The headline “More Than Symbolic” crowned the main story on the front page of Thursday’s edition of The Chronicle.
The article detailed the official transfer of the Northwest Sports Hub from the Lewis County Public Facilities District to the limited liability corporation that will now handle the massive facility’s operations.
The simple yet descriptive headline was important in that it reflected a landmark moment in a process that many thought would never reach a successful end.
Tuesday’s meeting at the Sports Hub was much more than a photo opportunity geared to create positive press.
It was an emphatic period on a long story that began about seven years ago.
“This is almost too much for words,” Centralia Mayor Bonnie Canaday said. “This is a wonderful addition to our community. It’s been a long time coming and it’s worth it.”
The Board of Lewis County Commissioners voted to create the Public Facilities District in 2007 while working in concert with local legislators to bring economic development to the county.
There were many stops and starts along the way.
The focus initially was on South Lewis County, where a similar sports complex and even an equestrian center were proposed at various sites throughout the years.
Eventually, the sports complex at Fort Borst Park became the primary focus.
Now, a 76,500-square-foot facility is nearly finished, with an official grand opening planned for later this year. The building will be used to host large sports tournaments that promise to bring much-needed money into the local economy through the use of hotels, restaurants and other businesses.
Tuesday’s handover officially makes the Sports Hub LLC — primarily managed by Dale Pullin and Jenni Bodnar — responsible for paying utility bills for the building.
Pullin, owner of Thorbeckes, signed an interlocal agreement with the Centralia School District, the city of Centralia and the Lewis County Public Facilities District governing the use of the facility.
In Thursday’s story, Pullin noted visitors from outside Washington were occasionally stopping in to take a look at the building.
“You look across the parking lot and you see these license plates from Idaho, Oregon — that’s the example of what we hope to accomplish in this building,” Pullin said.
Now, it’s up to Pullin and his team to provide a return on investment for taxpayers who witnessed the sometimes ugly process that began in 2007.
Judging by the past and Pullin’s proven record of success with public-private partnerships, we’re confident the residents of Lewis County will get just that.
