KALAMAZOO, MI — Hotels in Kalamazoo County have voted in favor of an assessment that will fund a new $40 million indoor sports facility.

Over the past 30 days, hotels with 35 rooms or more in Kalamazoo County voted on whether to establish a 4% assessment on visitor stays of less than 30 days to fund the acquisition, construction and maintenance of the facility.

Each hotel room counted as one vote, meaning, for example, that the Radisson had 340 votes and the Delta by Marriott, 182 votes.

RELATED: Hotels to vote on whether to fund $40M Kalamazoo County youth sports facility

According to Discover Kalamazoo, the organization behind the project, 82% of votes were in favor of the project. The hotels have also approved the creation of the Kalamazoo County Event Center Assessment District, which they are now in.

Starting June 1, all hotels in the county with 35 rooms or more will begin to collect the 4% assessment on visitor stays of less than 30 days.

These funds will go toward the acquisition, construction and maintenance of the new facility. The assessment revenue may only be used to fund the development of the new facility and other similar tourism-driving facilities.

There will be no new taxes or fees for Kalamazoo County residents used to build the facility.

The indoor sports facility will be the first project to benefit from this new assessment, but there could be more to come as sports tourism continues to drive economic growth for the greater Kalamazoo area.

“In 2024 alone, more than 50 sporting events brought an estimated $30.3 million in direct visitor spending to Kalamazoo, thanks in large part to the efforts of our sports partners in the community,” said Brian Persky, Discover Kalamazoo’s director of business development.

“With the addition of this new facility, we look forward to building on that success, attracting even more events, visitors and opportunities that will strengthen our local economy and enhance the vibrant sports culture we’ve worked hard to grow.”

A commissioned study by Convention, Sports & Leisure estimates the facility would have an annual economic impact of $48.7 million.

The initial design for the facility features space for eight basketball courts or 16 volleyball courts, as well as an indoor turf field.

Plans are for the facility to serve area youth during the week and host regional tournaments on weekends.

“Supporting this vote is an easy decision,” said Elena Kitterman, Director of Sales of Homewood Suites by Hilton & Courtyard by Marriott Kalamazoo-Portage. “It’s a smart investment in the success of our area hotels and the future of Kalamazoo.

“With the potential to generate over 36,000 additional room nights annually, we’re not just focused on today; we’re helping position our community for increased revenue, stronger occupancy, and lasting economic impact as a premier destination for sports and events.”

Discover Kalamazoo will now request that the Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners create an ad hoc committee to review potential sites and make a recommendation on the location of the facility.

The organization has explored over 30 sites and narrowed possible locations to three sites, Discover Kalamazoo CEO Jane Ghosh said previously.

Once the recommended location is established, an authority may be formed between the municipality of that location and the county pursuant to the KCECAD’s enabling ordinance.

The authority will then finalize the location of the site, pursue bonding options backed by the KCECAD assessment revenue to fund the project and explore site design, management and daily operations of the facility.

“I really want to thank the Kalamazoo County administration and in particular the county clerk’s office for administering this vote with the upmost integrity and professionalism and making it easy for the hotels to participate,” Ghosh said. “This project will bring hundreds of thousands of new visitors to our community each year, and in turn sustain not just our hotels but also the amenities that residents enjoy like restaurants, attractions and performing arts.”

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