Facilities District Discusses Possible Expansion of Northwest Sports Hub

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The Lewis County Public Facilities District on Tuesday discussed a proposal submitted by the Northwest Sports Hub for a possible building expansion to the facility, which hosts large-scale sporting events. 

The PFD oversees the Northwest Sports Hub in Centralia. 

The idea right now is in the preliminary phase, and discussions with the school district and the city have not yet taken place. 

At the Tuesday morning meeting, the board discussed its repayment options in regard to the distressed county fund, which is commonly referred to as the .09 fund. The board, which owes about $450,000 in .09 funds to the county, may ask for debt forgiveness to help fund the expansion to the Northwest Sports Hub for additional tournament space.

Dale Pullin, with the Sports Hub, provided the PFD board with a proposal for the auxiliary space addition. The building would include concrete flooring and steel, adding an additional 65-foot by 270-foot multi-use tournament space on the north side of the facility.

“… With the larger tournament space, we would be able to attract larger events that are held elsewhere, ones that do not consider the existing space adequate due to the fact that they’ve already grown beyond our current facility capabilities/capacity,” read the expansion proposal.

The proposal asked the PFD to request .09 money to develop and construct the proposed auxiliary space. To complete the expansion, the PFD would have to purchase the property from the school district for the appraised value of the blockhouse building and the land underneath it, as well as develop the land and construct the addition.

“By increasing the size of the existing tournament facility, it will give the opportunity to bring in larger events, which will help to further the economic development for our local community,” according to the proposal.

 

The PFD is also moving forward with the creation of a sports commission, which would promote and sponsor athletic events that promote tourism.



The board discussed the commission’s draft bylaws and appointed a subcommittee to further flesh out the regulations.

The money for the sports commission will be generated from the recently established tourism promotion area, which set in place a $2 tax per night to hotels and motels in Centralia and Chehalis. The money will be used to fund the sports commission, which will recruit large sporting events to the area, helping to spur economic growth and tourism. 

The tax will be collected starting in April, but the money won’t be available until June.

“Letters went out to the hotels last month and everyone should be aware,” PFD board chairman Todd Chaput said, adding the lodging facilities will have enough time to make adjustments to their property management systems to reflect the tax.

The money will be funneled through the state Department of Revenue and will be separate from PFD funds. 

The PFD  board welcomed its new board member appointment at the meeting. Heather Stewart will replace Bobby Jackson, who resigned from the board after being elected to the Lewis County Board of County Commissioners. 

Stewart said she is excited to be on the board. She’s a graduate of Centralia High School and has lived in Lewis County for her whole life, with the exception of a few years. With her experience in construction, sales, excise tax and bookkeeping, she said she has a “wide range of experience to offer.”

The board also elected its officers. Chaput was re-elected as the chairman, Ron Averill was selected as the vice chairman and Stewart was selected as the secretary. 

The next PFD meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m. on March 14 at the Holiday Inn Express and Suites in Chehalis. With work picking up, the board will now meet monthly on the second Tuesday of each month.