The grant fund, which will be established in 2023, will allow the state to provide financial assistance to organizations aiming to attract sports tourism. (Photo from Delaware Indoor Track)
The indoor track, Frederica sports facilities, pickleball complex and tournament venue were awarded $11.3 million from a state fund earmarked for promoting sports tourism.
The allocation for the Sports Tourism Capital Investment Fund, established last year, was announced by the Delaware Tourism Board to provide grants to support sports facilities such as arenas, courts, stadiums, aquatic facilities and track and field facilities.
The winners are as follows:
Indoor Track Delaware: $6 million to build a new indoor track facility adjacent to Chase Fieldhouse in Wilmington. The facility will serve as a multi-sport complex and host a variety of events and competitions. DE Turf: Improve the complex in Frederica to host larger regional and national tournaments. This includes tripling the seating capacity of the current stadium from 1,000 to 3,000 seats, building a new tournament facility and adding additional amenities. Midway Motion & Fitness: $2 million to build a pickleball complex in Rehoboth Beach with 12 indoor courts and four outdoor courts that meet the requirements for tournament sanctioning by the American Pickleball Association. STATS Tournaments: $300,000 to install stadium lighting on two fields and add a baseball field and a softball field to the Bear facility to accommodate increased team and tournament demand.
Sports Planning Guide, an organization that compiles top destinations for sporting events, says, “Delaware has seen an explosion in sports tourism, with visitors from around the country flocking to this small coastal state to enjoy a variety of sports and outdoor activities. So, as the oldest state in the United States and known for its rich history and beautiful beaches, Delaware is also a hotbed of sports tourism.”
Delaware’s 2021 travel statistics show tourism had a $4 billion impact on the state that year, attracting 28.3 million visitors, 83 percent of whom were repeat visitors.
To stimulate the economy, the fund’s goal is to attract regional and national events to Delaware.
“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, Delaware Tourism Director. “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 tourism board received 18 applications requesting budgets of more than $54 million.
Eligibility and award criteria can be found here, but as an example, applicants will be reviewed based on the potential economic impact they would have on the state and local economy if their facility is funded.
The second is that it must be an in-state facility, specifically a high school, college or recreational facility that provides an incremental state tax benefit to Delaware, is used for a public purpose and regularly hosts sports tourism events.
The committee that will decide who will receive the funds has been meeting for the past two months and includes the co-chairs of the Joint Capital Improvements Committee – Sen. Jack Walsh, D., of Wilmington, and Rep. Debra Heffernan, D., of Bellefonte – as well as representatives from the Delaware Tourism Board, the Greater Wilmington Tourism Bureau, the Kent County Tourism Bureau and the Southern Delaware Tourism Board.
“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 attracting out-of-state visitors to attend Delaware sporting events, growing our economy and introducing our Jewel State to new audiences.”
Raised in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, Jarek earned a BA in journalism and a BA in political science from Temple University in 2021. After running CNN’s Michael Smerconish’s YouTube channel, Jarek became a reporter for the Bucks County Herald before joining Delaware Live News.
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