Pulaski County has announced its plans for a indoor sports complex that will include eight indoor courts for basketball, volleyball and futsal, two indoor turf soccer fields and many other features inside a 165,000-square-foot building.
The plans for the Pulaski County Sportsplex, released Saturday morning, are the work of the recently formed Sports Tourism & Entertainment Authority and the county’s board of supervisors.
“This project has been a dream of our community for so very long and it was absolutely amazing to share with our citizens the details of how we plan to convert this discontinued manufacturing facility the county owns into one of the most meaningful assets a local government can provide its citizenry,” said Laura Walters, chairman of the board of supervisors. “As you can clearly see from the plans, the Sportsplex will offer something for everyone of all ages and the enterprising approach will not only make it affordable and sustainable for our citizens, but will fuel direct and indirect revenues by way of our hospitality and services industry sectors.”
The county’s Economic Development Authority is seeking to issue tax-exempt revenue bonds to pay for the estimated $10.5 million-plus cost of renovating the building at 3994 Pepperell Way, which most recently was a candle manufacturing plant. In a unique twist to create the massive indoor health and wellness facility, the debt service on the bonds would be paid through a new cigarette tax revenue stream, the county said.
“The board of supervisors believe Pulaski County citizens deserve nice things and feel this is an important investment in the future of our community and our people,” said Jonathan Sweet, Pulaski County administrator. “This facility will be the new nexus of our community and will provide a safe and healthy place for all of our citizens to enjoy health, wellness, fellowship, recreation, competition, growth, development, nurture and fun. We are excited to embark on this long-awaited endeavor and look forward to what this will mean for our youth, adult and senior programming, our middle and high school sports teams, our citizen’s health and fitness, our community pride, our public image, entrepreneurialism and investor confidence.”
Other features planned for the Pulaski County Sportsplex include four permanent indoor pickleball courts, 22 outdoor pickleball courts, a community weight room, cardio exercise room, senior room, a walking track, a sprint track, two drop-down batting cages, an indoor Golf Institute, a restaurant, programming and classroom space, member locker rooms, exposition space and entertainment space.