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Construction on the Regional Sports Park in Provo is pictured Wednesday, July 26, 2023.

Courtesy Provo City

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A rendering of the new Regional Sports Park in Provo, with added pickleball courts in the southeast area of the complex.

Illustration Courtesy Provo City

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This undated overhead photo shows the 100 acres of land where Provo's Regional Sports Park is being built.

Courtesy Provo City

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In this undated photo, curbing is laid for the Regional Sports Park in Provo.

Courtesy Provo City

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Provo City will soon be home to the second-largest planned sports complex in the nation after it was announced recently that pickleball courts will be added to the facility.

The $20 million, tournament-size Regional Sports Park will open in fall 2024, with sod laid in the spring and curbs now being poured.

It was anticipated that the new pickleball courts would not be added on until after the rest of the facility was completed, as money would need to be raised. The pickleball section will provide 45 courts costing a total of $5 million. Within a few months, $2.5 million has already been raised for the addition.

A citizen group is actively fundraising to get the courts fully funded.

“Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport locally and nationally. The planned capacity will attract players for local, regional and national events, creating its own dynamic economic impact,” said Scott Henderson, Provo’s director of parks and recreation, in an email to the Daily Herald.

With 100 acres, 21 multi-use fields, the pickleball facility and park amenities, the area is expected to draw individuals and families from throughout the U.S. However, some of the greatest needs now, officials say, are the support businesses, like hotels, to draw families and participants. With the number of people that would participate in a tournament, Provo, Orem and other Utah County cities reportedly do not provided enough hotel rooms to house all of the guests.

“We are an active community with 330 local teams playing on only 11 existing fields. We were not meeting our local sports need,” Provo Mayor Michelle Kaufusi stated in a city press release. “Our award-winning Parks and Recreation had a visionary plan to provide a world class facility for Utah County’s active kids, while also creating economic benefit as a host city for the national youth sports and tournament industry.”

While it is anticipated that the sports facility will bring in $30 million to $40 million a year in revenue, the area could potentially garner much more, according to Keith Morey, the city’s assistant director of development services.

“The whole west side is going to change,” Morey said. “With the new airport and regional sports complex, it will necessitate several support services.”

Those would include hotels, gas stations, convenience stores, car rental businesses and more, according to Morey. Some of these facilities are already being discussed and planned for.

With funds from a federal grant, Provo purchased 100 acres on the city’s west side from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Utah County also moved the vision forward by providing tourism-based support. With funding largely in place, Kaufusi included the regional sports park as one of her “Big 6” list of visionary projects, making it a priority for all departments.

“By being forward-looking in meeting our local need, we’re creating a regional recreational asset that adds to our quality of life while generating economic value for generations to come,” Henderson said. “The regional sports park has moved from a vision to reality by capitalizing on unique opportunities to deliver a sports park for local teams, while also bringing visitors to our exceptional community.”

Kaufusi identified four areas of focus for her administration known as the “Provo Pillars.” They include making the city welcoming, safe and sound, economically vibrant and forward-looking.

“The regional sports park is a community project that contributes to all four of our Provo Pillars, particularly economic vibrancy as it is estimated to generate more than $30 million in out-of-town spending to Provo and surrounding communities. It is a huge win for our community,” Kaufusi said.

Sports tourism is one of the country’s fastest-growing sectors, generating an annual $90 billion nationally and more than $1 billion in Utah County. According to Henderson, visionary communities are creating recreation facilities that not only increase quality of life but also generate huge economic returns for use in the community.

“Sports travel refers to travel for sporting events to either participate in or support. By attracting sports visitors to our world class facility, we’ll generate valuable tax revenue from hotels, car rentals and hospitality. Our economy-driving Provo Airport offers an additional convenience for those not wanting to drive,” he said.

Henderson points to St. George as an example of the economic success of a tournament host city. “St. George hosts an average of six large youth tournaments, bringing 16,000 participants and nearly 73,000 spectators for an average stay of three nights. By becoming a tournament destination city, they are generating nearly $40 million in annual spending,” he said.

The hope is Provo could one day reap those same benefits.

“As we raise the profile of Provo as a premiere recreation destination, we will be boosting our local economy and increasing tax revenue to make recreation system improvements,” Henderson said.