Genesee County Board of Commissioners Chair Delrico Loyd, D-Flint, speaks during a news conference at Berston Field House in this MLive file photo. (Ron Fonger, MLive.com)Ron Fonger | The Flint Journal
GENESEE COUNTY, MI — The county Board of Commissioners is considering whether sports tourism and a new complex could give the region the economic boost it needs.
Representatives of companies that design, build and manage sports complexes told commissioners during a committee meeting on Wednesday, April 16, that there’s potential for a publicly owned complex here but more study is needed.
The area “fits the model of where an indoor or indoor-outdoor sports complex would do really well,” said Gary Johnson, director of business development for ARCO National Construction Company. “We think there’s some real value in potentially putting a complex here.”
Commissioners and the Flint & Genesee Group have talked about the potential for a sports complex development here previously and paid for a limited feasibility study in 2019 but the idea never gained traction.
A new study could give clearer focus based on today’s market and demographics, officials said.
Johnson said a facility catering to weekend sports tournaments would provide the county with a community asset and as well as an “economic engine.”
Such a complex could be primarily used locally during the week, he told commissioners, while “other people’s money (would) help fund that project on the weekends when they’re bringing tournaments in.”
Since Genesee County last considered a sports complex, a state law changed, allowing counties with a population between 40,000 and 600,000 to increase local taxes on hotel rooms from 5% to 8% with voter approval.
Voters in Kent County approved a referendum to increase its hotel taxes in 2024, and the Kent Board of Commissioners approved a request later that same year to use the tax revenues to make payments on a $100-million bond for construction of an 8,500-seat soccer stadium in downtown Grand Rapids.
Genesee County currently assesses a 5% hotel tax and uses proceeds to support special events, the county parks system, and economic development.
Commissioners have already prioritized the pursuit of a sports complex, discussing it in a long-term planning workshop just hours before Wednesday’s committee meeting.
County board Chair Delrico Loyd called the idea “a potential opportunity to bring something to the community” that can spark economic development, overnight stays, and population growth.
If the discussions continue, county officials would still have to pin down a location — potentially 60 acres or more — and determine a funding stream before choosing a developer, management, as well as the scale and design of the complex.
Both Johnson and Eric McCafferty, regional vice president of business development at Sports Facilities Companies, said an indoor, outdoor, or combined indoor-outdoor facility are possible and suggested softball could be an area of focus.
“The state of Michigan is underserved by this type of facility,” McCafferty said. “There’s a lack (of product) in the market, which leads to Ohio, Indiana and Illinois getting a lot of Michigan teams and the economic impact.”
Johnson said regardless of the targeted sports, a complex could also be used for conventions, trade shows, and special events.
“The way you have to think about them is as an economic engine … It’s spending money in the community. It’s spending the night in hotels. It’s (people) eating in restaurants (and) spending money in your stores,” he said.
The cost of a complex would depend on the scale of the development, the location and the cost of acquisition and site preparation.
Johnson said new sports complexes need a consistent revenue stream because they typically lose money during the initial years of operation.
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