Discover Kalamazoo pitches hotel-tax-funded indoor sports complex in City of Kalamazoo

Discover Kalamazoo on Monday presented a plan for a regional indoor sports complex to the Kalamazoo City Commission, saying the project would be financed by an incremental 4% accommodations assessment the county’s hoteliers recently approved.

The proposal, presented by Jane Ghosh, chief executive officer of Discover Kalamazoo, calls for a multi‑court indoor facility—eight basketball courts that could convert to 16 volleyball courts, additional indoor turf space, about 900 parking stalls and a roughly 15‑acre site—intended to attract tournaments within a three‑hour drive and to generate hotel room nights in off‑season periods.

Ghosh said the financing mechanism is the Event Center Financing Act of 2020 and that the county referendum to allow an incremental 4% assessment passed among eligible hotel owners with roughly 82% voting yes. "The hotels themselves voted to impose this incremental 4% assessment to finance the facility," she said.

Why it matters: Discover Kalamazoo’s pitch ties tourism‑industry revenue directly to new community facilities and youth access. The plan, if approved by the county board and implemented through an authority, would prioritize local use Monday through Thursday while using weekend tournaments to drive hotel stays and local spending.

Details and timeline: Discover Kalamazoo commissioned Convention Sports & Leisure (CSL), which recommended a hard‑court facility as the market’s largest unmet need. Ghosh said the market includes 20 million people within a three‑hour drive and that the study projects the facility could break even by year two and realize profit by year four. The ad hoc site‑selection committee, formed under county direction, recommended a location in the City of Kalamazoo’s Westgate area; Vice Mayor Hess represented the city on that committee. Ghosh told commissioners the county committee will forward its formal recommendation to the Kalamazoo County Board on June 17.

Governance and financing: Ghosh described a proposed governance structure under the Municipal Partnerships Act: an authority formed between Kalamazoo County and the City of Kalamazoo that would include appointees from the municipalities, hoteliers and sports‑event professionals. The plan assumes the county would issue bonds and repay debt from the assessment revenue; Ghosh said the assessment revenue is restricted by the Event Center Financing Act so that primary benefit must accrue to assessed hoteliers.

Access and community uses: Discover Kalamazoo said local use would be prioritized on weekdays to expand access for underserved youth, and the organization is planning an operator RFP that would incorporate community access requirements. Brian Persky, director of business development for Discover Kalamazoo, told commissioners the organization has been speaking with local youth basketball and volleyball organizers and national rights holders about events they would bring if the facility existed.

Next steps: The ad hoc committee will present its recommendation to the county board on June 17. If the county accepts the recommendation, Discover Kalamazoo recommended forming an authority and proceeding with site planning, operator procurement and bonding. Ghosh said preliminary hopes were for site preparation this year and an optimistic opening in 2027, although she cautioned the timeline depends on approvals and planning.

Public comment and commission response: Commissioners thanked Discover Kalamazoo for the presentation and noted the county board and hotel owners must still complete several approvals. No formal action was taken by the City Commission on the presentation; the presentation was informational and intended to inform the county process.

What’s next: The county board will receive the ad hoc committee recommendation June 17. If the county board approves, Discover Kalamazoo and local governments would proceed with authority formation, site planning and operator selection before bond issuance and construction.