SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — A new multipurpose event space is one step closer to construction in Sanford, after county leaders voted to move forward with the next phase of planning.
During the May 12 Seminole County Board of County Commissioners meeting, officials provided more details on the indoor sports complex that will be located next to the Boombah Sports Complex in Sanford.
The space would allow Seminole County to compete with other sports facilities across Central Florida for major events and competitions.
In addition to cheer and dance events, officials said they hope the flexible space will bring in sports like basketball, volleyball, wrestling and pickleball and events like graduations and banquets.
The proposal has many local businesses and youth sports organizations excited because they say it is needed.
Dance 360 Orlando owner Michelle Colon-Tijerina said she is most optimistic about the access to a space closer and big enough to accommodate cheer and dance competitions.
“It would be nice to have an event space that can help out dance studios and dance competitions and cheer competitions as well,” Colon-Tijerina said.
Though her studio is based in Orlando, Colon-Tijerina said a lot of her students commute from Seminole County. When they travel for competitions, they often must go out of the county, sometimes up to an hour’s drive.
“We travel a lot to Lakeland for that kind of stuff,” she said. “The Silver Spurs Rodeo Center, we travel out there for competition, and Orange County Convention Center is too expensive for these kinds of events.”
According to the county, they considered three different building options, ranging from a 70,000-square-foot facility to more than 170,000 square feet.
Seminole County Chamber of Commerce President and Chief Executive Officer Rebekah Arthur said local businesses see the facility and a new hotel as bringing a lot of opportunities when it comes to sports tourism.
“Well, if you’re a parent that does any kind of tournament travel with your children, then you know that visiting an area isn’t just choosing a hotel, but you’re visiting the restaurants and shopping at the local places,” Arthur said. “So, all different segments of the business community are watching this.”
With the county already being a major hub for sports, many officials said they believe more development will be needed to accommodate the projected growth with the new sports complex.
In the BCC meeting, officials said that the new sports complex would create more than 500 jobs, and over 30 years, it’s estimated to generate more than $2.4 billion.