Northern Colorado town forces Future Legends sports complex to close some facilities

After years of legal issues, battles and even filing for bankruptcy in Northern Colorado, the future of the Future Legends Youth Sports Complex in Windsor has now hit a major barrier. Monday morning the Town of Windsor announced they were pulling the complex's temporary certificate of occupancy for its sports dome, stadium and pickleball courts, cutting off the complex's ability to host sporting events at some of it's most important completed venues.

While a majority of the complex's most anticipated features, including a minor league sports stadium, have remained under construction for years now, other features like the sports dome bubble have been operating for some time. However, in recent years visitors have contacted CBS News Colorado complaining that the facilities were not completed and and that there were a lack of restrooms on the property.

Currently lining the outside of the sports bubble are portable toilets.

Windsor's town manager, Shane Hale, told CBS News Colorado the lack of sanitation was just one of several reasons the TCO was pulled from major parts of the complex.

"Future Legends made a lot of representation about work they were going to do and financing that was coming into place," Hale said. "But, that was back in January of 2023. And we did a number of extensions and haven't seen any progress as far as the building went. But, we also saw the site deteriorate over time."

 Hale said other major concerns for the town included a lack of fencing around bodies of water on the property and also insufficient lighting. Hale said those contributed to safety risks for visitors while the property continued to be completed.

The town's TCO they issued expired in October of 2024. However, legal battles and judicial orders forced them to continue extending the TCO while Future Legends attempted to work several issues out in court.

Nearly all of the property is surrounded by temporary fencing, some of which has notices from the town zip tied to it, notifying of the TCO being revoked.

CBS News Colorado was inaccurately told by a Future Legends employee that filming of the fenced-in complex from a public sidewalk was prohibited. The employee then deferred comment on the complex's future to their lawyer.

A legal representative for Future Legends issued a statement talking about how the complex has been an asset to the community in which children have been able to grow in their sports. The letter also accused the town of breaking the law by not allowing them to appeal.

When asked why the town declined to move forward with the appeal, Hale said there were several reasons why they were not required to.

Hale said safety was a concern, and if there was a public safety risk the code doesn't allow appeals to move forward. He also said an appeal has to be filed within six months of the expiration, noting the TCO originally expired in October of 2024.

He also added that a judge ruled that Future Legends doesn't have standing with the projects, a receiver currently does. Therefore, he argued Future Legends can't file an appeal on behalf of a receiver.

The statement issued to CBS News Colorado also questioned why the town was pulling the TCO after many years of extending it.

"Nothing has changed, other than progress and improvements, for almost 2 and ½ years," the statement read.

When asked what his response was to that statement, Hale said the following.

"Progress and improvements? I am not certain what progress they have made," Hale said. "Our punch list as far as what we have asked them to do, I don't know that they can name anything on our punch list that they have done. So, I think that is extremely contrary to what we have observed."

Hale speculated that the town may once again have to enter a legal dispute with the owners of the property. He said he still has hope that Future Legends can regain their stride and complete a project which the community had once hoped would be a staple of the region.

"It has been frustrating. I think it has a ton of promise for the community and town. I think one day it will be a magnificent property. We are looking forward to seeing that happen," Hale said.

Below is the entirety of the statement issued by Future Legends' legal representation:

"Future Legends is a place for children to play sports. For their parents, grandparents, family and friends to watch. A place for hopeful high school, college and professional athletes to hone their skills in order to move up to the highest level in their profession.
Future Legends is safe. It is safe to play. The Town of Windsor deemed it so in issuing Temporary Certificates of Occupancy in January 2023. By doing so and continuing renewing those certificates for close to two and a half years, the Town of Windsor, the Town continue to certify the safety of those areas at Future Legends.
Nothing has changed, other than progress and improvements, for almost 2 and ½ years.
Except now the Town of Windsor, for reasons that are subject to litigation, has changed its mind. Apparently, the Town feels that fields in which their own Parks and Recreation Department uses at Future Legends are safe for your children, but not the other fields on site in which there is no difference.
On April 25, 2025, we appealed, as is our right, the Town's decision to not renew the TCOs to the Town's appeal Board by delivering an Application for Appeal and Stay of Enforcement of the Expiration of the TCOs. That same day, the Town responded via letter stating that it would not consider the appeal or allow it to go forward in violation of law. This laws and the stay are mandatory.
Any person directly affected by any notice, order, requirement, decision or determination made by the Code Official under the codes adopted by reference within this Chapter shall have the right to appeal to the Board of Adjustment, provided that a written application for appeal is filed with the Director of Planning within twenty (20) days after the day the notice, order, requirement, decision or determination was issued. An application for appeal shall be based on a claim that the true intent of the applicable code or the rules legally adopted thereunder have been incorrectly interpreted, the provisions of the code upon which the Code Official relied do not fully apply or the requirements of this applicable code are adequately satisfied by other means.
The Town has refused to even submit our appeal to the Board in violation of the above law (WMC § 18-14-20).
Politics and greed have no place in our childrens' playgrounds.
Future Legends will continue to fight, continue to finish the building of our site, continue to provide a place for our children to play, grow and learn and continue to provide a place for professionals to dream and for your family to watch and cheer it on."