Kent County approves $358,000 to cover Myers Sports Complex cost overruns after lengthy debate

The Kent County Board of Commissioners voted 14-6 to approve a $358,000 allocation from the county—special projects fund to the West Michigan Sports Commission to cover construction cost overruns on the Myers Sports Complex expansion.

County Administrator Al Vanderberg told commissioners the recommendation is to allocate $358,000 to close out overruns on the project, saying the amount "equals the cost overrun." Vanderberg described the commission as a long-standing county partner and said the original $1 million county contribution was part of an ARPA-backed campaign to fund a synthetic championship field and other amenities.

Mike Esquiler of the West Michigan Sports Commission said the overall campaign has raised $13,100,000 to date against a $13,500,000 project cost (the commission had earlier outlined a $14,000,000 goal). "The project stands at $13,500,000," he said, and the requested dollars would cover overruns caused by inflation and unusually wet site conditions that required additional equipment and stormwater work.

Commissioners heatedly debated the recommendation for nearly two hours. Critics questioned process and whether unrestricted county funds should be used without a wider solicitation of other county projects that might also need support. Commissioner Faber, who announced he would vote no, urged using dedicated funding sources where possible and cited House Bill 5048 as an example of a statute naming sports complexes as an eligible use for lodging/excise tax revenue. Commissioner Pacla and others pressed staff on whether the special projects fund could be applied to any county need; staff replied the fund had become county-controlled and could be used for county projects.

Supporters argued the Sports Commission is an established county partner that drives lodging-tax revenue. Commissioner Steck said the funds are county dollars and that converting ARPA money into county-managed special-project funds removed ARPA reporting obligations. Several commissioners, including DeBoer and Buzak, framed the allocation as an investment that will produce hotel and visitor revenue.

The motion to adopt resolution 35 (Myers Sports Complex expansion project) was moved by Commissioner Halstead and supported by Commissioner Teal. The final roll call: 14 yeas, 6 nays. The board adopted the resolution and the $358,000 allocation.

What the approved allocation pays for: county staff and the Sports Commission described the $358,000 as covering cost overruns for the synthetic field and related construction items tied to the project phase the county originally funded. The county—had earlier allocated $1,000,000 to the project as part of ARPA reporting and campaign support; commissioners were told the new amount is to close out overruns identified during ARPA reimbursement accounting.

Next steps and context: The Sports Commission said construction remains underway and the complex is expected to be fully in play in 2026. The commission and county staff said the Sports Commission will continue private fundraising and that the county allocation replaces dollars already used from the commission's capital campaign so those funds can be reallocated as the commission completes its fundraising.

The vote underscores an ongoing board debate over using formerly-ARPA funds held in a county special projects account versus dedicated revenue streams such as the lodging/excise tax. Several commissioners asked for clearer tracking of unspent ARPA-derived balances and for future notice when such county-held pots become available for reallocation.