Gold Crown Field House Coming to Castle Rock's Dawson Trails
By Connor Tien, DougCo Social
Douglas County is putting money behind a big new youth-sports building in Castle Rock. On August 4, the Board of Commissioners approved a $7.5 million funding agreement toward the Gold Crown Foundation field house — a 75,000-square-foot indoor court complex planned for the Dawson Trails development on the west side of town.
"The county has long faced shortages of athletic fields and recreation facilities," Commissioner George Teal said of the approval.
What's being built
The field house sits on a 22-acre site near Crystal Valley Parkway and Dawson Trails Boulevard — the same west-side corridor opening up behind the new Crystal Valley interchange, where Costco and King Soopers are also headed.
The first phase is 75,000 square feet and includes:
- Six basketball courts, expandable to eight
- 12 overlapping volleyball courts
- Multipurpose program spaces and education areas
It's projected to serve roughly 15,000 youth participants a year and draw 500,000 to 600,000 visitors annually.
Who's paying for it
It's a three-way partnership:
- Douglas County — $7.5 million (approved August 4)
- Town of Castle Rock — land valued at about $10 million; the Town approved the project July 21
- Gold Crown Foundation — $5 million plus private donations
A funding gap of about $11.7 million remains, which the partners expect to bring down to roughly $2.7 million. The county has framed the deal as voter-funded recreation dollars stretched further through partnerships.
Not to be confused with Zebulon
This is a different project from the Zebulon Regional Sports Complex — the roughly $65 million regional sports facility planned in Sterling Ranch, which is also targeting a 2028 opening. The Gold Crown field house is the Castle Rock / Dawson Trails project; Zebulon is the larger regional complex on the north side of the county. Both are part of a wider push to close Douglas County's long-standing shortage of indoor court and field space.
Timeline
- Site development: underway now
- Castle Rock approval: July 21, 2026
- County funding approved: August 4, 2026
- Groundbreaking: targeted April 2027
- Opening: early 2028 (about 12 months of construction)
Sources: Colorado Politics, Bisnow, and the Douglas County announcement. We'll update this as the project moves toward groundbreaking. Follow more of what's being built in Douglas County.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Gold Crown field house in Castle Rock?
A planned 75,000-square-foot indoor youth sports facility on a 22-acre site in the Dawson Trails development, near Crystal Valley Parkway and Dawson Trails Boulevard. The first phase includes six basketball courts (expandable to eight), 12 overlapping volleyball courts, and multipurpose program and education spaces. It's a partnership between Douglas County, the Town of Castle Rock, and the Gold Crown Foundation, a Colorado youth-sports nonprofit.
How much did Douglas County approve, and who else is paying?
The Douglas County Board of Commissioners approved a $7.5 million funding agreement on August 4, 2026. The Town of Castle Rock is contributing land valued at about $10 million, and the Gold Crown Foundation is putting in $5 million plus private donations. A funding gap of roughly $11.7 million remains, which the partners expect to narrow to about $2.7 million.
When will the Castle Rock field house open?
Site development is already underway. Castle Rock approved the project on July 21, 2026, groundbreaking is targeted for April 2027, and with about 12 months of construction, the field house is expected to open in early 2028.
Is this the same as the Zebulon sports complex?
No — they're two separate projects. This is the Gold Crown field house in Dawson Trails on Castle Rock's west side. The Zebulon Regional Sports Complex is a separate, roughly $65 million regional facility planned in Sterling Ranch, also targeting a 2028 opening.
How many kids will it serve?
The facility is projected to serve about 15,000 youth participants a year and draw an estimated 500,000 to 600,000 visitors annually.