Clearwater, Florida, May 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — From the countryside Illinois In North Las Vegas, a trend is emerging among savvy real estate developers partnering with local government leaders to capitalize on the ongoing “boom” of the youth travel sports market. That trend is to look beyond the walls and fields of youth sports megaplexes to the surrounding real estate to create true destinations with new restaurants, retail shopping experiences and on-site hotels. According to Sports Facilities Companies (SFC), a leading industry company that designs and operates sports megaplexes, community recreation centers and live entertainment venues, 60% of projects under development include a mixed-use real estate development component.
“We are witnessing a transformation in funding mechanisms and public-private partnerships leveraged to create youth travel sports destination development.” Jason Clementfounder of SEO and SFC. “In the best cases, municipalities participate in planning for youth sports assets and manage operations, often through specialized third-party operators like SFC, while developers lease parcels of real estate and focus on creating family-friendly, walkable destinations.”
Clement's company currently operates more than 50 sports, recreation and event venues across the country and has more than 20 years of industry experience planning and developing new facilities. SFC is leading the design and operations of AdventHealth Sports Park at Blue Hawk, a massive indoor sports and entertainment complex featuring eight basketball courts, an NHL-sized ice rink, sports training center, bowling, laser tag and more. Located at Overland Park's number one mixed-use development, Blue Hawk, the 260,000 square foot Phase One is scheduled to open this fall. Blue Hawk is the vision of Price Brothers Management Company, led by Vice President of Development John McGillie. Bert Loewen.
In the countryside IllinoisCities Mattoon In partnership with Rural King, $66 million The 150-acre indoor and outdoor sports complex will be home to the Shops at Emerald Acres. Scheduled to open in late 2024, the sports complex is expected to attract approximately 580,000 visitors and generate more than $120 million in annual sales. $23.8 million It creates a direct economic impact every year.
“At Rural King, Mattoon “We've been growing since our founding in 1960. As we were looking to expand the retail options in the city, we needed a location that would generate a significant amount of traffic to base our development,” he said. Blake PiercePresident, RK Real Estate & Development. “Youth sports is such a great fit because it's not only a proven driver of economic activity, but it's also a huge asset to the quality of life for local residents.”
“Projects like Emerald Acres Sports Connection and Advent Health Sports Park are industry-leading examples of the power of youth travel sports.” Jake Whittaker“When cities and real estate developers partner to create sports and events destinations, it creates a win-win situation — for the developer who gets civic participation in the project, for the city who benefits from new hotels, retail and restaurants, and for kids and families who have improved access to sports and entertainment opportunities,” said , SFC's senior vice president of development.
Located in Hoover, AlabamaThe Hoover Met Complex is a sports megaplex that is a nationally known youth travel sports destination, hosting major events such as the SEC Baseball Tournament, the Culture City Culture Bowl, major political rallies and the Indoor Pickleball National Championships. In the last year alone, $90 million It will have a direct economic impact on the city. Adjacent to the complex, Stadium Trace Village is a mixed-use development by Broad Metro Commercial Real Estate that has grown into an award-winning, walkable urban destination. Developers at Broad Metro recently announced the breakthrough of construction on a 2.4-acre amphitheater and entertainment area.
The youth and amateur sports tourism industry grew by an astounding 11 percent. $52.2 billion In 2023 (Sports ETA 2023), $77.5 billion By 2026 (Wintergreen Research). Over the past decade, Albertville, Alabama, Elizabethtown, Kentucky, Gatlinburg, Tennesseeand Rocky Mount, North Carolina The city was one of the first to adopt the development of youth sports tourism facilities and has proven the power of youth sports tourism to boost economic growth. Springfield, Illinois, North Las Vegas, NV, Northport, Alabama, Pinellas Park, Florida Taking youth travel sports opportunities a step further, cities have announced plans or broken ground on mixed-use developments that will include not only indoor or outdoor travel sports facilities but also hotels, retail and restaurants.
“The growth we've witnessed in this industry over the last few years has been unparalleled.” John DavidPresident, Sports Event & Travel Association (Sports ETA): “Our membership with destination marketing organizations, industry partners and event organizers is at an all-time high, and attendance at our annual symposium has increased by 14%. These organizations are investing in the future of youth and amateur sports tourism and want not only great sports venues, but also on-site hotels, restaurants and retail for their guests.”
SFC is a highly sought-after advisor and operating partner for municipalities and property developers. Its managed property portfolio includes: $500 million Direct economic impact from 25 million guest visitors per year.
To learn more about Sports Facilities Company's services, please visit www.sportsfacilities.com, and to view its industry-leading portfolio of facilities, please visit www.theSFNetwork.com.
About the sports facility company
Sports Facilities Company (SFC) is the nation's leading resource in sports, recreation, wellness and event facility management and development. A turnkey solution for both community leaders and developers, SFC's services address all of your sports and recreation needs from sports tourism and recreation master planning, program planning and feasibility to specialized facility management services. Representing the SF network, SFC's 50+ managed facilities and 2500+ team members welcome more than 25 million guests and $500 million The economic impact is $100 million annually. For more information, visit SportsFacilities.com and theSFnetwork.com.
Press Contact:
Ashley Whittaker
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https://www.sportsfacilities.com
Source: Sports facility company
