ABOUT THE SPORTS COMPLEX

Our goal with the construction of a new sports complex will be to provide area youth and adults with additional sports opportunities that are not currently available in Columbus. By providing these new opportunities, while also working with other facilities in Columbus to expand their own existing programs, we can encourage a more active and healthy lifestyle for our community. Regardless of which sport or sports you participate in, we all have the same goal to best represent our community on the playing field. By working together with area youth club and travel programs, schools, and other sports facilities, we can better prepare Columbus athletes for such a challenge. Having the proper type and style of facility is an important part of achieving that goal.

The new sports complex will also have additional amenities and attractions to serve our community and bring visitors to Columbus, which will benefit other area businesses and our community as a whole. These additional activities also make our facility unique when compared to other area indoor sports facilities. This concept sets Columbus apart, helping recruit teams and visitors to Columbus instead of being just another sports facility similar to those found in other neighboring communities. These additional amenities and attractions also give Columbus an edge over other communities for tournaments and events that will not be held at our new sports complex.

In addition to the construction of this new sports facility, we will also be establishing a charitable fund to help local athletes, organizations, and facilities with sports registration fees and equipment costs. With the support of all users of our new facility we can cover the operational costs of this new facility while also maintaining this sports scholarship fund to assist with costs associated with participating in sports throughout the entire community, including activities held at other facilities in Columbus. To learn more about our charitable giving goals, please visit this article.

Below is a current list of expected features for the new sports complex. As a multi-purpose facility, this list is by no means a complete or final list of capabilities. Rather, this list includes those activities which we will host on a regular basis.

To view renderings of our planned facility, click here

Facility Highlights

The new sports complex will feature an indoor facility that will start out at no less than 44,000 square feet. Over time, this facility plan can be expanded to over 100,000 square feet. With enough support, the facility could be built larger than that. We have other floor plans up to 170,000 square feet that include permanent batting cages, tennis and racquetball courts, and more.

Outdoors, the sports complex will also feature grass/turf fields, sand volleyball courts, green space for general purpose use, and batting cages. Additional attractions such as miniature golf and Go Karts are planned for the complex at a later date.

Click on the headings below to learn more about the new sports complex.
On one end of the indoor facility, there will be an artificial turf field that measures 40 yards wide by at least 40 yards long. This field can be extended to over 100 yards long with future expansion of the facility, or if we build a larger facility from the start. The turf field will be surrounded by protective spectator netting, and will feature drop down or pop-up batting cages and pitching tunnels.

This field will be used for soccer, football, baseball, softball, athletic training, bounce houses, and more. Depending upon the type of artificial turf used, this arena could also serve for other general purpose activities including concerts, receptions, and more.
On the opposite end of the indoor facility will be a hard court that will measure just over 100 feet long by 80 feet wide, which is larger than a professional basketball court. This court will be surrounded by tempered glass hockey rink walls which will allow for hockey leagues and futsal soccer while also providing spectator protection.

This court will be used for basketball, volleyball, roller hockey, dodgeball, futsal, batting cages, and more. This court will also serve the community with public roller skating sessions and bounce houses. Depending on the amount of support from the community, this facility could also include tennis and racquetball courts as well.
Behind the indoor facility will be two grass or artificial turf fields measuring 100 yards in length. These two fields will serve for outdoor soccer and football games, as well as any other grass or turf sport. We may also have enough space on the property to construct a baseball/softball field. All of these fields will be available for local sports organizations to use for scheduled practices as well as in-house leagues and special events.
Also outdoors will be a large sand area that will offer at least three sand volleyball courts for leagues, tournaments, fundraisers, and more. This area can also serve for other sand sports or special events. A separate area may be set aside as a large sand box for younger kids to enjoy while visiting our complex. There will also be an outdoor patio for spectators to use.
Permanent outdoor batting cages will be offered capable of serving multiple users at the same time. These cages will be available to local sports programs for schedule practices or facility rental, and will also be made available to the general public during select times of day.
The complex will also have plenty of green space available for other fun outdoor events and activities, such as bounce houses and water slides. Some of this green space will eventually serve for expansion of the indoor facility as needed. Elsewhere around the facility will be sufficient space to eventually add a miniature golf course and Go Kart track, providing entertainment options for Columbus area families and encouraging those from out of town to visit Columbus.

Back indoors, the facility is expected to also feature a laser tag arena, arcade games, and prize redemption counter. While not directly sports-related, these attractions do create additional opportunities for leagues or tournament play. Otherwise, they are a nice addition to keep guests entertained when visiting our facility. These attractions also make our facility unique from other area facilities, giving Columbus an advantage when recruiting teams from other towns for leagues and tournaments held throughout our community.
Helping separate the two sports arenas will be a large multi-purpose room that can be divided into as many as four smaller rooms. These spaces are perfect for meetings and birthday parties, with each individual room having direct access to both the turf fields and hard courts.
A small sports pro shop will be a part of the new indoor facility. This shop will sell sports equipment related to the sports events and activities that are held at our complex. This shop will also raise money for local sports organizations by selling their logo apparel and merchandise, with every penny of those proceeds going to their respective program.
The facility will feature a concession stand serving snacks and drinks to our visitors. There will also be a small kitchen capable of preparing a larger menu of breakfast, lunch, and dinner items for our guests. Both arenas within the facility will have access to the same full menu.
Because the new complex will be capable of hosting a number of events and activities simultaneously, we have planned for a large parking lot capable of parking over 260 vehicles in the lot. Several handicap parking stalls will be available near all entrance doors to the facility as well as each outdoor attraction.
The facility highlights listed above show likely uses based upon our smallest floor plan of 44,000 square feet. Depending upon the amount of financial support from the community, other floor plans up to 170,000 square feet have been prepared which would include larger arenas and additional options not described above.

Overall, the goal of this complex is to provide year-round sports leagues, tournaments, camps and clinics, and other special events for the entire sports community in Columbus. While not every sports program in town may have a use for the facility, all have the opportunity to benefit from our operation and available funding provided from the support we receive at this complex. To learn more about the charitable giving side of the Columbus Sports Foundation, click here.