 10,000 people.
The project would also include a derby field and high-end vendor spaces as it doubles the size of Wellington International, adding 114 acres to the 111-acre campus on the northeast corner of Gracida and Gene Mische streets.
The venue along 40th Street South would replace Equestrian Village, where dressage events are currently held, and consolidate all equestrian sports in one venue. Bellissimo’s team has proposed closing Equestrian Village as part of its plans to build The Wellington, a luxury-home community, in the village’s equestrian preserve.
“The Equestrian Village facility can no longer safely and operationally accommodate the level of activity,” wrote Paige Bellissimo in a letter “Although Wellington’s showgrounds capacity will double, the number of horses will not, meaning everyone will have more space.”
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Bellissimo’s team released the showgrounds proposal on the eve of the Village Council considering its applications for the two parts of The Wellington. Hearings are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Village Hall and could run through Thursday night.One part, The Wellington North, asks the village to do something it never has approved before: remove land from the 9,000-acre preserve to allow a developer to build — in this case, a luxury residential club community. The 96 acres are home to Equestrian Village and Whitebirch Polo Club.
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For Wellington South, Bellissimo’s team is requesting a land-use change for the 114 acres where the new showgrounds would go to equestrian commercial from residential. It would be a first step toward making the new showgrounds happen.
The team also wants the village to declare the new equestrian center is compatible with the goals of the Equestrian Preserve Area (EPA).
“While the priority is to 'preserve and protect,' the EPA, preservation here means safeguarding the equestrian community and lifestyle rather than setting aside large green spaces,” stated the Bellissimo application.
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The absence of the showgrounds proposal in part led the village’s Equestrian Preserve Committee to reject the project in June and its Planning and Zoning Board in August to recommend approval for only one part, The Wellington South, and for The Wellington North either to be tabled or rejected until it could vote on a proposal for the new showgrounds.
Some say approving Wellington North would create a precedent for the village in allowing land to be removed from the preserve for development. The village says the removal would not set a precedent and that it would handle similar requests on their merits.
Many equestrians and landowners in the preserve also are upset that Bellissimo has not made improvements on his existing showgrounds at Equestrian Village. He has long staged the Winter Equestrian Festival dressage-related events at the site, at South Shore Boulevard and Pierson Road.
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Bellissimo’s team argued the expansion is necessary to support the growth of Wellington International and for the village to keep its stake in the equestrian industry against competing locations near Ocala and Sarasota.
It has stated the new horse center will be better both for riders and spectators, making the venue accessible by safer paths, creating a less-congested showground with more green spaces and offering more luxury viewing, vendor and dining options.
“That demand will not double the number of horses so the venue will have a more spacious and park-like feel for all concerned,” stated the application.
The centerpiece would be a new International Arena that would accommodate up to 10,000 spectators between general admission, boxes and dining areas. It will be designed to allow attendees to overlook the derby field, the winner's enclosure, barns and vendor plazas.
Belissimo’s team this week is seeking a compatibility determination from the village to build the horse megacenter on undeveloped land in the equestrian preserve. It is also requesting a change to village code that would allow the facility to be up to 65 feet tall. The preserve has a 25-foot height limit.
The 25-foot height limit is “not consistent with market trends,” the proposal said. Raising it will allow “greater flexibility in how the expanded showground is laid out.”
“Wellington’s equestrian industry would atrophy or outright cease to exist without major equestrian venues,” stated the application, which talks of making Wellington "the Horse Sport Capital of the World."
“And these types of venues need flexibility to be operationally and economically viable,” the application said.
The new Wellington showgrounds: What's in the blueprints?
The proposal calls for:
Ring Areas: The plans call for seven open-air rings with adjacent schooling fields. There also would be two lunging rings and covered areas, as well as an international arena and a derby field with their own schooling fields.
Stadium: The stadium would cover 206,000 square feet. There would be 3,000 to 5,000 seats with 50 viewing boxes for up to 400 patrons and a bridge with a photo element. The proposal also discusses including three ringside viewing venues, a multi-glass view with a full kitchen with capacity to feed 500 people, an outdoor dining area with 250 seats and an outdoor patio for 250 guests.
Barns: The horse center would add four international barns with a total of 350 stalls. There also would be three other barns with a total of 2,408 stalls, as well as 10 tent bars that could house up to 880 horses.
VIP hospitality: The venue would feature 300 tables facing the main arena, another 300 facing the derby field and multiple suites.
Vendor spaces: There would be space for 21 high-end vendors, as well as 10 other shops, five “pop-up” rental sites and 40 flexible spaces. There also would be 20 trailer locations.
Maximum number of spectators: A total of 15,000 people could occupy the entire venue. The application states maximum attendance is expected once or twice per season and projects the majority of events to have less than 8,500 spectators.
Stabling: The stables will be on the west side of the venue along the north-south axis of Gene Mische Way.
Transportation: The project would feature a network of sidewalks, golf cart roads and bridle trails for horses.
Manure bins: They would be placed between barns to create a structural buffer intended to limit the spread of the manure odor.
Who owns the proposed showground property?
According to the application, the 114 acres for the proposed The Wellington South are owned by “key stakeholders in the community” and lists six companies owned by Mark Bellissimo. They sit along 40th Street South between Idle Dice Road, which becomes Gene Mische Way, and 140th Avenue South.
A portion of the property is in a flood zone, according to village maps.
How would the new Wellington showground be built?
The showground expansion would be phased over several years.
The derby field and its schooling area would be the first things to be developed. Then, the first phase of construction would include: a new lake on the northern part of the property, the international barns and schooling fields, lunging rings and other outdoor areas with shaded structures, according to the proposal.
In the first year of operation, hospitality venues would likely be “high-end temporary structures”, and the permanent locations will come with phased build out, the proposal says.
Valentina Palm covers Royal Palm Beach, Wellington, Loxahatchee and other western communities in Palm Beach County for The Palm Beach Post. Email her at vpalm@pbpost.com and follow her on Twitter at @ValenPalmB. Support local journalism: Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Mega equestrian center with derby proposed for Wellington Florida
