A privately operated recreational complex initially announced for public land at Halls Ferry Park appears destined for part of a 200-acre tract Vicksburg purchased on Fisher Ferry Road.

Mayor Laurence Leyens confirmed Thursday that Monday action by city officials to secure four acres of land from St. Michael Catholic Church was to give the city access to the 200 acres purchased in 2003 for $325,000.

The city’s intent at the time was to undertake a phased development of the land into ball fields, picnic areas, pavilions and other amenities. About $4 million of a $16.9 million bond issued to the city in August was earmarked for developing the first phase at the Fisher Ferry Road site.

In the interim, however, the Aquila Group, a local initiative, formed last summer and announced a deal with the city to bring a $25 million sports complex – later increased to $40 million – to Halls Ferry Park. Aquila, along with USA Partners Sports Alliance, a Florida company helping secure funds, offered to present a study to show whether Vicksburg could support such a complex in return for $250,000 from the city.

Aquila principals have since said an environmental study at Halls Ferry, which includes land once used as a landfill, has left them looking for an alternate location. Leyens said Thursday, since the contract was contingent on the complex being built at Halls Ferry Park, Aquila and USPSA will have to pay back the $250,000.

“When they first came to us, we told them it wouldn’t make sense to pay $20 (million) to $40 million to build on a dump,” Leyens said.

He said the group will now determine which 50 acres of the 200-acre city-owned land will be used for the complex. The city will, then, build the park and turn it back over to Aquila, headed by Tammy Davenport, to manage, he said. An earlier deal with the city handed over to Aquila management of Halls Ferry Park, currently used for youth baseball and girls’ softball. Even though the site will no longer be used to house the complex, which was planned to house 16 baseball and softball fields, a welcome center, retractable fencing for handicapped-accessible play, a chapel and a lodge, the fields at Halls Ferry Park will continue to be used as practice fields, Leyens said.

Aquila has agreed to work toward developing houses around the Fisher Ferry Road complex to help with the city’s housing shortage, he added, stating the city is 5,500 houses short of what it should have.

“We will have a state-of-the-art recreational facility that will have houses built around it,” he said. “I think it will end up being a good story.”

Leyens indicated the deal could move forward in the next couple of weeks.