An ambitious schedule for a public-private partnership to build a $25 million multipurpose sports complex in Vicksburg was unveiled Thursday, showing the initial phase completed in time for baseball and softball season in 2008.

The company would operate its complex on part of the current site of Halls Ferry Park, now a Vicksburg Parks and Recreation Department complex of tennis courts and ball fields.

Tammy Davenport, owner of Good Samaritan Physical Therapy and a driving force for the complex, told Vicksburg Rotary Club members Thursday that a timetable and specifics were locked down.

In June, the City of Vicksburg paid $250,000 to USA Partners Sports Alliance of Jacksonville Beach, Fla., for a study to determine whether the city can support such a family entertainment sports facility.

If the company does not end up contracting with the city or if $2.5 million isn’t raised in three months, the company is to pay the city back the $250,000, an agreement between USAPSA and the city states.

According to its Web site, USAPSA uses a combination of grants and celebrity-hosted events to raise capital for projects such as the sports complex. The pledge is that developments give back 10 times their cost in economic development.

&#8220These facilities pay for themselves,” said J.D. Daniel, manager for USAPSA. &#8220There’s an opportunity here for Vicksburg to attract youth events. This is a very good business deal for you.”

If the 90-day trigger is met, a 12-month period to raise the total $25 million starts.

&#8220The mayor negotiated a very good deal for the City of Vicksburg,” Daniel said. &#8220He insisted that our agreement include language which required the $250,000 investment by the city be refunded if certain deliverables were not met, including raising a minimum of $2.5 million in investment capital for the project over a 12-month period with the overall goal of raising $25 million.”

Davenport is heading Aquila Group LLC, the company that will lead the construction and management of the fields and sports facilities once the study is complete.

&#8220Aquila will access and meet the community’s needs in order to maximize the socioeconomic impact of requisite projects,” a press release from the company explained.

She said the first phase will have up to 16 baseball/softball fields, a pregame training area, dugouts with fans, covered spectator seating, concession stands, walking trails and picnic areas. Phase II will follow and include a welcome center, water park, indoor soccer fields, special-needs fields, a multipurpose stadium and a golf-spa resort.

&#8220We want to have these things for families to be able to enjoy,” Davenport said.

Other USAPSA projects list funds coming from tax-exempt bonds, TIF funds, USAPSA matching funds and corporate sponsorships.

Davenport said a facility of this size will increase tourism, as well as the number of people who make permanent moves to Vicksburg.

&#8220Vicksburg will be a destination source for family vacations. Vicksburg’s economy will escalate exponentially as the amenities increase,” she said. &#8220We want more and more people to choose Vicksburg as a residence. The sports facility is the drawing card.”

Developing a second sports complex has been a work-in-progress for city officials, who in 2004 signed a deal to buy 200 acres off Fisher Ferry Road.

South Ward Alderman Sid Beauman, who has pushed for the additional sports fields, said the city will wait to see what the private developers can accomplish before deciding whether to move forward with the Fisher Ferry complex.

&#8220It all depends on what comes out of the feasibility study,” he said. &#8220We’re not going to do two of them. If it’s feasible, we may direct the money to the new” complex.

Currently, two golf courses are in Warren County. The oldest is at Vicksburg Country Club, a private facility. The Warren County Parks and Recreation Department operates Clear Creek, an 18-hole public course at Bovina, completed in 1983. The only area soccer fields are off Tiffentown Road in Bovina.

USAPSA claims an existing portfolio of about $2.5 billion of contracted clients in 10 locations. One of them shows nearly $2 billion for Myriad World Resort, a proposed $4 billion complex near Tunica. That project has not attracted significant private investment, and shares were trading at 49 cents today.

Aquila and USAPSA will host the first Legends Golf Invitational at Vicksburg Country Club Sept. 10 to raise awareness for the project and gain Vicksburg’s support.

In addition to courting investment bankers, the company has arrangements with sports celebrities willing to work in fundraising, especially for special-needs youths.