Spokane continues to be the recipient of many positive new development projects adding to its vibrancy as a growing community. For all of you sports fans out there, this one’s for you. Spokane has been fortunate to host NCAA tournaments, hockey games and figure skating competitions.  In the future Spokane may be able to host a variety of additional sporting events that we did not have the facilities to accommodate in years past.

Spokane Sports Commission and Spokane Public Facilities District have created the concept of a Spokane Regional Sportsplex.  This 180,000 square foot sports facility is planned for the North Bank of the Spokane River in Downtown Spokane, creating a natural expansion of Riverfront Park.  The addition of this high-quality sports facility will create opportunities for Spokane to host many new exciting events for our region.

According to a study completed by Gonzaga University and the Sports Facility Advisory this new facility could bring in around 18-23,000 additional out of town visitors, 26-46,000 additional hotel stays, $19-33,000,000 in additional tourism spending dollars and $1-1.700,000 in increased general tax revenues per year! The facility would also create job opportunities throughout the construction phase as well as full-time employment once the facility opens.

The Spokane Regional Sportsplex will have a multi-purpose field house with a 200-meter, 6-lane hydraulic banked track, fit up to 17 volleyball courts, hold up to 10 basketball courts, and fit up to 21 wrestling mats.  It will also have an icehouse with an NHL sized ice sheet inside.

The facility will be owned and operated by Spokane Public Facilities District. The Spokane Sports Commission will be responsible for sales, marketing and scheduling events in the facility. According to the Sports Facilities Advisory the estimated cost of the project $42 million.  Architectural renderings of the proposed Sportsplex should be available by the end of 2018.

Information courtesy of www.spokanesportsplex.org.