A new outdoor sports facility in Welland with a price tag of more than $3 million will start seeing some action next month.
Empire Sportsplex, next to Welland International Flatwater Centre, is about “97 per cent” finished and will be unveiled with a grand opening on Saturday, July 9, said the city’s director of community services, Rob Axiak, on Thursday.
The 11,200-square-metre facility is two sites in one.
The main area’s construction value is $2.75 million, which will be paid for by Empire Communities, a developer planning to build close to 2,000 homes in Dain City, slightly south of the multi-use sports facility.
It will include six pickleball courts, three tennis courts (that can also be used for pickleball), five beach volleyball courts, one full-size basketball court and two half-courts for basketball.
A sub-facility within the sportsplex will be an inclusive area that can be used for parasports. It will also include courts for basketball, pickleball and tennis. Four doublewide entry points are also part of the layout. This section is paid for by Canadian Tire Jumpstart with a cost of more than $300,000.
There is an area for four square and hopscotch, as well as benches covered by shade, said Axiak.
Bleachers have also been installed for spectators in a number of spots on the sidelines.
The entire facility is equipped with lighting.
A building at the site will hold washrooms, a canteen and office and equipment spaces.
“We’re so close to the finish line now,” said Axiak, noting that a soft opening may occur a week ahead of the grand opening, participated in by user groups who are showing interest in holding programming there.
There will be league play, as well as designated times for the public to access the courts. Times have yet to be finalized, said Axiak.
“In the meantime, we’re working with a variety of organizations that are starting to come forward,” said Axiak, noting Niagara College plans to host a three-on-three basketball tournament, and also use the site for athletics programs.
“There’s so much variety,” he said about the sports that can be played there, as well as the user groups expected to call the site home, such as Welland Pickleball Club, a beach volleyball league and organizations hosting children’s programs.
With the flatwater next door and the city’s trail system along the canal “leading right up” to the sportsplex, Axiak anticipates it will be well-used amenity.
“I think everybody throughout the city is really going to be enjoying it,” he said.
It will also have a “regional draw,” bringing in users from other parts of Niagara seeking out a “higher-end” facility, said Axiak, also pointing to the “pristine sand” the beach volleyball courts sit on.
Benches, which are covered by canopies, will be a welcome addition on hot, summery days.
“That provides even more opportunity, or service, to those players,” he said.
Bleachers are an important component of the park, especially for people who are there to cheer on friends and loved ones during organized events.
“There will be ample seating for everyone watching at all the different courts,” said Axiak.
