The Owensboro City Commission on Tuesday unanimously approved a 20-year $35.3 million bond to construct an indoor sports complex, make upgrades to fire department buildings, and fund other projects. It does not include funding a transient boat dock, a project that is currently on hold.
Most of the money will be put toward three major projects: a sports facility projected to cost $19 million; replacement of Fire Station #3 costing $6.7 million; and fire training center upgrades costing $5 million.
The first station projects, along with adding light poles to Fisher Park for $1.4 million, will be paid for entirely using money from the city’s Your Community Vision (YCV) fund.
City Manager Nate Pagan said the majority of funding for the sports complex revenue raised through the newly readjusted transient room tax (although those funds won’t be able to utilized for the first few years of the project). However, Pagan said the city will also use money from both the YCV fund and General Fund.
The sports complex is expected to be 88,000 square feet and officials hope it is completed by December 2024.
A representative from Pinnacle Indoor Sports previously recommended that the sports complex have five courts that could host basketball, volleyball, futsal, wrestling and a plethora of other matted sports. Along the courts, there would be a 100×200-foot turf area that would provide a space for indoor soccer during the winter months and a “camping” spot in between games for the matted sports teams.
