Kidsports Complex will pursue a state grant to help pay for expanded infrastructure in an undeveloped 30-acre section of the sprawling outdoor facility.
The private nonprofit group that oversees the popular youth athletic complex in Kalispell is preparing to apply for a new grant created by the state Legislature last year. State Sen. Mark Blasdel, R-Kalispell, spearheaded the bill that was attached to the state budget and sets aside $1.5 million for capital improvements to youth recreational facilities on school trust lands.
Dan Johns, presidents of Kidsports Complex, said the organization is putting together its application and will have it ready by the Nov. 30 deadline.
Johns said there are plans to expand the complex with additional parking and seven new mixed-use fields for soccer, football and lacrosse, as well as a new running and walking path. The group also plans to improve disability access throughout the complex and build an inclusive playground that offers adaptive structures for individuals with special needs.
The site gave up 12 acres for the adjacent commercial development along U.S. Highway 93 and gained additional land to the west for sports fields.
Grant funding could be used for sewer, water and other infrastructure development to the west, where Kidsports plans to expand.
Created in1999, Kidsports Complex features 30 fields atop 126 acres and frequently attracts tournaments and teams from across the Pacific Northwest. On any given day in the summer, an average of 5,350 people use the fields during the week and another 5,000 on the weekend, according to a survey the organization conducted in late 2010. On weekends during September and October the complex draws an average of 7,000 people.
Applicants are partially judged on community support, and the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce is collecting signatures from local businesses.
“Kidsports has a significant economic impact for bringing in new dollars that can support jobs and families,” Chamber President Joe Unterreiner said. “In addition to that, it has a fabulous resident component for all of our kids and families and their recreational interests. It’s just a great combination of economic and community benefit.”
Unterreiner said a study found $7.6 million in economic impacts to the community related to events hosted at Kidsports Complex. The site frequently hosts regional tournaments, including the Three Blind Refs soccer tournament, which annually attracts over 2,500 players.
Unterreiner said he hopes to gather over 100 signatures of support for Kidsports’ application. The Kalispell facility could compete against six other facilities on school trust land across Montana.
To sign the chamber’s list of supporters, email [email protected].