In January, Gluckstadt announced a plan from 828 Sports Ventures to build one of the largest sports tourism venues in the state of Mississippi.
At the time, 828 Sports Ventures and Turn Key Properties had entered into a land agreement on a 43-acre site for the future home of a proposed $100 million travel sports destination.
Since then, very little has been done, leaving many people to wonder if the project is still on track. In the meantime, 828 has announced almost identical proposals in in New Jersey, Atlanta and most recently in Borger, Texas, for a $100 million travel sports destination on 100 acres, called “BoomTown MultiDome Sports Complex.”
In Gluckstadt, the proposed facility would be built on land near the intersection of Weisenberger Road and U.S. 51, owned by Gluckstadt residents Stuart and Katie Warren, owners of Turn Key Properties in Madison. The Gluckstadt MegaDome sports complex, like many other of 828’s announcements, would include various indoor courts, including basketball, volleyball and pickleball as well as outdoor fields such as football, baseball and softball. It is also expected to have a competition swimming pool as well as a water park.
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The Gluckstadt MegaDome would also have meeting space, an on-site hotel and Mississippi-curated restaurants, among other things.
However, for anything to begin, 828 Sports Ventures, which is represented locally by chief investment officer Larry Fortune, will need to petition for rezoning and submit a site plan to proceed.
That has not been submitted. The deadline is the first of each month.
According to Fortune, the Gluckstadt construction hinges on the widening of Weisenberger Road, which, he said, is still in early stage development with the Mississippi Department of Transportation.
“The fact is 828 is committed to building in Gluckstadt,” Fortune said. “Make no mistake about it. We are 100% committed to doing it. We are not backing down from that at all. These things have red tape sometimes, and those are some of the things that have been slowing us down.”
Stuart Warren confirmed much of what Fortune said about the holdup in progress for the development.
“We are putting the puzzle pieces together on the Gluckstadt Sports Complex, but it is a big puzzle,” Warren said. “I am happy to say that we are moving in the right direction. The best thing is we have plenty of local support and local friends that have joined in to help the cause.”
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The problem still exists that at the city level, nothing can happen until civil engineering evaluations are completed and submitted with a site plan, while petitioning to rezone the property, which is not zoned according to that type of development at the moment.
“There is no question we have to get through the zoning and then preparing the land to be shovel ready so that we can come on and build,” Fortune said. “As far as I know, that is what we are waiting on.”
Despite rumors in the community, Fortune said there are no problems with investors or the ability to fund the project.
“Money is not going to be the issue, if something were not to happen,” Fortune said. “It’s not the money. The money is ready to go. We have the investors. They have been introduced to everyone, including the Warrens. We are just waiting on some zoning issues. That’s it.”
The widening of Weisenberger Road was in the plans before the plans for the sports tourism facility. However, according to city officials, there will need to be an alternate access in addition to the main entrance to the facility in the event of an emergency. Any of that would require MDOT approval. Any cost to expand or add a turn lane may be on the petitioner, but that all would have to be approved and granted by MDOT.
“I haven’t been told when the work on Weisenberger will be completed,” Fortune said. “But there are a lot of logistics that have to be worked out. There is no question. But the project is 100% green lit from our perspective. Everything is the same as far as 828 is concerned. We are totally committed to this, and we are ready to go.”
Ross Reily can be reached by email at [email protected] or 601-573-2952. You can follow him on Twitter @GreenOkra1.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: $100 million Sports Dome in Gluckstadt on hold
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