By Richard L. Gaw 
Staff Writer 

In the long tradition of unsubstantiated scuttlebutt, a rumor began to float around Landenberg, Toughkenamon and Avondale in February that New Garden Township was shoring up plans to have a small stadium or indoor arena intended for youth sports built on the site of White Clay Point, the long dormant section of Route 41 located between Sunny Dell Road and the Route 7 exit.

In reality – and as part of floating potential projects that could potentially incentivize attractive economic development along the corridor - the township was merely considering the concept of broadening Chapter 200 of its code of ordinances applicable to its Unified Development Districts (UD) to include an open-air stadium or arena that could be built by an outside vendor and provide seating for more than 1,000 spectators in tiered seating for sports events, concerts, meetings and gatherings of large groups.  

In addition, a building or structure such as a hotel would be built near the stadium or arena that would provide overnight accommodation for traveling athletes and their families. 

To some area residents, the thought of a sports facility in New Garden Township was unthinkable, but as was spelled out at a public hearing held at the Board of Supervisors’ meeting on Feb. 24, the concept was tied into the township’s 2018 Comprehensive Plan to pursue zoning map and ordinance changes to support land use outcomes, fulfill future needs for residential and economic development, and reimagine its commercial land use to spur economic growth and attract visitors with expendable income and create jobs.

The board voted to table the proposed amendment to its zoning ordinance at the meeting, but at the township’s April 21 meeting of its supervisors, the idea for a new sports facility at the abandoned 188-acre site again took center stage.

Two indoor concepts introduced

As part of a feasibility presentation before the board and about 50 residents, Dan Morton and Ryan Ferguson of The Sports Facilities Companies – a leading resource for developing and managing sports, recreation and entertainment facilities across the U.S.  – introduced two indoor facility models that they said would complement the township’s goals for economic growth, attract out-of-town visitors with expendable income to the township, enhance youth sports participation in the southeastern Pennsylvania region and enjoy a 40-year-long return on investment to the township.

The Sports Tourism facility model – which will draw patrons from beyond a 30-mile radius for regional tournaments and events - would be a 2.82-acre, 136,575 square-foot indoor facility that would provide eight basketball courts, 16 volleyball courts and a bleacher seating capacity of 1,500, and be used for basketball and volleyball tournaments, seated court events, meetings and non-sport events and youth sports leagues. It would also offer space for meeting rooms, ballroom areas, a family entertainment center and flexible space to be used for a café, a kitchen, restrooms, a welcome area and additional offices, and 547 parking spaces totaling 304,229 square feet, nearly ten acres.

The facility’s estimated cost would range from $48.3 million to 58.7 million and would be projected to earn $2.7 million in revenue in year one and $4.2 million in year five.

• The Community facility model – geared more for local patrons who live within a 30-minute drive of the facility  - would be a 2.04-acre, 98,665 square-foot indoor facility that would provide an indoor turf area, a youth multi-purpose field, three smaller multi-purpose fields, a baseball/softball infield, batting and pitching cages, a family entertainment center, a sports performance training area, a fitness center and exercise rooms, flexible space to be used for a café, a kitchen, restrooms, a welcome area and additional offices and 346 parking spaces totaling 195,200 square feet, nearly 4.5 acres.

The facility’s estimated cost would range from $37.3 million to $45.2 million and would be projected to earn $3 million in year one and $5.1 million in year five.

As part of their feasibility analysis, Morton and Ferguson said that both models are forecasted to be operationally sustainable at maturity and will be able to drive significant economic impact from hosting as many as 26 sports tournaments, meetings, conferences and trade shows in the first year and about 40 in the fifth year. The consultants also factored in the per-person economic impact of their attendance at facility events, which would generate $158.73 per visit for year one, and $168.47 for every visit in year five, for money spent on overnight accommodation, restaurants and area attractions. 

The journey from the “concept” stage to the “concrete” stage of operations at a youth sports facility can take as long a two to three years, Morton said, and includes pre-design, design, construction and operational management. 

Community concerns

Following their presentation, Morton and Ferguson fielded questions, but for several local residents in attendance, what was advertised as a feasibility analysis begged the question, “Would the imprint of a facility of this kind be feasible in New Garden Township?” 

One resident said that the township is underequipped to welcome visitors to a sports facility who may be driving from between 30- to 90 miles away, such as those who are traveling with a tournament team from another part of Pennsylvania. 

“This is a small township with minor roads, so that’s a concern for me and I’m sure a lot of other people here,” he said.

Referring to the photo samples of facilities shown during the presentation that The Sports Facilities Companies have developed, a Somerset Lake resident said that a few appeared that they had easy access to major transportation corridors, while the access to these proposed facilities in New Garden would be the two-lane Route 41. 

“I continue to struggle with the fact that the township’s supervisors seem to be pushing high density development in a rural community,” he said. “We have a community with a distinctive rural character, but it seems like a heavily dense proposal like this would activate for additional, high-density activity, next to my community. It’s wildly out of character.”

“It’s really not,” supervisor Kristie Brodowski responded. “If we’re looking to offset some of the taxes that are necessary for living in the township, or looking at how expensive it is for repairing a road, we’re not looking to put that tax burden on the residents by pursuing other sources that aren’t you, the taxpayer.

“If we do nothing, our alternative is that we will have to raise taxes, and that is something that none of us want to do.”

Morton said that these facilities would have a positive effect on local high school sports teams.

“In most communities, these facilities serve as additional inventory, an opportunity to put on more events,” he said. “It would also relive the stress put on school facilities and infrastructure from non-school use.

“We see these as complimentary to schools, recreation centers and other event infrastructure.”

To contact Staff Writer Richard L. Gaw, email [email protected].