City and business leaders in Holyoke, Massachusetts, have announced they're developing a new sports complex that could help revitalize the city.
The first phase includes a 140-thousand square foot indoor facility with room for 16 volleyball or basketball courts.
That site will also become the new home of the city's Volleyball Hall of Fame, which currently shares space with the Holyoke Children's Museum.
Holyoke Mayor Joshua Garcia said the city is already a sports draw, as the birthplace of volleyball in 1895.
Garcia said he expects the new complex, overseen by a private entity - the USA International Sport Complex Group - will build upon existing businesses and attract new visitors.
"I'm talking about jobs, recreation, tourism, tax revenue, $40 million impact to the city and greater region," Garcia said.
Businessman Cesar Ruiz, head of the International Sports Complex Group, said he plans to raise around $60 million for the first phase of the project. But he said that's just the beginning.
"We decided to approach this thing as an Olympic style venue - multiple sites throughout this community, utilizing present assets and new assets," he said.
Ruiz said the additional sites will house other entertainment and food options, with a total of about $100 million dollars of private and public investment, although they are still coming up with a funding strategy.
The locations for all the sites have yet to be announced. Ruiz said they hope to finalize a location for the initial, indoor complex in the next month and to finish building it by the end of 2026.
