Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Economic Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Sandhills Global Lincoln Youth Complex reports strong early use, forecasts $15–20M local economic impact in first 12 months
Summary
Visit Lincoln and Sandhills Global Youth Complex leaders told the JPA the new complex has hosted hundreds of games and practices since opening, has many weekend tournaments booked and is expected to generate $15–20 million of economic activity in its first year.
Jeff Moll, executive director of Visit Lincoln and vice chair of the Sandhills Global Youth Complex board, and Joe Fagler, the complex’s executive director, provided an informational update to the West Haymarket JPA on the complex’s operations and early economic performance.
Fagler said the complex has hosted more than 250 games and roughly 300 practices since opening and that weekday local leagues draw about 500–600 people per night; weekend tournaments are averaging about 2,000 people through the gates each weekend. The complex has 17 tournaments scheduled April through July, and staff reported more than 20 teams committed from beyond a 90‑mile radius (the board used 90 miles as a rough “hotel stay” threshold). Fagler said teams have come from states including Texas, Virginia, California, Idaho, Washington and Minnesota.
Moll said the complex’s economic impact is outpacing early feasibility estimates. He said the project’s initial forecasted economic impact was about $9 million in the first 12 months; Visit Lincoln and the complex now estimate $15–20 million of economic activity in the first year, based on bookings and preliminary spending models. Moll provided per‑party spending estimates staff use for regional and national visitors: about $350 per night per travel party for regional/in‑state visitors and about $375 per night for national groups; those estimates were presented as the methodology by which Visit Lincoln and the complex calculate economic activity.
Fagler and Moll described inclusive programming and community access: the complex has an all‑accessible field and playground; Nebraska Wesleyan University will use the complex as a home field and is running outreach camps; Nebraska Westland and other partners will host free camps for community learning centers, with food and equipment provided to participating children. The board discussed efforts to build “shoulder” nights (get teams to arrive early or leave late) and to provide visitors with a welcome packet and digital resources (including QR codes at concessions) linking to local hotels, restaurants and attractions.
Board members praised the project’s opening day and community participation. The presentation was informational; no board action was required.
