Developer plots mega-sports complex in W. Locks with stadiums, hotels, 500 jobs

[JMick]

Different concept, but anybody been to Baseball Heaven in Long Island?

Yes. It was really nice once upon a time and then the last time I went there it was a dump. They even got rid of the real pitchers mounds at one point.

 

[Guapo]

Well I hope it works out

 

[Guapo]

My client who's building a softball park in Windsor with 11 fields might not be too happy about this. View attachment 32796

I have no idea how this industry operates, could you explain how developers make money off of projects like this? Thanks!

 

[upstater]

I have no idea how this industry operates, could you explain how developers make money off of projects like this? Thanks!

Teams pay per hour use of the facilities.

It can range from $150 an hour per field, court, to $500 an hour.

Then you have events, tournaments, etc. Registration fees per team are $1000+. And, you make it mandatory for teams to stay in your hotel. Add in parents, and your 2 hotels are full. You have 200 teams show up for the tournament, and that's $200k in one weekend.

 

[Bezzz]

I have no idea how this industry operates, could you explain how developers make money off of projects like this? Thanks!

Weekend tournaments all summer long with upwards of 65 teams paying large entrance fees. It's softball frenzy, I've seen it.

The developer he's teamed with owns the adjacent property where he's putting up a hotel. There ya go.

He's currently using the fields across from The Rent (Aircraft Club). He also operates an indoor field I designed for him in Bloomfield so he's got a year long revenue stream.

Also, his recent comment about the Windsor Locks development: "Yes we know this well. This person/company is a known joke. They have left a trail of failed announcements and towns holding the bag many times. They tried this first with Windsor. They actually have mo money and this will NEVER happen."

 

[Guapo]

Teams pay per hour use of the facilities.

It can range from $150 an hour per field, court, to $500 an hour.

Thanks! Figured it must've been something like that.

Definitely not something you think about as a kid

 

[Guapo]

Weekend tournaments all summer long with upwards of 65 teams paying large entrance fees. It's softball frenzy, I've seen it.

The developer he's teamed with owns the adjacent property where he's putting up a hotel. There ya go.

He's currently using the fields across from The Rent (Aircraft Club). He also operates an indoor field I designed for him in Bloomfield so he's got a year long revenue stream.

Also, his recent comment about the Windsor Locks development: "Yes we know this well. This person/company is a known joke. They have left a trail of failed announcements and towns holding the bag many times. They tried this first with Windsor. They actually have mo money and this will NEVER happen."

Are you an architect?

 

[UofCT]

It costs a lot of money to rent gym space. I used to be in that industry and it's craziness. If you wanted to rent a gym for a day from a local middle school or high school the cost varies from $75-100 per hour (custodial fees, lights, etc). I wonder if this place has an agreement with some local rec organizations to host their seasons. From a Sports Director stand point, it's a helluva lot easier to create a schedule using 1 facility than 7 or 8.

I used to rent out a facility in Randolph, NJ for a single day lax tournament and was charged close to 12K for the day.

If they can capture the winter tournament market they can make a lot. Throw in summer camps, vacation camps, mommy & me classes, adult/senior pickleball/volleyball type stuff and they have a fighting chance.

 

[Bezzz]

Are you an architect?

Yes, going on 40 years!

 

[Guapo]

Yes, going on 40 years!

I've always wanted to pretend that I was an architect!

(Bet you haven't heard that one before)

But really, that is awesome!

 

[huskymedic]

Different concept, but anybody been to Baseball Heaven in Long Island?

Yup and Sports @ the Beach in Delaware.

Ripken Experience (MD)>>>Diamond Nation (NJ) >>Baseball Heaven

 

[ZenConn]

I believe there used to be a bunch of baseball/softball fields off of I84 Exit 67. I don't know what happened to it, but it had some life at first. A few years later, I think it went belly up.

From what I recall, there was just a bunch of unkempt empty fields (an eyesore) and nearby a Park N Ride.

I don't know how this is going to be different.

Edited: Because my grammar sucks.

 

[Rocktheworld]

Now I don't see how this helps two 6,000 seat stadiums, but I'm just bringing up that if there is a market in CT that's strong, this is it. Honestly, WAKA would probably kill it with some kind of complex like the one that used to be in Vernon (only for baseball/softball) because they could use fields for all of their different sports.

My guess: looking to host regional events and tournaments on the relatively cheap; attractions like pro lacrosse, or CrossFit events, that I imagine pay up for venues way larger than what they need. High school-level, D3-level, less popular or lower level D1 college-level sports events. Music festivals too. All the accommodations essentially on-site. Drive to Albany, Providence, Boston, or Keene in under 2 hours. Stowe VT, Portland, NY all just over 3 hours away. Next to an international airport servicing the Eastern seaboard, Eastern Canada, and as far West as Minneapolis.

And adult club leagues, as you said. I'm 27 and I'm totally with your whole point on that. They'll be looking to cash in on camps too but that's beside the point for the justification for 6000-seat stadiums.

I'm not sure it'll work

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

I'm sure it will be very popular for 3-4 years. Then things will start to break, ownership will cut corners, it will become a dump and then they'll go out of business. That's the story of almost every one of these sports complexes I have ever been to

Oh definitely. Next time you take 84East to UConn look at what was once “New England Sportsplex” in Vernon right before exit 67. Was a top of the line softball/beach volleyball facility for a few years. Hosted tournaments of teams from all over. I was too young to know what happened when it eventually failed but it was probably about 20 years ago and it just sits there still. Fences, dugouts, I think the scoreboards too. Completely overgrown and covered in graffiti. Every so often there has been talks of the town buying it but it always fall through. I think Home Depot was rumored to go in there but there was a lot of NIMBY pushback to that. I’m sure the right leaders don’t wanna hear this but these places NEED public funding to survive. The indoor sports complex in Tolland probably 2 Miles from this site is doing great because of town support and programs.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

I believe there used to be a bunch of baseball/softball fields off of I84 Exit 67. I don't know what happened to it now but it had some life but a few years later, I think it went belly up.

I don't know how this is going to be different.

^^^^^^^

 

[gioff23]

My client who's building a softball park in Windsor with 11 fields might not be too happy about this. View attachment 32796

from the looks of it, there'd be no competition as your client is expecting very few, if any, fans to watch games there

 

[jibsey]

The kids sports complex FSA in Farmington is gangbusters for soccer. The parents pay big bucks for their kids to have winter activity. This sounds like so much more but parents will pay to keep their kids occupied. The weather here sucks for a good part of the year.

 

[huskymedic]

I believe there used to be a bunch of baseball/softball fields off of I84 Exit 67. I don't know what happened to it, but it had some life at first. A few years later, I think it went belly up.

From what I recall, there was just a bunch of unkempt empty fields (an eyesore) and nearby a Park N Ride.

I don't know how this is going to be different.

Edited: Because my grammar sucks.

This concept isn’t going after the after work beer league/industrial league market (that has essentially died in the Northeast compared to where it was in the 80’s). It’s diversifying it’s sport tournament/showcase event offerings and not limiting itself to softball/volleyball.

No clue whether it comes to fruition from a financing standpoint but I still know families w/ kids of all ages that head all over the country for weekend travel tournaments/showcase events and spend a boatload of money doing it.

 

[StepbackCity]

Doubt it goes through. But hey, I’ll be there.

 

[JMick]

Yup and Sports @ the Beach in Delaware.

Ripken Experience (MD)>>>Diamond Nation (NJ) >>Baseball Heaven

Ripken was cool. The main field is the nicest I ever played on and the satellite fields they used were pretty nice as far as tournament baseball goes. I played on the full sized fields; wish I had gone there when I was younger with all the replica stadiums.

Baseball Heaven used to be really, really nice and attracted all the top teams in the North East. They really let it go.

The worst complex I ever played at was somewhere just over the border in NY. It was all dirt fields and they were absolute junk.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

Cool, so long as they get exactly $0 from the state to do it.

If the state does this instead of building the necessary 6000 seat hockey arena in Storrs I’ll puke

 

[methodology]

Weekend tournaments all summer long with upwards of 65 teams paying large entrance fees. It's softball frenzy, I've seen it.

The developer he's teamed with owns the adjacent property where he's putting up a hotel. There ya go.

He's currently using the fields across from The Rent (Aircraft Club). He also operates an indoor field I designed for him in Bloomfield so he's got a year long revenue stream.

Also, his recent comment about the Windsor Locks development: "Yes we know this well. This person/company is a known joke. They have left a trail of failed announcements and towns holding the bag many times. They tried this first with Windsor. They actually have mo money and this will NEVER happen."

He's not doing this project on his own. Know one of one of the people financing and teaming up on this possible project. Heard his last proposed location for this didn't work out and now he's trying it with this new location

 

[Bezzz]

Correct

He's not doing this project on his own. Know one of one of the people financing and teaming up on this possible project. Heard his last proposed location for this didn't work out and now he's trying it with this new location

Correct. Previous location was a cornfield in East Windsor.

The current developer partner has DEEP pockets. And we've got P&Z approval through public hearing. The town wants it. it's just working out budgets now.

PM me on how you know details of this project, just curious.

 

[auror]

Hypothetical (and I know 0 about how grassroots basketball events are planned or if it would be likely):

Would having AAU events here help UConn recruiting?

 

[Rocktheworld]

Hypothetical (and I know 0 about how grassroots basketball events are planned or if it would be likely):

Would having AAU events here help UConn recruiting?

That must be the angle that Chief's bringing to the deliberation table as these deals are finalized. Probably why he's been off the circuit these last couple days. Gag order stuff.