AMHERST, N.Y. (WBEN).....The long term impact of the 716 Sports Complex - now, officially under development - in Amherst goes beyond the fact that it is a $50-plus, private sector backed project.
The twin-domed development - set for a swath of vacant Maple Road - is a development bookend that began with the four-rink Northtown Center and now includes new softball diamonds, the Audubon Golf Course and the 716 Health Complex.
"It is a big piece of the puzzle," said Frank Ciminelli II, ARC Building Partners president and CEO.
ARC is building the complex that was designed by Buffalo's Labella Associates
Ground breaking was held Monday morning but Ciminelli said the first of two domed, indoor sports complexes should be athlete-ready by next Labor Day weekend.
"In my mind, they can't build it fast enough," said Mike Szukala, Amherst councilman.
Developed by Dr. Brian McGrath and Dr. Marc Fineberg, the first dome will have 2 indoor fields that can be used for soccer, field hockey or lacrosse plus 24 pickleball courts, 12 volleyball courts and six basketball courts along with batting cages and wellness training rooms.
The second phase, whose construction will start once the first dome is completed, will be anchored by a 200 meter indoor track.
A 150-room hotel is also in the development plan.
"These are private developers with a lot of vision and know-how pulling off a very complex and expensive project," said David Mingoia, Amherst Industrial Development Agency executive director.
Both McGrath and Fineberg said they conducted enough preliminary due diligence to feel comfortable leading what will be a very high profile project. The complex is the 7th building the pair have developed around the region.
The domes, alone, are 87 feet tall and the entire complex covers more than 331,000-square-feet.
At $50 million, the project is one of the largest - in terms of costs - in Amherst's development pipeline and will transform a large vacant parcel into one that will not only attract new and spinoff business but also create new tax dollars for the town.
"It fits a lot of needs in Western New York," Fineberg said. "We view it as a place where everyone can come. It is not exclusive to this group or that group."
Fineberg said even before the first shovel hit the ground, they've attracted a lot of interest in the project.
And, the development price tag is not daunting, McGrath said.
""Anytime you open a new door, you never know what you will see," McGrath said. "We know this will be a success."
Twin domed amateur sports complex key to Amherst's role as amateur sports mecca
Twin domed amateur sports complex key to Amherst's role as amateur sports mecca
