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Illinois, what is it with you? Three new sports facilities have been announced in the state and while they couldn’t be more different, they have all grabbed their share of headlines.
A Youth Sports Park Under a Dome
First, there’s the Springfield Clinic Dome. According to reports, it is the world’s largest air-supported dome to cover a youth sports venue.
Youth Sports Business Report notes the facility, which went up in June, spans 190,000 square feet and stands nearly 100 feet tall.
Over the course of the next year, more than 100 tournaments are planned, including basketball, volleyball, baseball, softball and soccer. Additionally, the venue can accommodate 3,000 to 4,000 spectators.
The dome, a part of the soon-to-open Scheels Sports Park at Legacy Pointe, is up and running and, according to officials, has almost unlimited hosting potential.
"We have basketball and volleyball, we have batting cages that also do golf simulation," General Manager of Scheels Sports Park at Legacy Pointe, Brandon Doherty, told WAND News.
The flexibility of the facility, he added, was key.
"And the turf field, really we could do whatever we want, which is two full-size softball fields, we could do a full-size soccer field or a football field ... we do plan on doing at least two to three events on a weekend or even during the week in the dome at one time."
The venue is already a sports tourism magnet, Doherty said.
"We've got over 100 tournaments planned over the next year in multiple locations at once. The kids ... they're going to see people from different sides of the state, the region and even the country bringing elevated styles of play, and it just creates more competition."
The dome, however, is only one aspect of the new facility. The full opening of Scheels Sports Park at Legacy Pointe is slated for May, and will add even more facilities to the mix, including 90-foot diamonds, multi-purpose fields and a performance center
Indoor Golf that Replicates Scottsdale
Closer to Lake Michigan, another dome is being planned. Megalodome Golf, according to its website, will bring a desert-style golf experience to suburban Chicago with what is being called the world's first full-scale indoor golf course.
Press materials note that the proposed project will feature four enormous air-supported structures domes. Three will cover a nine-hole executive course, par 30, along with a fourth that will house a a two-story, 50-bay practice facility with full-distance range, bunker shots, chipping and putting areas.
The experience is intended to replicate the look and feel of tournament and leisure golf mecca, Scottsdale, Arizona.
For added effect, the insides of the domes will be painted blue to replicate the sky.
According to this article, the “complex would include advanced artificial greens designed to mimic natural turf, along with real sand, water hazards and desert-style landscaping.”
Organizers say plans also include areas for business gatherings, college training programs and a full pro shop offering equipment rentals, apparel and accessories.
Megalodome Golf officials announced a $50 million investment fund and are seeking partners (they are specifying “accredited investors only”) for a minimum investment of $100,000 with a target completion date for the project of 2027.
Additionally, organizers note, “If full funding cannot be secured immediately, the facility may be built in phases, starting with the practice dome.”
A Course Change, from College Campus to Youth Sports Facility
Not far from the proposed golf venue lies the village of Bannockburn and within it, Trinity International University, which will close permanently at the end of this school year following prolonged financial struggles.
Anthony and Anna Donato have purchased the 114-acre property for $20 million, with the announcement that they intend to turn it into a sports center.
The facility has not yet been renamed.
According to Youth Sports Business Report, “the centerpiece of the Donatos’ plan is a new indoor arena that will replace the campus’ existing Meyer Sports Complex.
The 300,000- to 400,000-square-foot facility will house multiple basketball courts, volleyball courts and indoor soccer fields. The couple is also considering adding an ice arena for hockey and skating competitions.”
Adds the article in YSBR, ”Beyond competitive sports, the Donatos plan to introduce golf simulators, mini-golf, arcades and escape rooms.
They see opportunities for summer camps and corporate retreats using the property’s commercial kitchen and cafeteria capable of serving 1,000 people per meal.”
“We could truly hold a tournament here every weekend,” Anna Donato said. The couple expects the construction to cost $40 million to $50 million and aims to break ground within 18 months while securing village approval.
The fact that the Chicago Red Stars, a women’s pro soccer team, recently announced plans to build a $30 million training performance center on an adjacent Bannockburn parcel is expected to help raise the profile of the area as a sports center.
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