Macomb Mayor Mike Inman said his family did a lot of traveling throughout the region during the years his children were growing up and playing sports.
“My wife and I went repeatedly, weekend after weekend after weekend, to some sports complex in some other city, and spent money in that community,” he said.
Inman and others in Macomb would like to see some of that money spent locally, and they’re wondering whether an indoor, multi-field sports complex would be feasible for their community.
They will soon find out. The city council agreed to hire Sports Facilities Advisory, LLC to look into whether it’s a good idea for Macomb. The city gave the firm 120 days to complete its assignment.
Sports Facilities Advisory will be paid $47,250. The city will cover much of the cost. The Macomb Park District will contribute $10,000.
It’s about economic development
Kim Pierce, Executive Director of the Macomb Area Economic Development Corporation, said such a facility would help fill hotel rooms and could help attract national retailers and restaurants.
She is concerned about the possibility of other communities building new sports complexes.
“If we don’t do something along these lines, we’re going to get boxed out of the potential in the future,” she told the city council.
She said a sports complex would improve the quality of life and would bring in people who otherwise might not come to Macomb.
But she said the idea must be studied first.
“If we don’t do a pro forma, we won’t know what we’re missing out. And if we don’t do a pro forma and try to do it on our own, it could potentially end up costing us a lot more and it wouldn’t be near as extensive,” Pierce said.
Mayor Inman also said the project must be studied first. He told TSPR that while he believes this is a good idea, it’s possible the study will discover that it won’t work in Macomb.
“We’re going in with our eyes wide open, and at the end of the day expect them to give us those answers that we seek,” Inman said.
“If this is possible, we want to make sure it’s done right. The study is the first step in determining if it can happen.”
Inman and Pierce said they started discussing the idea with Sports Facilities Advisory this spring during a retail and economic development conference in Las Vegas. It’s the same annual conference where they got together with representatives of TJX Brands. That led to a deal that will bring a TJ Maxx and Hobby Lobby to Macomb. Those stores are currently under construction in the former Kmart building on East Jackson Street.
Inman said if the sport complex project proves feasible, the study will also explain what sports the facility should focus on, the estimated cost, the potential ways of funding it, and who should manage it.
Inman said one possibility is to have a city-owned facility that’s managed by an outside entity, much like what’s currently done with Spring Lake.
The study will also identify a location. Inman said it could be built just about anywhere in town. That includes at or near the outdoor sports complex the park district operates at Veterans Park.
Shining a light on possibilities
Rachel Lenz, Executive Director of the Macomb Park District, said Veterans Park might be a good fit for an indoor sports complex, but she will wait to see what the study finds. She is keeping an open mind, and she hopes the community maintains a positive mindset.
“If we’re not asking what the possibilities are, then we’re just doing the same things we’ve always done. Yeah, it’s money being spent, but it’s money being spent on what the possibilities could be,” Lenz said.
She said the park district enjoyed some success drawing tournaments to Veterans Park, then the pandemic struck and there was a rapid decline after that. She’s not sure why they haven’t been able to rebound, and hopes the study will provide some insight.
“I think if we can have some outside eyes and ears looking into what is reasonable for us to expect for our community, that will shine some light on some answers for what we’re trying to accomplish out there,” Lenz said.
She also said that much of the park district’s recent focus has been on completing improvements to Patton Park.
The district has added dog parks, two fishing piers, multi-use paths, and meditative garden pods to Patton, and next year it will build basketball courts. The park also has two softball diamonds.
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