Panthers precluded from Ford Park play

Hire local staff for the Ford Park Entertainment Complex or get a new management team for the taxpayer-funded venue, Beaumont ISD Trustee Stacey Lewis Jr. advised Jefferson County Commissioners when he showed up to publicly speak on the Beaumont Panthers basketball team getting booted from the building.

Panthers owner Jay McDonald told the court’s elected officials that he had an agreement with Kevin Johnson of the Renaissance Development Group for the team’s presence at Ford Park, all cemented under the watchful eye of the Ford Park management group, Spectra.

“He wasn’t hiding or anything,” McDonald said of Johnson’s involvement, and apparent authority at the complex. Many times, Johnson was photographed on the sidelines at Panthers events, roaming Ford Park and reaching out to Ford Park vendors. Johnson did move about the property essentially unfettered, allegedly with the intent to purchase the $43 million-plus property for pennies on the dollar, for roughly two years. When Johnson’s pennies still couldn’t add up more than a year after the deadline to pay, however, county officials cut ties to the pending contract, and shuttered the open door Johnson was walking in and out of at Ford Park.

“He made decisions; he made promises to the team,” McDonald said of his dealings with Johnson. For one, McDonald said, the Renaissance front man advised the team that they could use the Ford Park Arena free of charge to host their games. Now, McDonald said, the Beaumont Panthers are being billed for use of Ford Park to the tune of more than $30,000 in arrears.

“Renaissance Group said we didn’t have to pay,” McDonald said. “They are the easy scapegoat … but somebody gave Kevin Johnson authority to make decisions over Ford Park.”

McDonald argued that, just because Johnson isn’t with Ford Park, “it’s not right” for Spectra, as the management team at Ford Park, to demand payment or cease services.

“No one on this court, to my knowledge, EVER gave Kevin Johnson authority to do a contract with Spectra or Ford Park,” Commissioner Everette “Bo” Alfred said. “No scapegoat. Facts are, he had ‘x’ amount of time to get the remaining funds to the county and his group would have owned Ford Park. They did not fill that obligation to complete that task.

“It’s by law, not what I like or anything of that nature. It’s strictly how business is run in Jefferson County.”

Alfred advised McDonald et al to look over whatever contract they have in place with Johnson and go from there.

“I hope it’s something in writing,” Alfred said.

– Jennifer Johnson