In a bid to provide top-tier sports facilities for Central Oregon, the Central Oregon Sportsplex Alliance has come into being. This group comprises community members, businesses, sports teams and partners who share a common goal of bringing world-class sports amenities to the region. Their plan involves developing a multi-sport facility that will include turf fields for soccer, lacrosse, rugby, baseball and softball as well as indoor turf fields, training areas for ice sports and potentially commercial spaces, retail outlets, hotels and an RV park.
The alliance is also committed to creating scholarship funds to ensure that all youth in the region have access to the best facilities, leagues and training opportunities. Their ultimate objective is to make sports accessible to every child in the area. Derek Berry, president of CO Sportsplex Alliance presented this concept to the Bend Park & Rec Board at a meeting.
Julie Brown, Communications & Community Relations Manager for Bend Parks & Rec expressed that providing recreation opportunities in the community is a top priority. She noted that partnerships could play an integral role in this effort but it remains uncertain if the Sportsplex Alliance initiative will move forward. The board showed interest in the regional impact of the project and is open to further discussions.
The Sportsplex Alliance has identified Redmond at the Fairgrounds and Expo Center as their preferred location for the sports facility. Although the project requires significant funding including hundreds of millions of dollars; Berry emphasized that investing in parks and sports facilities brings immense community benefits which are worth it despite any increase in taxes. Once feasibility studies are completed; fundraising efforts will kick off with a combination of private funding, public partnerships and community support.
