As a death knell sounds for a planned sports complex in the Golden Triangle area of Sandwich, a similar project backed by Mike Sherman, former head coach and general manager of the Green Bay Packers, is moving forward in Hyannis.

“Everything the Cape Cod Commission and town of Barnstable are asking for, we have gone above and beyond to meet their requirements,” said Warren Nighan, Sherman’s business partner, during an interview at the Times office on Monday.

A site plan review of architectural designs, site engineering and traffic studies for the proposed youth and adult sports center was held at Barnstable Town Hall on Friday. A meeting is scheduled in early July with the Cape Cod Commission, according to Nighan.

The $12 million facility, to be called Total Athletics Cape Cod, is planned for an 8.6-acre parcel in Independence Park that is already zoned for recreation and ice rink facilities.

The 80,000-square-foot main building will include a National Hockey League-size ice rink, indoor baseball and lacrosse fields, food court, pro shop, fitness center, babysitting services and a community room for free seminars and programs. An adjacent outdoor 60-by-100-yard lighted turf field, which would be covered by a dome in the winter months, will be used year-round for soccer and other sports.

“The increased popularity of sports, and the number of people, adults and youth, who have to go off-Cape to play is mind-boggling,” said Nighan, who noted there are 81 youth hockey players and coaches, including himself, who travel — with their money — several times a week to Bridgewater, Canton and Kingston to play.

“To be here in 2016 and proposing the first field house on Cape Cod. That’s crazy,” he said.

The complex also will be heavily marketed as a host venue for tournaments in hockey, baseball, arena football, wrestling, lacrosse and other sports from May to November. Nighan expects the tournaments to be a significant economic driver for hotels, restaurants and other businesses in the Hyannis area.

“We have 4,000 beds in the Hyannis area,” Nighan said. “Just the fact that Mike Sherman is running an arena football tourney in the winter will fill those beds.”

If the remainder of the permitting process proceeds smoothly, Nighan expects to break ground in November. The complex would be fully operational in the fall of 2017, but outdoor activities such as camps and clinics could begin as early as next summer.

Total Athletics Cape Cod will open an office on July 15 on Airport Road in Hyannis, where the public can preview programs and memberships that will be offered at the complex.

The organization recently hired Emily Sherman, Mike’s daughter, as its director of marketing and operations. She has managed athletic programs at The University of Texas at San Antonio and Texas A&M University.

 

Source : capecodtimes.com

Report Abuse