One of the largest sports and entertainment complexes in Iowa is getting even bigger.
Bettendorf’s TBK Bank Sports Complex, 4850 Competition Drive, is embarking upon a $5.8 million expansion, which will add a three level golf entertainment venue including 60+ climate controlled outdoor hitting bays with TopTracer technology, several multi-sport turf fields, a hotel, convenience store, restaurants and retail outlets, a pedestrian walking bridge, and an expansion along the adjacent corridor of Forest Drive and Middle Road.
Construction is expected to begin in early April 2022, and it’s supposed to end late 2022-early 2023.
Bettendorf and Quad-Cities officials were happy to make the announcement today at an official press conference after it passed unanimously through city council last night.
“Some may say we have a skilled work problem, we really have a population problem. We have open jobs of all kinds,” said Bettendorf Mayor Bob Gallagher. “The only way we get people to move to the Quad-Cities is to get them here, through tourism, to take a look.
″People take their kids all over for their love of the sport, Instead of taking their family vacations,” said Gallagher. ”This is indeed, exactly the game changer we touted it as in 2017. We’re doubling down now.”
“Sports tourism is critical on a lot of fronts,” said Dave Herrell, President and CEO of Visit Quad Cities. “Whether it’s driving economic impact, quality of plays, quality of life, talent, attraction, talent, retention, all of these things that we’re trying to move on to advance our community forward.”
Gallagher mentioned that the current TBK facility has brought in roughly 1.5 million visitors a year since opening.
“Everybody will benefit not only from having that facility, so they and their children can use it,” said Gallagher. “But also by getting those tourism dollars spent in our area.”
For more information on the expansion and construction updates, continue to check out QuadCities.com.
