SCHEELS has secured the naming rights for the multi-use sports facility that is under development in the vicinity of its store in the Legacy Pointe Town Center in Springfield, Illinois.
Designed to be a regional destination for sports tournaments, SCHEELS Sports Park at Legacy Pointe will include eight synthetic turf multi-purpose fields that can be configured into 14 baseball/softball fields or eight full-size soccer/lacrosse fields. A160,000 square-foot indoor dome will house year-round court sports and one of the multi-purpose turf fields. “Building a Destination – A Legacy in the Making” is the motto of the Legacy Pointe Development partners, Steve Luker and Dirk McCormick, who are behind the $42 million sports mega-plex and surrounding 277-acre mixed-use development.
Construction is planned to begin in spring of 2022, and the major sports complex is scheduled to open in summer of 2023 near SCHEELS at Legacy Pointe. SCHEELS has been a key partner in securing private sector funding for the remaining cost of the facility and is proud to announce naming rights for SCHEELS Sports Park at Legacy Pointe.
SCHEELS has been serving families in the Springfield community since 2011. “Giving back and investing in our local communities is what we do at SCHEELS,” said SCHEELS CEO Steve M. Scheel. “We take great pride in serving others and are committed to improving the lives of youth athletes everywhere. As a sporting goods destination, it was only natural we do our part to bring this transformational project to life near our Springfield store. We look forward to sharing the positive impact of sports with thousands of families who will visit SCHEELS Sports Park for years to come.”
The SCHEELS Sports Park at Legacy Pointe is the first major post-pandemic project for Springfield and Sangamon County, Illinois. Ryan McCrady, President & CEO of the Springfield Sangamon Growth Alliance, is pleased to have a project of this scale be the first one back. “This is a transformative project for our local economy”, said McCrady. “SCHEELS Sports Park at Legacy Pointe will drive tourism and serve as an important local quality of life asset, which are both vital in positioning our community for robust economic growth.”
Legacy Pointe Development has partnered with Sports Facilities Companies of Clearwater, FL to plan, and develop their top-tier travel-sports destination in Springfield, IL. “Springfield is a great place to live, work, visit, and play,” said Steve Luker. “With SCHEELS Sports Park at Legacy Pointe, we’re helping to grow tourism in our market by drawing sports families from not only all over the state, but all across the country.”
The City of Springfield has committed 50% of the funding for the facility through public incentives. This project puts Springfield in the center of the booming youth sports tourism landscape which, according to a 2019 report from the Sports Events & Tourism Association, accounts for more than $45.1 billion dollars in annual spending generated by nearly 180 million participants and spectators.
“Springfield will be known as much for sports as it is for Abraham Lincoln & Route 66 in the next two decades,” said Scott Dahl, Director at Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau. “This project will produce more than 50,000 room nights from over 250,000 visitors – this kind of draw will put back more than $30 million into local community businesses, hotels, restaurants, and attractions. We couldn’t be more excited for SCHEELS Sports Park to be coming to Springfield.”
According to Sports Facilities Companies’ business plans for the project, SCHEELS Sports Park will also include local programming for Springfield residents with a focus on week-day play, sports and summer camps, and local tournaments as well as collaborative opportunities for existing sports organizations in the region.
“It’s important that our citizens benefit from this project both from an economic perspective with new business growth in the City, but also benefit from new sports and recreational programming opportunities,” said Mayor of Springfield, IL Jim Langfelder. “The impact of SCHEELS Sports Park will not only create a legacy in sports for the City, but for every individual child athlete that has the chance to play here.”