Tri-Cities a youth sports mecca? Study says new facilities needed to make it happen

A new study gives a look at the possible future of sports competition in the Tri-Cities and how its cities could capitalize on the growing sports tourism industry.

The feasibility study was commissioned by Visit Tri-Cities to devise a coordinated approach among the three cities to capitalize on the sports facilities already in the Tri-Cities and to avoid duplication and competition among the cities as they are expanded.

There is a key recommendation for each city.

In Kennewick, it proposes a new indoor sports complex near the Toyota Center.

In addition to a full-size ice rink that could be converted to basketball and volleyball courts, the complex also could have batting cages, a pitching tunnel and a family entertainment space with amenities such as an obstacle course.

In Pasco, the youth soccer complex off Interstate 182 near TRAC could be upgraded with lighted fields and with about half of the fields converted to artificial turf for multi-sports use.

Artificial turf is also part of the proposal for Richland, with a recommendation to add eight turf fields and four baseball and softball fields at the Hanford Legacy Park off Kingsgate Way near Highway 240.

The cities of Kennewick, Pasco and Richland each contributed $10,000 for the study.

That money was matched with $30,000 from the Tri-City Regional Hotel-Motel Commission to hire Johnson Consulting to do the study.

The proposals would provide more capacity for Tri-City athletes, with sports infrastructure in the three cities now “bursting at the seams,” said Michael Novakovich, president of Visit Tri-Cities.

Youth basketball teams, for example, are having to practice during late hours because of the demand for time on the Tri-Cities’ limited courts, said Hector Cruz, Visit Tri-Cities vice president.

Sports tourism is big business

The recommendations also are expected to attract more sports tourism to the Tri-Cities.

New and expanded athletic facilities would make the Tri-Cities more attractive for tournaments, both regional and state, and possibly even national competition at the proposed Kennewick indoor complex, said Brandon Dowling, a principal with Johnson Consulting.

Sport tourism is a $15 billion annual industry in the United States, he said.

Part of the growth comes from the trend of young athletes focusing on one sport, rather than a sport each season, and competing in their chosen sport year round.

Sports tourism has proved to be “recession tested,” with sports tourism continuing to grow during recessions when other industries do not, Dowling said.

Moms and dads may cut spending in other areas, but not on their kids, he said.

Vacations just for fun might be sacrificed in a recession, but the family will still go to a sports tournament and spend money in the host town, including at hotels and restaurants and for entertainment.

The three proposals are just a starting point for the cities, which now must decide how to proceed.

Advantages of turf

The Pasco and Richland proposals would be for publicly owned sports fields and amenities. But the consultant recommended that Kennewick look at a public/private partnership to develop an indoor sports complex.

The Kennewick proposal, in particular, would require more study, including to ways the public/private partnership might be structured financially.

In some cases, there are opportunities for development in phases rather than completing all construction at once.

In all cases, the proposals are intended to capitalize on existing facilities and be within a 10- to 15-minute drive to motels and hotels needed for tournaments that draw out-of-town players and their families.

By converting some fields from grass to turf, use could be increased year round.

Last year five tournaments in the Tri-Cities were canceled because grass was either covered with snow or the fields were too soggy to use without ruining them, according to Visit Tri-Cities.

The tournaments included collegiate-level softball and youth baseball and lacrosse.

Artificial turf can be cleared of snow.

Here are the details on the proposal for each city:

Kennewick complex

Johnson Consulting is recommending a private operator build and manage the new indoor complex on land owned by the city near the Toyota Center.

The complex could cost $40 million, at most, according to consultant’s rough estimates.

The indoor sports facility could be 100,000 square feet with a full-sized ice rink, to complement the two sheets of ice already there at the Toyota Center and Arena and help draw tournaments.

It could be converted off-season to four basketball courts and eight volleyball courts. It could have an indoor walking track, locker rooms, batting cages and pitching tunnels.

It also would have a 20,0000- to 30,000-square-foot family entertainment space, which could feature an obstacle or ropes course, or could be used to complement the nearby Three-Rivers Convention Center.

The complex also could be programmed for wrestling, cheer and dance, martial arts and strength competitions.

Its position near Vista Field would be attractive to those visiting for tournaments, eventually giving them a pedestrian-focused town center nearby.

By its fifth year the complex could have a total of 110 events a year, including camps, clinics and league play and 12 regional tournaments and 22 local tournaments, according to Johnson Consulting.

Pasco soccer complex

Johnson Consulting is recommending that the city review its contract with the Tri-Cities Youth Soccer Association for the exclusive use of the publicly owned soccer complex at 6200 Burden Blvd.

Having the fields available for other sports could ease demand in the Tri-Cities, it said.

The consultant is recommending that eight to 10 of the soccer fields at the Tri-Cities Youth Soccer Association be converted to artificial turf and lighting added to four to six fields.

Stadium seating for about 500 people is recommended, along with a turf practice and warm up area, concessions, restrooms and an equipment storage area.

The proposed changes could lead to 71 events annually, including eight regional and 14 local tournaments for soccer, lacrosse, football and rugby.

Estimated cost would be up to $9 million.

Richland fields

Adding eight turf fields for soccer, lacrosse and rubgy at the Hanford Legacy Park area is recommended, with four of those fields lighted.

A stadium also is proposed.

The four existing Babe Ruth fields there would be improved, and four lighted baseball and softball fields added with dugouts, bullpens and batting cages.

Restrooms, concessions and an equipment storage area are also part of the proposal.

Total cost would be at most $20 million, according to the consultant, and additions could be done in phases.