The Bridge Sports Complex

4 5 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 9, ISSUE 11 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 9, ISSUE 11 developments, originally called The Bridgeport Sports Complex, which initially represented the baseball field. However, after a few months, it was rebranded to The Bridge Sports Complex, which was the name of the 56,000 square foot indoor facility across the road. This impetus behind the naming was a desire to include the surrounding facilities and land within one uniform name. The Bridge Sports Complex offers a genuinely immersive sporting experience. The facility offers four beautiful baseball fields, indoor and outdoor walking paths, a multipurpose field, a useful indoor turf field that can be configured for all sports, the United Hospital Center (UHC),Aquatics Center, a Clip n” Climb facility, Wesbanco Fieldhouse for basketball courts, a fully equipped fitness center and more. The sporting complex is widely considered the number one sporting complex in West Virginia. In addition, the location of the complex makes accommodation easy for teams traveling to the destination, with a variety of hotels nearby, as well as easy access to the airport, local restaurants as well as a selection of shops. “The complex has already hosted anywhere from 13 to 15 baseball events every summer since opening,” says Joe Shuttleworth, Director of Parks and Recreation for Bridgeport. “It didn’t take long before we could see the economic impact of the complex on our community.” Recently, the state of West Virginia passed a law called the Home Rule Tax. This law allows companies to add to the state tax for additional revenue. The state taxes %, and an additional 1% is taxed on fees for recreation projects in the area and the complex. The Bridge Sports Complex is managed by a sports facilities company, SFC (Sports Facilities Company). Droo Callahan, a contract worker from the company, is now also the General Manager. Embarking on his role on Labor Day 2020, nearly a full year ahead of the grand opening, Callahan’s role included overseeing the construction. “We were aware that being in a semi-rural area in West Virginia, the center needed to be state of the art, designed for multi-purposes, as well as bring in revenue and create the economic impact that the baseball field has accomplished,” says Shuttleworth. One of the Callahan team’s primary roles was to secure facilities sponsorshipsCitynet , the area’s leading provider of advanced network communications and technology solutions has taken out naming rights sponsorship for the indoor center, which is now known as the Citynet Center at the Bridge Sports Complex. Other sponsors include the local hospital, banks, and car dealerships, who all contribute to keeping the complex running efficiently. Another aspect that Callahan’s team has excelled at is the development of local sports programs. Thereby tapping into revenue by providing excellent service and creating new opportunities in sports tourism. These programs have evolved within the time that Callahan has been managing the complex. He elaborates, “Our programs at the complex are for 18-month to four-year-olds and older. Whether that’s swimming lessons, soccer training or Lil’ Trolls, we try to keep our activities current with motor development and social skills trends.” Another program addition is Mountain State Storm, The Bridge’s club sports team, which currently includes swimming and volleyball. All these new programs are aimed at enticing the local communities to join the complex, drawing them in to engage with the facilities. However, most importantly, it’s sports tourism events that drive people to The Bridge Sports Complex. “We’ve had about 22 events in our THE BR IDGE SPORTS COMPLEX