An indoor sports complex and aquatic center could be popular in the greater Williamsburg area, but they would come with a cost that could not be recouped in James City County.
A months-long study into whether the area would benefit from an indoor sport complex, aquatic center, both or neither was completed by CSL International, The Sports Facilities Advisory and Counsilman-Hunsaker this month. Sports Facilities Advisory owner Jason Clement sat with the James City County Board of Supervisors at a Tuesday work session to go over the groups’ findings, which focused on the overall economic effects in the area.
If the county builds an almost 85,000-square-foot indoor sports complex with room for six basketball courts — which could be converted into 12 tennis courts – and bleachers for 1,200 people, it would come at a cost of almost $12.5 million. The complex would also include an administrative office, control office, conference room, training room, locker and coach areas, a climbing wall, multipurpose area, kitchen, restrooms, a mezzanine and hospitality room.
Clement gave the board an overview of costs to operate the sports complex over five years, which would require a constant investment. Events at the complex would offset costs, but would not provide a positive return. Over five years, it would cost the county more than $2.9 million to operate the complex.
The sports complex would bring an estimated $47 million to businesses in James City County and the City of Williamsburg over five years, with almost 79,000 hotel and timeshare rooms booked in the same time. In all, the complex is projected to bring more than 362,600 people to the area over five years.
The complex could generate more than $471,000 in sales tax, almost $426,000 in room night tax and $587,000 in meal taxes for the city and county in five years.
A nearly 58,500-square-foot aquatic center with a 50-meter competition pool and a warmup pool with seating for 1,500 would come at a cost of almost $17.7 million. The center would also have two mezzanines, a dry-land training room, lobby, pro shop, restrooms and locker rooms.
The aquatic center would cost more than $2.8 million to operate over five years, and is projected to have a positive economic impact of more than $6.8 million for the city and county. From aquatic center use, about 11,000 night stays would be booked and about 53,000 people would visit the area in five years.
Outside of the five years considered in the study, Clement said the aquatic center would never make money for the county but the indoor sports complex could, depending on a mix of sports tourism events and local events.
The study took into account non-event uses for the sports complex and aquatic center, noting its potential for instruction, exercise, recreation, birthday parties, camps and field trips. Clement noted the aquatic center would fill an immense local need for a 50-meter indoor pool the public could use.
Looking at sports tourism, Clement said the Williamsburg area has an advantage because it would not need to scramble to add more room for overnight guests with the many hotel rooms already in place. The number of other attractions for people to enjoy in the area also adds to the “tremendous experience” visitors would have if they came for a sporting event.
The six-court indoor sports complex is the smallest possible that could accommodate the type of events the area would want to draw, Clement said. He said the space could be used for sports outside of basketball, including cheerleading, volleyball, gymnastics and mixed martial arts, but the need is greater for an aquatic center. Additionally, events like wine and food shows, trade shows, dog shows and other conventions could use the space.
Supervisor John McGlennon (Roberts) pointed at the fact the sport complex and aquatic center would fill a local need, but neither would be profitable. Whether filling the need at a negative cost to taxpayers would be the right choice will have to be addressed, he said. Supervisor Kevin Onizuk (Jamestown) said there could be a possibility for business sponsorships, in which the county could trade naming rights for funding.
Acting County Administrator Doug Powell said he has not included funding for either sporting complex to the county’s fiscal year 2015 budget, which he will present to the supervisors next month.
