New Sports Facility Expected to Open in Winter 2014

The HUB Community Recreation Center in Marion, IL, is undergoing construction in the midst of the youth sports and sports travel trend, with some sports tourism facilities reporting their busiest season for sport tourism thus far. (1) The new facility, developed under the guidance of the Sports Facilities Advisory (SFA) and managed by its sister company, Sports Facilities Management (SFM), seeks to provide a reliable recreation option for children and families while also attracting young athletes to the area and contributing to the local economy, according to SFA-SFM officials. The recreation center will be completed late 2014.

Nicknamed “the HUB,” the new 64,000-square-foot indoor facility was reportedly conceptualized after attempts to bring a YMCA to town failed to come to fruition. Mayor Bob Butler said, “the official start of [the HUB] marks a significant chapter in Marion’s history, as talks of a community recreation center have been on the table for many years.” (2)

While the facility is still under construction with an estimated completion date of late 2014, SFA/SFM Founder and CEO Dev Pathik maintains that in addition to satisfying the need for a safe haven for children and families wishing to take part in sports recreation—a fact proven true amid reports that dozens of Marion residents are registering every week to be members of the HUB (3)—the center’s facilities will be utilized for sports leagues, camps and tournaments, bringing an abundance of tourists to the area and driving the growth of the local economy, per Pathik.

“Our goal in creating the HUB was to offer safe, recreational amenities for local families to enjoy, while also benefitting the economy, and the facility is designed in a way that satisfies the needs of both the locals and visitors to the area,” said Pathik.

The Hub will feature a full-sized gymnasium; a 25-meter, six-lane pool; a therapy pool, as well as a recreation pool featuring a waterslide, lazy river, vortex, wading area with a water fountain, and basketball hoop and volleyball net; an upstairs workout gym; and more. The new facility will join a fleet of SFA-SFM recreations centers, such as Gatlinburg’s Rocky Top Sports World, which officials predict will achieve a $30 million beneficial economic impact for the city within the first five years of its opening.

SFA developed the Hub’s business model, management plan, economic impact and cash flow forecast. SFM was engaged to assume day-to-day operational responsibility, including the booking and management of tournaments and events, as well as managing facilities to support its government client’s objectives.

The HUB is currently searching for new members to join its elite team, and is set host several upcoming job fairs.  For more information, visit www.thehubmarion.com/employment.

For more information about SFA, SFM and the available suite of planning-funding-opening-management services, visit www.sportadvisory.com.

About Sports Facilities Advisory and Sports Facilities Management (SFA-SFM):

The Sports Facilities Advisory and Sports Facilities Management (SFA-SFM) is the leading resource in sports facility planning and management. SFA-SFM has helped to plan, fund, open and manage many multimillion-dollar sports complexes in communities throughout the USA and internationally since its founding in 2003. The expansive growth youth team sports and sports-related tourism has necessitated better quality facility management. SFA’s proprietary data system—based on years of planning, funding and managing facilities, coupled with the rise of the youth sports segment—is the engine behind the development of SFM. Since its recent inception, SFM has already become an industry leader in the managing of amateur sports and events complexes, and along with SFA, provides the planning, financing and management expertise needed to turn ideas into successful recreation facilities. SFA-SFM serves both public and private clients. Its services fall into four main categories: plan, fund, open and manage, which encompass every phase from early stage feasibility studies to preparing financing documents, overseeing development and opening and full-time management services. SFA-SFM’s success depends upon its mission to dramatically improve communities through the opening or optimization of sports and recreation centers. For more information, visit www.sportadvisory.com/home.html.

1.   Visit My Smokies Announces New Facility for Sporting Events in Gatlinburg. heraldtribune.com/article/20140219/ARTICLE/140219577. Web. Feb. 20, 2014.

2.   Testa, Adam. “Marion Readies New Rec Center.” The Southern. N.p., 12 June 2013. Web. 21 Aug. 2014. thesouthern.com/news/local/marion-readies-new-rec-center/article_2046a04e-d316-11e2-b772-0019bb2963f4.html.

3.   “Happenings at The HUB.” The Daily Republican. N.p., 31 July 2014. Web. 21 Aug. 2014. dailyrepublicannews.com/article/20140731/NEWS/140739839.