By Landon Swanson, Arts, Culture and Sports reporter
Tim Miller, middle, Director of Pulaski’s Sports Tourism and Entertainment Authority
This story highlights Pulaski County’s goals to build a new sports complex that features the new director of Pulaski’s new Sports Tourism and Entertainment authority created within this past year. The complex is looking to boost the economic and social state of where the county is now.
Sports tourism has become one of the fastest growing industries in the United States recently with families travelling across the country for tournaments and other numerous events. Many communities are now investing in modernized facilities to host teams from everywhere, influencing the community by seeing many new visitors they previously would not have seen. The goal of this complex is to strengthen the image of Pulaski County and bringing new people in their effort to transform the future.
What is your vision for the sports complex, and why is now the time?
My vision is to build a new top-of-the-line sports center that mainly gives Pulaski a new meaning where the people of this place have a sense of pride, giving them new opportunities as well. I want this to be a destination where people across Virginia and even the country come to play. I want Pulaski to be a place where families come to spend weekends with their kids as they play ball.
I felt as if now was the right time because youth sports have been growing significantly over the past few years. Many families are willing to travel longer distances for tournaments or other events, and this creates a major economic opportunity for the hosting community. Pulaski has the land and the opportunity to make this area a hot spot for many different things we have planned.
Why is Pulaski County the right place for this project?
We feel this area is perfect because of the proximity to a major city and close enough to some major college campuses. Pulaski also would give the small-town feel and doesn’t run families dry as some major cities would but still give a very high-end sports facility.
What is an overview of what will be included in the complex?
Yea, so as of right now we are planning to include around eight basketball/volleyball courts, a couple turf soccer fields, pickleball courts, a weight room, a small walking track and another sprinting track, a restaurant, and classrooms as well.
We really wanted to give Pulaski the ability to have a place for Pulaski County Rec Sports and still offer the availability of the main courts for commercial use, such as tournaments or other events like camps and what not.
What kind of impact will this have on Pulaski?
The impact will be both economic and social. On the economic side, we’re anticipating millions of dollars in visitor spending each year. When families come for tournaments, they need places to stay, eat, and shop. That means more business for our hotels, restaurants, and local shops. This also creates jobs for the county during the construction process and further once it opens into the hospitality portion and maintaining and running events.
Building this gives our local people access to a facility that is on par with major markets while staying at home. It also gives families a new source of entertainment closer to home without the need to make a trip anywhere.
What will the accessibility for use look like?
Accessibility is at the core of our planning. While we want to host major tournaments and events, this facility belongs to the people of Pulaski. We are designing a usage plan that ensures our schools, youth leagues, and community groups will always have access.
We mostly wanted this to be for the people who live here while also offering the facility out to teams from across the country to come to western Virginia. We are trying to balance serving local needs and driving tourism.
Are there any plans for additional development around the complex?
That’s the goal. We are still kind of in the early stages of everything to begin with but ideally, we can use this as a reason to grow. By adding to the complex, we would bring more visitors which usually means more infrastructure is needed regardless of what we already have. Once again it comes back to the economic advantages that this entire project would bring, adding additional infrastructure leads to more potential jobs and resources for us to gain from. Although the same issue arises when trying to plan and build this because everything, we have talked about won’t be cheap to do.
What led you to take on this role?
I immediately saw potential in what we could bring here, and throughout my career I have always been about building new organizations and standing things from the ground up. When I joined and had the opportunity to announce this project it really catapulted something even bigger than I first thought was even possible when I stepped into this role. I believe in this community’s potential. Taking on this role is about helping Pulaski step into that potential and build something lasting. It’s an incredible responsibility, but it’s also an honor.
What do you hope this project leaves behind for the administration and the county?
I want people to look back at this project years from now and say how great an idea this was that led to many travelling from far to be here and how it gave the people who live here more entertainment through whatever they find. As for the administration, I hope it proves that smart investments can make a lasting impact on the community and the surrounding area as well. In the end, I hope it gives generations a reason to come to either come and live here or if they already are here a reason to stay.
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