Page 35 - The Peorian, Vol 3 Issue 2

35
thePeorian.com
SPORTS COMPLEX
should make Peoria a destination
By Tim Rosenberger
The Future
P eoria is really known for
two things: Caterpillar
Inc. and the saying “Will
it play in Peoria?” But what if this
moderately sized city centered in
the middle of the Midwest was
known for having a top of the
line sports complex?
There has been a need for such
a complex in Peoria for a while,
says Dan Cunningham, the man-
ager of the proposed Louisville
Slugger Sports Complex.
“I’ve been bringing in national
groups for the past 14 years and
trying to host big tournaments
here,” said Cunningham, who
managed EastSide Centre in
East Peoria for 15 years. “The
one issue has always been lack
of facilities. With the exception
of EastSide, there were no true
softball or baseball facilities that
could handle tournaments, etc.”
Off Orange Prairie Road in
Peoria, 50-plus acres have been
set aside for the new complex.
There are plans for 10 fully
synthetic turf fields; a 125,000
square-foot dome that will house
two softball and little league
baseball fields and a 20,000
square-foot, multi-purpose floor-
ing area for two full-size bas-
ketball courts or four volleyball
courts. There will also be space
for lacrosse.
The facility is being aimed at
various age groups. Because of
their size, the baseball field will
be targeted toward boys ages 8 to
12 and girls 8 or older. The other
sporting areas will be useable for
any age. An added feature of the
center will be the ability to do
multiple events at the same time,
said Cunningham.
It was announced in December
of last year that well-known base-
ball bat manufacturer Louisville
Slugger would, along with local
developer Mark Petersen, help
fund the project, which will be
called the Louisville Slugger
Sports Complex.
In a press release on Slugger’s
website, Kyle Schlegel, Slugger’s
vice president of marketing, said
the complex “would become the
new number-one destination for
youth baseball and softball in the
Midwest and, for many, the best
in the nation.”
Cunningham thinks it might
even be a bigger deal than
Schlegel suggests. Within just the
first 10 days of 2014, Cunning-
ham was hit with more than 100
requests from different national
sports groups who are interested
in using the complex. Based on
the experience of similar sports
centers in the country, Cun-
ningham is confident the facility
will see a wealth of international
clients, as well.
Continued on page 36