Construction of Owensboro’s new state-of-the-art sports facility is moving along quickly and is expected to be completed in July. Read the details in this update from the Messenger-Inquirer, posted here with permission.
Indoor sports complex construction proceeding
By James Mayse
Messenger-Inquirer
On Tuesday afternoon, the City of Owensboro plans to unveil the name of the indoor sports facility being built downtown.
The city official overseeing the project said Friday that construction is on schedule for it to be completed this summer.
The $18 million sports complex is taking shape downtown along Third Street, west of Frederica Street.
The massive building was approved by city commissioners as a way to attract large traveling sports teams and tournaments.
“Construction is moving pretty well, to be honest,” Assistant City Manager Lelan Hancock said Friday.
Contractors are roofing the structure, putting masonry on the exterior walls and will begin work inside once the roof is completed, Hancock said.
“The roof is going to be the biggest thing this time of year, so you can get it closed off and start working inside,” Hancock said.
The work is expected to be complete by July.
“They are moving pretty quickly now” on construction, Hancock said.
The concept is still for the facility to be used to attract large sports tournaments to downtown on weekends and for the facility to be available for local sports teams to rent it for practices and games during the week, Hancock said.
“It’s a tournament facility, but there will be opportunities for local groups to rent the facility for practice,” he said. “It’s a revenue facility. The goal of the facility is tournaments. I know OVG (360) is working with tournament people to get things scheduled and have tournaments the day we open up.”
OGV 360 handles scheduling for the Owensboro Convention Center and Sportscenter, as well as the indoor sports complex.
Hancok said OVG officials are having “quite a few” talks with tournament officials who could bring their events to Owensboro. Youth sports leagues that sponsor traveling tournaments are big business, Hancock said.
“I think it’s growing,” he said. “It’s amazing the amount of money families … spend on sports.”
The indoor sports team industry has grown from traditional events like basketball to include archery and dance.
“Now, just about every sport that can be played indoors has become a travel industry,” Hancock said.
Tournaments bring in revenue as families of team members spend money on hotel and food during tournaments.
“It’s very much a growing industry,” Hancock said.