East Portland's Glendoveer Golf Course is moving closer towards a new operations contract as Metro prepares to ask for proposals from prospective course operators.
Lydia Neill, Metro's Glendoveer project manager, said prospective operators will be asked about their experience with running golf courses and how they would approach running Glendoveer.
She said Metro will probably shoot for a five year operations contract, with extensions possible at the regional government's discretion.
Glisan Street Recreation, which has managed the course for decades, will continue to operate the facility until the end of the year.
But unlike the current contract, the new contract will work more like a concession than a lease.
Under the current deal, Glisan Street Recreation pays a set amount to Metro for the facility as well as a percentage of the greens fees. The new contract is likely to function as a concession, where an operator will collect a management fee from Metro, as well as bonuses for performance.
But Metro would keep the course's revenue.
"It shifts a little bit more of the risk to Metro, because it's not a set percentage, but there's a better upside and more control," Neill said.
Earlier this week, panelists with Opt In received a questionnaire about the future of the course, asking what improvements they want to see prioritized at the golf course, tennis center, fitness trail and in the management contract itself.
Metro's already funding some improvements, Neill said. About $331,000 is set aside in the regional government's upcoming budget, up for approval at Thursday's Metro Council meeting, for accessibility upgrades to bathrooms, construction of a new cart barn and design and engineering for a new water tower.
Neill said Metro is in the final stages of putting together a 12-member advisory committee, that will review the proposals from prospective operators and make recommendations to the Metro Council.
A new contract should be completed this autumn.