KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – Kalamazoo tourism officials say their study shows a new youth sports complex for the county would boost tourism, in addition to providing more recreational opportunities.
Discover Kalamazoo embarked on a Youth and Amateur Sports Facility Study with Convention Sports Leisure (CSL) Group in the fall of 2022, with the study showing the county does not have adequate sports facilities for young people.
Director of Business Development Brian Persky told MLive that youth participation in sports has been growing rapidly and cities are struggling to keep up. “That’s why you’re seeing facilities pop up everywhere, because destinations are realizing there is a return on this and it brings hundreds of thousands of people to your community,” he said.
Discover Kalamazoo estimates that a new sporting facility could cost around $40 million. It would include 12 basketball courts, which could also be reconfigured for volleyball and other sports. Persky said that could lure people to Kalamazoo where they would spend money at restaurants and hotels.
While planning is still in the very early phases, Discover Kalamazoo says it is working on hiring a firm to look for possible sites for the facility. The hope is to have an idea what the facility will be and where it might be located by June or July 2024.
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