Cedar Point has reportedly agreed to help financially back a proposal to build a $24 million sports complex on a former airport property that would play host to thousands of young athletes.

The Sandusky Register (sanduskyregister.com) reports that Erie County commissioners voted Thursday to support an effort to build the youth sports complex at the closed Griffing Airport site just east of the park’s entrance on U.S. Route 6.

In addition to the park’s parent company Cedar Fair, the project is also backed by SporstForce a sports management and development company that has helped to construct large tournament friendly complexes in other tourist areas like Myrtle Beach, Virginia Beach and Pigeon Forge.

To help finance the effort to create fields for sports ranging from baseball to lacrosse to softball to soccer, a proposal is being reportedly floated to raise the county’s bed tax to 4 percent from 3 percent.

The announcement follows comments by Cedar Fair CEO Matt Ouimet in a recent conference call that the company is exploring options to maximize development opportunities in and around its parks.

Cedar Point already owns and operates most of the hotel beds situated around its lakefront park and close to the proposed sports complex.

Cedar Point General Manager Jason McClure said the just completed multi-million renovation of the park’s historic Hotel Breakers is part of an effort to encourage multi-day stays at resort.

 

ohio.com

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