The Delaware Tourism Office announced it will award $11.3 million in grants to four sports venues through the Sports Tourism Capital Investment Fund.
Established by the Fiscal Year 2024 Bond and Capital Improvements Act, the fund will provide financial assistance to new or existing sports facilities to attract out-of-state visitors and contribute to the state and local economies. The Delaware Tourism Office accepted applications for the fund from March 1 through April 12, 2024, and received 18 applications for more than $54 million.
“Sports tourism is a major driver of our state’s economy, drawing thousands of visitors to Delaware each year and generating millions of dollars in revenue,” said Jessica Welch, director of the Delaware Tourism Commission. “We are pleased to support these facilities’ expansion efforts. This funding will go a long way to ensuring our state can provide first-class facilities for teams and event operators for years to come.”
The facilities receiving funding are:
Wilmington Sports LLC ($6 million) will build a new indoor track facility adjacent to Wilmington’s Chase Fieldhouse that will serve as a multi-sport complex and host a variety of events and competitions. DE Turf ($3 million) will improve its Frederica complex to host larger regional and national tournaments, including tripling stadium seating to 3,000, building new tournament facilities and adding amenities. Midway Motion & Fitness ($2 million) will build a pickleball complex in Rehoboth Beach with 12 indoor courts and four outdoor courts to meet the requirements for tournament sanctioning by the American Pickleball Association. STATS Tournaments ($300,000) will install stadium lighting on two fields and add a baseball and softball field at its Bear facility to meet growing demand.
“DE Turf is excited to receive this funding to support the expansion of our facility,” said Bill Strickland, DE Turf Board Chairman. “Since its construction in 2017, the complex has become a premier destination attracting year-round sports tourism events to Kent County. This funding will enable our organization to increase the number of events held at the facility, provide an opportunity to host a greater variety of events, and increase the overall economic impact DE Turf has on the state.”
The application was reviewed by a committee that included Joint Capital Improvements Committee co-chairs Sen. Jack Walsh and Rep. Debra Heffernan, as well as representatives from the Delaware Tourism Office, the Greater Wilmington Tourism and Convention Bureau, the Kent County Tourism Bureau and the Southern Delaware Tourism Bureau.
“This was a highly competitive application process and the review committee diligently considered the merits of each facility that applied,” Walsh said. “Applicants who receive funding will play a vital role in encouraging out-of-state visitors to attend Delaware sporting events, growing our economy and introducing our Jewel State to new audiences.”
