O’Fallon leaders explore $20M-plus indoor fieldhouse to expand sports tourism

Now that a feasibility study has paved the way, city leaders favor pursuing a fieldhouse/indoor activity center as part of their tourism expansion goals in O’Fallon.

The next steps are to continue the research, according to Andrew Dallner, director of O’Fallon’s parks and recreation department.

“We will look at the high-level concepts, location options and start to put together some costs,” Dallner said.

After the economic impact of soccer, baseball and softball tournaments during the past 10 years — teams visiting O’Fallon brought in more than $9.6 million in gross revenue last year — officials want to further capitalize on sports-related tourism.

The fieldhouse would be a year-round operation and likely include eight basketball courts, which could be configured as 16 volleyball courts and also used for pickleball. Dallner said court sizes are relatively similar.

The city would operate the center, which could serve as a primary location for activities, rentals and special events. Training areas, artificial turf, meeting rooms and performance spaces also could be added.

“The proposal is intended to create not only an economic engine and a programming engine, but also a true community asset that could serve multiple generations of residents and visitors,” City Administrator Grant Litteken said.

The Family Sports Park at 301 Obernuefemann Road is a 200-acre sports and recreation complex featuring eight lighted, all-weather synthetic turf soccer fields — including a championship soccer arena — and two premium grass soccer fields, plus 10 turf-infield/grass-outfield baseball and softball fields.

The state-of-the-art soccer complex cost $4.58 million. Through Destination O’Fallon, an economic development incentive approved in 2016, the city raised its hotel-motel tax from 5% to 9%, paid only by those who book lodging.

Soccer tournaments typically take place in September, October, November, February, March and April, with baseball and softball tournaments May through August. A lacrosse tournament was added in recent years. Youth and adult leagues also use the park for regular-season play.

The feasibility study, conducted by Ballard*King and Associates, evaluated the size and scope of a facility and identified the types of sports, tournaments and events that could be accommodated. The firm’s statistical data will be used in the decision-making process.

Ballard*King is a recreation planning and operations firm based in Denver that has served the recreation industry since 1992, providing support, guidance and analysis for recreation projects nationwide.

Dallner reviewed the study with council members at a recent parks and recreation committee meeting.

While the southwest corner of the Family Sports Park was initially targeted, officials are not ruling out other potential sites.

Dallner said the city will likely need about 10 acres, including parking. He said preliminary modeling with FGM Architects indicates a 106,000-square-foot facility.

Litteken said traffic circulation and parking would need to be studied further.

“While the scenarios evaluated focused on the demographic area surrounding the Sports Park, we are not committed to that location at this time. There may be other locations within the community where traffic circulation and infrastructure could function more effectively,” Litteken said.

“Our staff discusses these concerns regularly, as the Sports Park is already a very active area. With Park Place coming online, and with Pure Property Group planning additional infrastructure improvements, there are already projects underway that will impact circulation and access. The bridge also remains an important consideration in overall traffic flow.”

Dallner said estimates at this stage put the project at more than $20 million.

While a full cost analysis has not been completed, the next step would be to develop more accurate estimates, provided the council approves moving forward.

Dallner said construction costs could vary significantly, ranging from $300 to $325 per square foot up to $600 to $700 per square foot, depending on the type of facility.

“For example, when the Katy Cavins Community Center was constructed, the cost was around $550 per square foot. However, that facility included brick construction, large windows, and other higher-end features. A fieldhouse could potentially be built more economically using a tilt-up building design and fewer architectural features,” he said.

Alderman Martha Stoffel said she supported continuing to investigate the project.

“I think it is a worthwhile pursuit. Having children who have participated in indoor sports, I have personally seen the impact facilities like this can have on communities throughout the Midwest. You mentioned the Beal Center in Chesterfield, and we have been to that facility many times,” she said.

“As an example, they host a large volleyball tournament connected with events at the Dome, involving hundreds of teams. Part of that tournament utilizes the Beal Center. O’Fallon is closer than Chesterfield, so I would love to see those events and tournaments being hosted here instead, supporting our local community and economy. I think this is a worthwhile venture, and I would support pursuing the next steps,” Stoffel said.

Litteken said that with the preliminary outline, the council can discuss, provide feedback and consider what a fieldhouse could realistically look like in O’Fallon.

“Obviously, the council has several major funding priorities to consider,” he said. “For example, the library is currently working through the Together O’Fallon initiative, and their planning efforts may ultimately lead to discussions regarding bond funding for a library project. Most infrastructure-related projects, such as roads and public works improvements, have separate funding sources. Those projects generally do not draw from the same funding pool that would be needed for a fieldhouse, library, or major Sports Park improvements.”

Alderman Curtis Newcomb asked about benefits for residents — not just sports space for local and traveling teams — and whether training space, indoor turf, and a walking or jogging track would be available.

Dallner said the study’s recommendation is to incorporate a variety of uses, including meeting rooms, functional training areas, and a 100-foot-by-100-foot indoor turf space that could be used for baseball, soccer and other athletic training activities.

The study also includes a fitness component, which could include a membership-based fitness center and gym.

“The overall recommendation is to include a mix of these features. However, as we have discussed, the larger the facility and the more amenities included, the larger the footprint and the greater the overall cost,” Dallner said.

“One advantage of incorporating a fitness membership model is that it creates a more consistent monthly revenue stream. Memberships provide recurring income and steady usage throughout the year, although there are, of course, operational expenses associated with managing that type of facility,” he said.

Consultant Darren Barr explained two options considered during the study: a more basic plan focused on courts and minimum needs, and an expanded plan with public-use components.

Litteken said the Sports Park was originally developed around the concept of recreational tourism, which has been the city’s model for the past 20 years — bringing visitors in and using outside spending to help fund local services.

“The city has utilized the hotel/motel tax to help fund economic development and tourism-related projects such as the O’Fallon Station, Sports Park capital improvements, and similar initiatives,” he said.

O’Fallon has 15 hotels, with two more under construction.

Litteken said data shows that if someone stays overnight in O’Fallon, they are likely to spend more than three times as much, including hotel stays, multiple meals and shopping trips.

“The overall strategy has been to attract visitors to O’Fallon, encourage them to spend money locally on hotels, food, beverages, and retail, and then use the resulting sales tax revenues to support city services such as streets, police, and other municipal operations,” he said.

“It is important that we continue to create a welcoming experience,” Litteken said, noting the city was hosting a hotel roundtable with Discover Downstate Illinois to discuss ways to improve the visitor experience.

Barr said the parks and recreation department is currently at capacity for court programming opportunities.

“At present, the department relies heavily on school district facilities for many programs. The school district has indicated that they continue to receive increasing requests for facility usage and that their buildings are becoming extremely busy outside of normal school operating hours as they work to meet their own programming needs,” he said. “This is not unique to O’Fallon — it is a national trend.”

Dallner said the city’s basketball program has 500 participants throughout the season.

“So, there is already tremendous demand. I was asked earlier about our summer camp programming, and we are at the point where the Katy Cavins Community Center is already at maximum capacity for summer camp operations,” he said.

“Having another indoor facility could potentially allow us to expand into a satellite camp model because right now, we are essentially bursting at the seams. Some weeks we have 50 to 60 children on the wait list,” he said.

The Cavins gym is not used for sports tourism, but for local programming, cheerleading, karate and community rentals.