A $30 million multi-purpose indoor sports complex will not move forward where it was planned.

The City of Turlock’s project suffered a setback recently when the Stanislaus County Fair Board declined a deal that would see the board give up valuable parking space to accommodate the city’s plans.

The ambitious project would provide a projected $55 million economic boon for the region, according to an independent feasibility study.  But its success relied on the city’s ability to come to an accord with the fair board on acreage located near the intersection of Canal Drive and Soderquist Road — the fairgrounds’ west parking lot.

The project still move forward at another location.

“We’re looking at some alternative sites for the project right now,” said the city’s economic development director, Anthony Sims, who pointed out that a sports complex is seen as a hub that would draw travel-league tournaments and, with them, family and friends of the competitors. “There are two or three sites we’re looking at — around 20 acres.”

Sims would not say where the potential new targets are located.

The fair board was reluctant to give up that much parking space unless it was paid what members judged to be a fair amount, and alternative parking could be secured.

The city had hoped to broker a deal for the fairgrounds to use the overflow storm basin on Soderquist and Fulkerth roads as one solution, and property owned by Turlock Memorial Park (12 acres at the southeast corner of Canal Drive and Tully Road) as another.

Ultimately, the fair board voted 8-0 to pass on the deal.

“We just couldn’t find adequate alternative parking,” said Ray Souza, the board president. “Our job is to protect the Stanislaus County Fair. Besides the fair, we have the swap meet and other events that need parking. It wasn’t a very difficult decision.”

The overflow basin, at its closest point, is about 100 yards from the fairgrounds’ west entrance. The extreme opposite end of the basin is about three-tenths of a mile away. The Turlock Memorial Park property is about three-tenths of a mile from the west entrance at its closest point, and about three-quarters of a mile away from extreme opposite end of the property, which backs up to the Westfork Estates Mobile Home Park along Tully.

“We were aware of the fair board’s concerns,” said Sims. “We knew the parking situation was going to be an obstacle, and at the end of the day they thought that having parking down the road was going to be an inconvenience for fairgoers. And that’s understandable.”

Neither the city nor the fair board disclosed the terms of a potential compensation package.

A sports complex would be home to two eight indoor basketball courts, convertible to 16 volleyball courts, and two indoor soccer field. There would also be as many as three outdoor soccer fields. Courts for increasingly popular pickleball also are being considered.

Despite the setback, Sims remains optimistic about the project.

“We did the feasibility study and the numbers are there,” said Sims. “The study shows that 750,000 unique visitors would come to the city of Turlock and use the facility and it would be booked 50 out of 52 weekends of the year.”

The feasibility study was conducted by Victus Advisors of Park City, Utah, which gave Turlock a top rating.

The city has yet to commit any funding to the project.