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By Elijah Brumback | MiBiz
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The proposed sports complex near Rockford is to feature a 420-foot, championship field with seating for 1,000 as well as a ‘miracle field’ for those with disabilities. COURTESY RENDERING

ROCKFORD — “If you build it, they will come” was the premise Kevin Costner was banking on when he built his field of dreams.

For those involved with the “Everyone Wins” campaign, the hope is virtually the same.

The West Michigan Sports Commission and its partners are just $1.7 million shy of the $6 million needed to break ground on a proposed 12-field, championship-caliber baseball and softball complex just west of Rockford off U.S. 131 on 10 Mile Road.

With youth sports raking in around $6 billion yearly, the WMSC and its partners believe this project is the economic grand slam the region needs.

“The idea really started back in 2006, around the time we were forming the WMSC,” said Dan DeVos, co-chair for the Everyone Wins campaign, which is responsible for raising donations. “We hired a firm to do a study in the region, (and) one thing it showed was missing was this kind of facility.”

Sports & Properties Inc. conducted a sports facility study in 2007 outlining strengths and weaknesses of the region’s sports facilities. A follow-up study was done in 2008 regarding the economic potential of the complex and was supplemented by research done at GVSU. Findings estimate that the fields could generate around $20 million in economic impact within five years.

Subsequent visits to similar, successful complexes in South Haven, Miss. and Memphis, Tenn. convinced other key players the project was a win-win for everyone.

Rockford City Manager Michael Young wanted to make sure that the project fit with the plans put in place by the 10 Mile Corridor Committee, which is responsible for the development of that stretch of road.

“We wanted to make sure there wouldn’t be sprawling commercial development spreading into Rockford — nothing that would hurt the downtown area,” Young said.

The development, Young said, is ideal for the area and fits with other planned developments, including expanded parks and recreation areas as well as an Olympic archery range. Recent construction on 10 Mile has also benefited planning measures, as the road was widened to allow greater traffic flow. Mutual agreements with surrounding police and fire rescue fill in the increased safety needs. Young said he also expects to have a proposal for an additional transport system shuttling to the downtown area in the near future.

Chet Kapla, assistant director of the Great Lakes Division of United States Specialty Sports Association, who has been involved in early meetings for the project and whose organization is responsible for the scheduling of some 200 tournaments throughout the state, said there are a large number of leagues in Grand Rapids that could benefit from the complex.

But Kapla said creating a signature event — one that draws participants from out of state — is even more important than league play. The target for the majority of those who would use the fields, he said, are higher-level competitive youth leagues.

“I highly recommend(ed), when (WMSC) started, (that) there is some type of signature event. Something like the Cinco De Mayo event in Detroit, which can gather around 120 teams,” Kapla said.

Considering the sluggish economy has led many families to cut back on nonessential expenditures, Kapla said the number of teams traveling for tournaments and the number of tournaments has held steady. According to his numbers, there are more than 2,500 teams registered with USSSA in Michigan and 55,000 across the U.S.

“Mom and Dad always seem find a way to keep their kids playing,” Kapla said.

Like with any industry that generates a significant chunk of change, there are often peripheral consequences to grabbing a piece of the action. In this case, it’s children who are feeling those consequences. A recent series of articles done at the Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch highlighted the issues — injuries, increased competitiveness, and cases of organizational corruption — that come with the billion-dollar industry the children carry on their backs.

“There needs to be a cooperation and understanding of the greater good,” said Mike Guswiler, executive director of the WMSC. “In the work of the sports commission, when we reach out to tournament directors and other organizations, we look for a history of success.”

Guswiler said the WMSC has high standards and vets the reputation of any organization it works with.

“The two things central to this project are economic development for vaster spending and quality of life,” he said. “Like any capital campaign when bricks and mortar are involved, there are naming rights and opportunities for lead donors, but when you reach out (for donations) in a private campaign, there is really not a lot of expectation on return — it’s about the message being carried.”

Guswiler said the sports commission, in its nearly five years in existence, has produced 200 events that have generated 250,000 visitors and a direct impact in spending of $70 million.

“There is a demand for a quality product, and that’s what we intend to provide for these teams and these tournaments,” he said.

While there has been no estimate on the number of potential jobs the project would create, Guswiler said there are a definitive number of jobs that can be pointed to that would be impacted.

“Anytime these tournaments are in town, you will see it impacted in the restaurants and hotels,” he said.

Even with the rising price tag that comes with competitive pay-to-play sports, those involved with the project all share the same assurance that this project is the right type of business stimulator and that parents will continue to shell out the dollars to keep their kids chasing those all-too-few scholarships.

While the area around the proposed project does not boast centralized lodging or adjacent restaurants, those who would travel to the proposed facility for games would only have to commute a short distance from any of the surrounding areas, likely closer to Grand Rapids.

“There are a number of people on the West Michigan Sports Commission who have been involved in baseball for years,” DeVos said. “They know how much they’re spending and what it takes to travel. So there is some really good firsthand knowledge.”

Although a similar complex was anticipated for construction near Holland in 2008, the “Great American Sports Complex” never made it to breaking ground. The ambitious project, which included numerous sports facilities in an Olympic village-like model, needed an estimated $40 million to complete.

In contrast, after the first $6 million, the Everyone Wins campaign will only need an additional $4 million to complete construction.

“You start something like this on a scale big enough to be successful, but not so big you can’t raise the money for it,” campaign co-chair Don Lubbers said. “You do the best you can to anticipate what your income and expenses will be. It’s better to be more conservative, and in this case, the sports commission has been.”

Additionally, the price for the proposed property was reduced significantly to $400,000 from an estimated value of just under $2 million in a deal with the Plainfield Township Department of Public Works.

Lubbers said the group hopes to finish fundraising by late spring or early summer, after which the contract will likely be put up for bid.

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