ROCKFORD, Mich. — 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.
"We definitely are putting people into hotels and people are staying and they're coming as a travel party, so mom and dad and siblings and grandpa and grandma, and so that's the key measurement," Guswiler said.
I walked the grounds of the Meijer Sports Complex with Guswiler last fall while it was still under construction. He pointed to the breadth of the facility and what was still to come.
He said the facility has met every benchmark set when the project launched.
"It's hit all the metrics that we wanted it to hit, and had some more land to build on. And with post COVID opportunities, and really growth opportunities [we] said, 'Hey, let's lead another campaign and expand it,'" Guswiler said.
With the ribbon now cut, Guswiler said he is eager to welcome visitors back to see what has changed.
"We're excited for the patrons to come back see the improvements we made. And we do it because they're coming here, and we appreciate them, and I think they'll be excited for what we've done," Guswiler said.
For pickleball players eager to get on the new courts: the 20 courts, valued at approximately $60,000 each, are waiting on consistently warmer weather before crews can paint and open them to the public.
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This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
