The West Michigan Sports Commission cut the ribbon on a $13.5 million expansion of the Meijer Sports Complex in Rockford Monday afternoon.
The expansion builds on the complex that opened in 2015 with seven baseball and softball fields, DeVos Family Championship Field, and Nate Hurwitz Miracle League Field. The new 12-acre addition south of the existing complex includes:
- Alro Steel Championship Softball Field for youth, amateur, and collegiate softball
- Two flexible-use diamond baseball/softball fields
- 20 pickleball courts, including a championship court
- A new playground
- Bleacher shade structures
- Additional parking spaces
- New concession and restroom facilities
- Expanded storage
The Aquinas College women’s softball team will also find a permanent home field at the complex through the expansion.The 18-month project is projected to attract 200 additional teams annually, generating an extra $1 million in spending for the local community each year.
The project grew out of the facility’s early success. An initial $7.8 million investment eventually scaled to $13.5 million as demand and opportunity expanded.
Mike Guswiler, president of the West Michigan Sports Commission, said the complex has drawn teams from as far as Texas and Ontario, Canada, fueling economic growth through sports tourism…