Study calls for Branson sports complex

The recently announced results of a feasibility study in Branson are recommending a 170,000-square-foot indoor sports facility that officials believe will serve as a year-round economic driver.

The Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce & Convention and Visitors Bureau on Nov. 8 presented findings for the study commissioned by the Taney County Partnership, the organization’s economic development arm. Clearwater, Florida-based Sports Facilities Cos., a business management consultant firm, completed the study. SFC also has nearly 50 sports and entertainment facilities under its management, including Betty & Bobby Allison Sports Town in Springfield and Ballparks of America in Branson.

Kevin Schuh, account executive with SFC, led the study’s presentation, which included economic impact and projections of revenue and expenses for the facility, as well as an overview of other regional existing indoor facilities. Schuh said the company had roughly 16 stakeholder meetings with various groups around the community over the past several months. Those included the cities and chambers of commerce in Branson and Hollister, the Taney County Commission, Bass Pro Shops and Big Cedar Lodge, Branson Bank and local residents.

“A huge part of our process is listening to the community and what you guys want here, what you think works,” Schuh said.

Through that feedback and market studies, SFC determined details for the roughly 170,000-square-foot indoor facility on a site that it estimated should comprise around 12 acres. The proposed facility would include eight basketball courts, 16 volleyball courts, 24 pickleball courts and telescopic bleachers with a 4,000-person seating capacity. A roughly 11,600-square-foot family entertainment center also is part of the proposal, along with meeting space and a sports training area.

“That is what we see as an anchor facility. That’s a facility that will now allow you to compete with some of those larger sports tourism facilities,” Schuh said. “The other piece of that is that it’s all in one area. This industry has gotten competitive as tournaments and user groups can dictate the type of facilities they want to utilize. People want to go to one venue. They don’t want to drive all over town to find one court and another court.”

He said the venue would include 72,000 square feet of indoor space for competitions that also is adaptable for additional activities.

“So, that also means martial arts. That means gymnastics, dance competitions, any number of events,” he said.

Schuh said the target market for sports facilities is typically a four-hour radius from the venue. That includes the market capture and competition. Among existing regional indoor facilities that could be competitors include Titan Sports and Performance Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma; Elite Sports Center in Olathe, Kansas; and AdventHealth Sports Park at Bluhawk, in Overland Park, Kansas, according to the study.

“We also anticipate with a community like yours within your county, the ability to bring people in from outside of the area,” he said. “This may be a conservative approach. We say four hours, but we anticipate to beat those numbers and it could be five, six, seven hours as we dip into other markets.”

Regarding the family entertainment space, Schuh said options include arcades, climbing walls and virtual reality.

“The intention was to be additive and not competitive with the market,” he said. “So, we didn’t tie in specifically what that’s going to be because as we get into the next step and we start talking about partnership development and what that piece will be, we want to make sure that it fits with the community.”

In focus
With an indoor focus, the facility would be designed to fill seasonal gaps – particularly in January, February and March – and provide the best return on investment, said Grant Sloan, the chamber’s vice president of member engagement.

While the presentation showed several renderings completed by Paragon Architecture LLC, chamber officials told the several dozen people in attendance at the presentation event that the design and name of the prospective facility – dubbed The Courts at Victory Ridge – are conceptual in nature.

“Whenever you look at these renderings, these are just concepts,” Sloan said. “They’re meant to be in the back of your mind – something that we can aspire to as a community as we’re having this conversation in the coming months.”

Sloan said a site for the prospective facility, along with how it would be funded, is yet to be determined. Not including the purchase price for land, SFC estimated the project cost ranging roughly $60 million-$73 million.

“You move on to that next phase of identifying locations in Taney County, identifying funding, partnerships, looking at models and other markets and cities probably,” Sloan said after the event, noting the Taney County Partnership plans to meet later this month to discuss site selection. “I would lean on developers to say where are those pieces where 12 acres makes sense. Some pieces of property, there’s going to be pros and cons.”

A public-private partnership is a possibility for the project, Sloan said.

“That is going to be one of the models that is explored and that we learn more about,” he said. “It’s very common in other markets. And so absolutely could see something like that happening here.”

North of Branson, the $30 million Betty & Bobby Allison Sports Town, which opened in 2022 and included a 94,000-square-foot indoor facility and 12 outdoor sports fields – four of them with all-weather turf – had a mix of funding support, according to past Springfield Business Journal reporting. The complex is a sports destination planned by SGF Sports LLC through a partnership with Philcrest Properties and L5 Management & Consulting, with over $20 million in private investment, along with $2 million in infrastructure costs reimbursed by the city. Businessperson and philanthropist Bobby Allison, who died in 2022, pledged between $3 million and $3.5 million for fields and signage with naming rights.

Sports Town is expected to host over 70 events and camps in 2025, up from nearly 50 in 2024, according to a news release. Economic impact next year is projected to exceed $20 million, quadrupling the expected total from 2024. Sports Town co-owner Stan Lidel didn’t return messages by press time seeking comment about the prospective Branson facility.

Making an impact
The Branson feasibility study forecasts the prospective sports facility could generate tens of millions of dollars annually, creating a year-round boost for local businesses and adding new dimensions to the community’s tourism offerings, officials say.

By year five, the facility’s economic impact is estimated to reach nearly $50 million, including up to $13 million in indirect spending, according to the study.

“This facility could be a game-changer for the Branson/lakes area, creating a powerful new draw for athletes, families and fans, regionally and nationwide,” said Pamela Yancey, the Branson chamber’s president and CEO, in a separate news release. “We’re looking at more than just a building; this unveiling represents a forward-thinking investment in the future of our community.”

While Sloan said the city of Branson also is looking at how it can grow the impact and visitation of the Branson Convention Center, he added the community can sustain both that facility and a large indoor sports venue.

The Branson Convention Center hosted 145 events and more than 226,000 people in 2023, according to past SBJ reporting. Convention center officials said the facility’s estimated economic impact last year was $57.5 million.

“We can fill the convention center; we can fill this facility,” Sloan said. “This is not competition. This is a compliment. This is about growing the Branson/lakes area and visitation during those soft spots in the season that we normally don’t see people. This is about moving the needle for our community.”

Yancey said the Taney County Partnership spent $32,500 on the study, adding $40,000 was budgeted for the project.