The Clayton Sports Complex will be an unmatched sports and recreation hub that brings new opportunities to all residents of Clayton County, the rest of the metropolitan area, and a full spectrum of sports enthusiasts. This campaign is set to raise funds for the Market Assessment and Feasibility Study target at $50,000.
This dream will enhance our community by being an educational and sport programed, community recreational, health and wellness facility, and a new sports tourism all under one roof. This concept is driven by a variety of factors including community leader inspiration, our desire to improve social and health outcomes, and local market interest and competition. Unique design and planning will make this project a standout. Such comprehensive and centralized public sports facilities are rare in our region, and the attention to integrated design and superior functionality and connectivity has generated a totality that is at the highest level. Details of the complex include indoor courts, artificial turf fields, weight management, and educational sessions. This complex, at the least, will be a 50-acre development or redevelopment which will enable participation in school and/or league sports that enrich socio-emotional and physical development. This is where young boys and girls have an equal opportunity to pursue their dreams through sports and life.
The Clayton Sports Complex will be successful because it is part of a larger vision so that more people will come to visit the entire revitalized area. There are two kinds of visions. The first is the iconic vision. This sports complex is such a dramatic change that it alters the community’s and the wider public’s perception of the neighborhood for the better. The second is the integrated vision. In this case, this sports complex is designed to fit architecturally with its surroundings. The complex will become an extension of community pride and become a destination for everyone. The result of both approaches will be public support and utilization of the complex to a larger degree than a stand-alone sports complex. Clearly, communities are still eager to acquire sports attractions and are willing to commit public funds to do so. If subsidizing this sports complex becomes priority, then public officials must look beyond an economic impact report to all the economic factors and leverage greater social and political outcomes for our community. It is possible to create benefits beyond simply bringing a sports team to town. This sports complex will be successful today when it is a part of a larger combination of attractors and developments that are embedded into the community, creating multiple means of civic participation and spreading the financial risk among many investors and income streams while compounding the public benefits.
