O’FALLON, Mo. — A developer here is planning a $100 million indoor youth sports complex that he hopes will draw teams from throughout the Midwest, lured by fields and courts — plus a hotel, restaurants, retail and an open-air “bourbon garden.”
Anandkumar Patel’s vision mirrors a trend occurring across the country. No longer are developers only envisioning converting large swathes of land into pristine soccer or baseball fields.
Instead, they are pursuing what the industry calls “purpose-built youth sports development anchors” — large-scale, elaborate projects that offer far more than a place for athletic competition.
“We think this facility will truly be a one-of-a-kind,” Patel said.
His proposal, which he is calling the O’Fallon Sports Center, envisions a 160,000-square-foot multi-sport building, including soccer fields, basketball courts, plus volleyball and even gymnastics, to be built near Bryan Road and Veterans Memorial Parkway. It goes before the O’Fallon City Council on Thursday. The city’s zoning commission has backed it unanimously.
