WEST MICHIGAN SPORTS COMMISSION BREAKS GROUND ON MEIJER SPORTS COMPLEX EXPANSION; FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN HITS $13 MILLION TOWARD $13.5 MILLION GOAL
Construction Project Kicks Off this Month and is Scheduled for Completion in Fall 2025
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Oct. 11, 2024 – Almost two years to the day that the West Michigan Sports Commission (WMSC) introduced the “Winning Streak” capital campaign to improve and expand the Meijer Sports Complex, executives representing the campaign, project and donor community threw the first shovels of dirt to kick off the start of the expansion portion of the project at an invitation-only groundbreaking event today at the complex. The project is expected to be completed in October 2025.
“Today is possible because everyone here came together – public organizations, private corporations, government agencies and even individuals – united in a singular cause of creating more spaces for youth and amateur athletes to recreate in West Michigan,” said WMSC President Mike Guswiler at today’s event. “We are so grateful to all of you for sharing in our vision of building up our region from an economic, health and wellness standpoint through sport.”
Guswiler, along with Campaign Co-Chairs Deb Kay and Nick Davidson (also National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Vice President), Campaign Ambassador of Baseball and former Detroit Tiger Lance Parrish, Progressive Companies Principal and WMSC Board Chair Jim Horman, Congresswoman Hillary Scholten, Senator Mark Huizenga, and Meijer Vice President of Communications & Community Engagement Ray Hancart spoke to the invited guests and ceremonially broke ground at the event at the Meijer Sports Complex.
"As a partner of the West Michigan Sports Commission for more than a decade, supporting youth and amateur sports continues to be an important way we live our purpose of enriching lives in the communities we serve,” said Ray Hancart, Vice President of Communications & Community Engagement at Meijer. “We’re thrilled to be part of expanding the Meijer Sports Complex to further serve athletes of all ages and abilities.”
Also announced was the status of the fundraising campaign, which has now reached $13 million – bringing the fundraising gap to just $500,000 shy of the $13.5 million project total. Originally estimated at $11.4 million, the overall expansion project budget increased due to higher construction costs since the project was initiated in late 2022. Recent donations include an additional $3 million one-time community enhancement grant from the State of Michigan thanks to the efforts of Senator Mark Huizenga, $1.5 million from Alro Steel and $750,000 secured by US Rep. Hillary Scholten through the FY 2024 Community Project Funding Requests announced in June, along with anonymous donations.
The WMSC launched the A Winning Streak for West Michigan capital campaign in October 2022 to improve and expand its flagship Meijer Sports Complex that opened in 2014 with eight baseball and softball fields, a championship baseball field and Nate Hurwitz Miracle League Field. Costing $7.5 million and funded through private donations, the complex has cumulatively attracted 208 events, 8,200 teams and 265,750 visitors for a total economic impact for Kent County of $60 million in direct visitor spending.
Jim Horman, chair of the WMSC and a principal at Progressive Companies, who is providing architectural design services, summarized the expansion project and showed renderings of the major project components, which will be constructed by the project’s general contractor, Grand Rapids-based Owen-Ames-Kimball Co.
The expanded complex will use acreage south of the complex and is estimated to accommodate 200 more teams annually and generate an additional $1 million in annual visitor spending. The project scope includes:
Alro Steel Championship Field for youth, amateur and collegiate softball – featuring synthetic turf, grandstands, lighting, covered dugouts and a press box
Two flexible-use diamond fields for youth and amateur baseball and softball as well as collegiate softball, with covered dugouts and bleachers
20 pickleball courts, including a championship court
New concession building, new restroom facility, and expanded storage facility
New playground area
Canopies over all bleacher seating
300 additional parking spaces
The project also includes improvements on the sports complex, which have already been completed with synthetic turf installed on the DeVos Family Championship Field and resurfacing the Nate Hurwitz Miracle Field.
Co-chaired by NAIA Vice President Nick Davidson and WMSC Board Member Deb Kay with support from Lance Parrish as the campaign’s ambassador of baseball, the Winning Streak capital campaign continues as campaign leaders look to reach the total project cost of $13.5 million. More information can be found at westmisports.com/winningstreak.
About the West Michigan Sports Commission
The non-profit West Michigan Sports Commission (WMSC) identifies, secures and hosts youth and amateur sporting events to positively impact the economy and quality of life in the region. Since its inception in 2007, the WMSC has booked 1,095 events attracting more than 1.9 million athletes and visitors, generating more than $557 million in direct visitor spending. Visit westmisports.com and on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
About the Meijer Sports Complex
A flagship project of the West Michigan Sports Commission, the Meijer Sports Complex is a championship-caliber baseball/ softball complex near Rockford featuring eight baseball and softball fields, including the 385-foot DeVos Family Championship Field with covered grandstands for 1,000 spectators; Nate Hurwitz Miracle League Field for children with disabilities; warm-up areas, restrooms and concessions; and parking for more than 400 vehicles. Since its inception, the complex has attracted 208 events, 8,200 teams and 265,750 visitors for a total economic impact for Kent County of $60 million in direct visitor spending. Visit westmichiganportscomplex.com.