The last vacant swath of the former Buffalo Gun Club property in Amherst may soon be home to a multi-sports complex along with a five-story, nationally flagged hotel.
The 716 Sports Complex LLC development group is proposing to turn slightly more than 21 acres of vacant, former Buffalo Gun Club land along Maple Road into a campus with two indoor buildings that could house such sports as soccer, lacrosse, tennis and pickleball along with a five-story hotel and mixed-use 50,000-square-foot commercial and retail building.
Representatives from the 716 Sports Complex team will be meeting with the Amherst Planning Board on Oct. 16 to begin a review of the project.
According to Amherst officials, the project's development cost could be north of $25 million.
Sean Hopkins, 716 Sports Complex attorney, said the project is being driven by a growing need for multi-sport facilities, especially in the northern suburbs.
"It is taking land that is not generating very much in terms of tax dollars or impact and turning into a private sector venture that could be a big win for Amherst and the region," Hopkins said.
The property is just east of recently-developed softball and baseball diamonds and not far from the four-rink Northtown Center.
Hopkins said he is hopeful Amherst officials will sign off on the project in the coming months.
"We'd like to get started as quickly as possible," Hopkins said.