The only Springfield alderperson to vote against a revised agreement for a new sports park now says he has even more reason to be concerned about the project.
Alderman Joe McMenamin objected to the cost of the project and the lack of a fiscal impact note attached to the agreement.
But now he says he’s even more concerned, because Mattoon has approved a plan to build a similar complex with indoor and outdoor facilities, along with a family entertainment center and a 3,000-seat concert venue. McMenamin says the two projects will be competing for the same crowds.
Ryan McCrady of the Springfield Sangamon Growth Alliance says generating more interest in sports tourism is actually good for all venues – and says the size of Springfield’s planned indoor facility and its affiliation with Scheels will give it a leg up on the competition.
