Henderson OKs $70M indoor sports, entertainment complex

Construction on a new $70 million indoor sports complex and entertainment facility in Henderson could be completed within the next two years, the developer said.

The Henderson City Council on Tuesday approved a project agreement for the 180,000-square-foot facility. The sports complex will be on the corner of St. Rose Parkway and Maryland parkways.

“The west Henderson area is underserved with these recreation facilities, so we’ve been working on bringing forward a project that would serve that growing area of the community,” Assistant City Manager Robert Herr said in a May 21 meeting on the project.

The complex will be a public-private partnership with Kemper Sports, where the government will finance most of the construction and own the building and private industries will be in charge of operational costs. Operational costs that private companies are in charge of includes staffing, security, and insurance.

“Our hope is to start right away and have this construction done in 24 months,” said Jeremy Goldblatt, chief operating officer for Kemper Sports.

Herr added that the public-private partnership helps take the long-term financial burden away from the government.

The complex is predicted to generate $39.1 million in revenue, $10.7 million in wages and salaries, and $1.5 million in yearly tax revenues for the city.

“Local rec centers, we know, don’t really generate the dollars to be financially sustainable, so with the tournament play and with family entertainment, that’s really what makes this run in the positive,” Herr said.

The sports complex will feature four basketball courts, two turf fields, a fitness center, a full-service restaurant and party rooms.

“We wanted to really give our youth a place to play rather than having to leave the city and go elsewhere,” Herr said.

Herr adds that there’s a benefit in keeping kids inside during sweltering temperatures and high winds.

“Projects like this help build community wealth when you build them in your community when you have your community members build,” Steven Dudley, a representative for the Carpenter’s Union Local 1977, said during Tuesday’s meeting.

Dudley did add, however, that all projects like this should have state accredited apprenticeship language tied to them so that locals can gain experience learning and doing trades.

At the complex, Henderson residents will receive a 20 percent discount on most services with the exception of food and beverage.

Contact Annie Vong at avong@reviewjournal.com.