[ad_1]
HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — Construction crews were lifting concrete walls, each panel estimated to weigh about 100,000 pounds, of the new Henrico County Sports and Recreation Center at the former Virginia Commons Center on Monday.
It’s the latest move in a $50 million project that has been underway since before COVID-19.
The 115,000-square-foot facility will include basketball and volleyball courts and a conference center. Those in charge of the project say its location near Interstate 95 will make it a convenient and sought-after sports and entertainment venue that will attract thousands of visitors.
“They’re staying at our hotel, they’re eating at our restaurant, they’re buying gas, and anything else they might need while they’re in town, and a lot of those games can range from two to three overnights, we just recently An event was held and they were here for 10 days,” said Dennis Bickmeier, executive director of the Henrico Sports and Recreation Authority.
In 2021, the Henrico County tournament brought in nearly $60 million in sports tourism revenue. That dollar amount is expected to double in the new facility, Bickmeier said.
“We missed out, there’s no indoor facility, it’s estimated to be around $33 million. So we think the $60 million will grow quickly in 2024, when we can have a full calendar of events in the building. So, it’s generally thought that those 60 people might be It will double in 18 months or 36 months.”
More tourism will mean more cars on the road, and planners need to be mindful of that, said Frank Thorton, vice chairman of the Henrico County Board of Supervisors, which oversees the Fairfield district where the center is being built.
“Henrico is becoming more urban, so there’s more traffic, so what we do as stewards of the community is to listen to the residents and see where we are making these changes and where they can make it These adjustments.”
Thornton said the new center will be more than a win for Henrico County, despite potential traffic problems from increased sports tourism.
“While this will be a boom for Henrico, it will help our sister districts. I’m very proud of that because once, that wasn’t the case in the Richmond area.”
Construction is expected to be completed by September 2023. Activities may begin in 2024.
Nearby, a new GreenCity development, including a 17,000-seat arena, will open in 2026 on the site of the former Best Product headquarters.
[ad_2]
Source link