New $250 Mil Multi-Use Development Planned for Grimes

[CYdTracked]

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Supposedly will be the largest sportsplex in the Midwest

Included in the development will be the Grimesplex, a privately-owned, 50-acre multi-use sports tournament complex with more than 70 soccer fields of varying sizes, up to 26 baseball and softball fields and 13 football fields. The complex will include lighted fields, concessions, restroom facilities, and areas for food trucks and vendors.

When completed, the complex will be the “largest turf sports tourism venue in the Midwest,” Grimes Chamber and Economic Development wrote in a news release.

 

[JM4CY]

Cool. Weird timing though...

 

[merx]

They must not know about the National Sports Center (NSC) in Blaine, MN which is 600 + acre. https://www.nscsports.org/

It does look like it will have more fields than the NSC. I am guessing the golf course at the NSC takes up a lot of acres.

 

[CivEFootball]

Did they already change the PUD over this area?

 

[CYdTracked]

Did they already change the PUD over this area?

I guess? There has been a ton of action on this property over the past year so all the zoning and plans have probably been in the works for awhile now else they wouldn't have spend all that time and money doing what they already have there. Apparently the new sportsplex will be turned over to the city by 2030 according to that as well. In 2018 or 2019 the plans for the Hy-Vee was already discussed at a city council meeting and they decided at that time to move forward with the city installing the necessary infrastructure so planned developments could get started on construction. It was probably over a year later that Hy-Vee formally announced they were building a store in Grimes despite many in town already aware of the site plan that was proposed to the city council. They started digging out the retention pond last fall and installed utilities and paved the street to extend north and connect with the new Heritage development and now there is a bunch of dirt being moved again to start grading the terrain for the next structures that will be built.

This is all happening just north of where I live so I'm excited to have more conveniences just around the corner from me as I already have Fareway, Menards, Wal-Mart, and O'Reillys less than a mile awhile. Culvers and Hy-Vee are planned for that development and just to the north of that apparently an entertainment district as well so am excited to get some new businesses in town. On the flip side I do know some people already grumbling that Grimes is beginning to lose it's small town feel and this will just add to that going away. I get that too but I also see that all the revenue this could bring into the area too as youth sports are becoming a pretty big money generator in itself lately it seems. Depending on how they big they build out the baseball/softball fields too could bring in some other possibilities for tournaments as well.

 

[coolerifyoudid]

I guess? There has been a ton of action on this property over the past year so all the zoning and plans have probably been in the works for awhile now else they wouldn't have spend all that time and money doing what they already have there. Apparently the new sportsplex will be turned over to the city by 2030 according to that as well. In 2018 or 2019 the plans for the Hy-Vee was already discussed at a city council meeting and they decided at that time to move forward with the city installing the necessary infrastructure so planned developments could get started on construction. It was probably over a year later that Hy-Vee formally announced they were building a store in Grimes despite many in town already aware of the site plan that was proposed to the city council. They started digging out the retention pond last fall and installed utilities and paved the street to extend north and connect with the new Heritage development and now there is a bunch of dirt being moved again to start grading the terrain for the next structures that will be built.

This is all happening just north of where I live so I'm excited to have more conveniences just around the corner from me as I already have Fareway, Menards, Wal-Mart, and O'Reillys less than a mile awhile. Culvers and Hy-Vee are planned for that development and just to the north of that apparently an entertainment district as well so am excited to get some new businesses in town. On the flip side I do know some people already grumbling that Grimes is beginning to lose it's small town feel and this will just add to that going away. I get that too but I also see that all the revenue this could bring into the area too as youth sports are becoming a pretty big money generator in itself lately it seems. Depending on how they big they build out the baseball/softball fields too could bring in some other possibilities for tournaments as well.

There is a ton of money in youth sports. Tournaments are great for local businesses. Once the overhead is handled, that complex should be a huge money maker. The turf will have to be replaced every so often, but otherwise the yearly expenses will be minimal versus the returns as long as it's managed correctly.

With youth sports going damn-near year-round, and with a lot of the fields being multi-sport fields, I am curious to hear who gets first dibs for practice space and such.

The drama and politicking surrounding practice space for youth soccer on soccer-only fields in KC is pretty significant. I can't imagine what that would look like if you were to add football, baseball and softball in the mix.

 

[CYdTracked]

BTW the new flyover at I35/80 and 141 just opened up this month and it seems like it only took about half as long at the Ames flyover did to build since they didn't botch the height on the pillars like they did on the Ames one, LOL. We moved to Grimes almost 7 years ago and all the changes since then I have to say the past 2 years probably have seen way more stuff built than any. A new middle school is currently being built just south of the HS and guessing with all the growth lately that before long talks of a new or 2nd HS will eventually be the next thing up for discussion. Waukee and Ankeny have been where a lot of the growth in the metro has been the last few years but lately seems like it is now Grimes turn to be the one with some big projects going on.

 

[CYdTracked]

There is a ton of money in youth sports. Tournaments are great for local businesses. Once the overhead is handled, that complex should be a huge money maker. The turf will have to be replaced every so often, but otherwise the yearly expenses will be minimal versus the returns as long as it's managed correctly.

With youth sports going damn-near year-round, and with a lot of the fields being multi-sport fields, I am curious to hear who gets first dibs for practice space and such.

The drama and politicking surrounding practice space for youth soccer on soccer-only fields in KC is pretty significant. I can't imagine what that would look like if you were to add football, baseball and softball in the mix.

This is already happening here in the DM Metro area. I know a few years ago that the softball complex I play at in Clive after they renovated their fields started locking them up when not in use and started charging hourly rates for any type of team either youth or recreational teams to use them for practice. The little leaguers would just take over the complex when not in use and tear up the fields in the process as practice space is hard to come by in town apparently. The league director figured if they were going to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars improving the complex only for those teams that don't even pay to play at the facility to tear things up they may as well be charged for practice time for use of the fields.

 

[motorcy90]

that pond...

 

[Busch__Latte]

Interesting. I doubt it will be able to compete with Kansas City or Minneapolis.

 

[cyclonespiker33]

that pond...

Get your mind out of the gutter, freak.

 

[coolerifyoudid]

This is already happening here in the DM Metro area. I know a few years ago that the softball complex I play at in Clive after they renovated their fields started locking them up when not in use and started charging hourly rates for any type of team either youth or recreational teams to use them for practice. The little leaguers would just take over the complex when not in use and tear up the fields in the process as practice space is hard to come by in town apparently. The league director figured if they were going to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars improving the complex only for those teams that don't even pay to play at the facility to tear things up they may as well be charged for practice time for use of the fields.

As much as people don't like it, they need to stick to their guns on that. It's a sizeable investment that needs to be protected. You'd like to think that people would treat it well, but some people are just ********.

The fight for space during the spring and fall is gonna be something to watch. My daughter's coach has told me some of the difficulties he's had to go through. Our club split off from another club due to some conflicting personalities. Since then, the original club (the larger more established one) is basically making it hell for us to secure locations. He event went as far as booking a field that he doesn't even use to prevent our coach from using it. That's some expensive spite.

 

[coolerifyoudid]

Interesting. I doubt it will be able to compete with Kansas City or Minneapolis.

Probably not, but I don't think that is the intent. My guess is that developers are trying to keep the Iowa teams in Iowa first and draw in outside teams second. We see a LOT of Iowa teams for soccer tourneys in KC. Expanding the footprint and keeping that money in state should be goal number one.

After a while, teams from Omaha, Davenport, CR, Minny and KC will start to filter in for tournaments. Despite plenty of local competition, most clubs like travel tournaments. A new venue should be pretty attractive and there are boatloads of Iowa transplants around the Midwest that would take the opportunity to come back home for a tournament.

 

[JP4CY]

So when the soccer fields and softball fields are one in the same, do they not have fences/bring in temporary fences for softball?
Also, there is never enough parking at these places.

 

[CYdTracked]

As much as people don't like it, they need to stick to their guns on that. It's a sizeable investment that needs to be protected. You'd like to think that people would treat it well, but some people are just ********.

The fight for space during the spring and fall is gonna be something to watch. My daughter's coach has told me some of the difficulties he's had to go through. Our club split off from another club due to some conflicting personalities. Since then, the original club (the larger more established one) is basically making it hell for us to secure locations. He event went as far as booking a field that he doesn't even use to prevent our coach from using it. That's some expensive spite.

The ironic thing is there is a youth baseball complex a few miles west of this complex and at least at that time I was told they did not allow practices on their fields so that is why all the little league teams in the area were flooding to the city owned complexes in the area to practice. I don't blame the city 1 bit for closing up the fields when there were not rec leagues or scheduled tournaments or events going on at the complex because their stance was unless you already pay to use the complex because you are in a league there then you shouldn't be getting the benefit of using the facility for free while others fees are paying for the maintenance and improvements to it. We used to be able to show up on a nice weekend day and find an open field for our slow pitch team to get a little batting practice or scrimmage in before the season started or even on just a random weekend in the summer then all the sudden you would show up in late March or early April and the parking lot was packed and a bunch of little league teams had taken over the fields. I was perfectly fine when they decided to lock the gates and post signs that fields must be reserved and rented through the city. Can't remember what they wound up charging per hour for a field but I think if you were signed up for a rec league they cut you a discount on the field rental if you wanted to use it. From what the league director told me they had plenty of little league teams willing to pay for practice time because it was just that hard for them to find a field otherwise.

 

[Urbandale2013]

As much as people don't like it, they need to stick to their guns on that. It's a sizeable investment that needs to be protected. You'd like to think that people would treat it well, but some people are just ********.

The fight for space during the spring and fall is gonna be something to watch. My daughter's coach has told me some of the difficulties he's had to go through. Our club split off from another club due to some conflicting personalities. Since then, the original club (the larger more established one) is basically making it hell for us to secure locations. He event went as far as booking a field that he doesn't even use to prevent our coach from using it. That's some expensive spite.

I guess I disagree on this depending on some facts. Are these not a city park? I know I have had some friends who have just wanted to do some pickup type stuff and we kept getting kicked out of city park fields. I get it if they had it reserved and stuff but they just didn’t want us around. Did a private group pay for it? If so I guess that’s understandable. Otherwise it should be open for people to use.

 

[jdcyclone19]

Just west of the new Menards and Aldi. Interesting.

 

[Three4Cy]

Probably not, but I don't think that is the intent. My guess is that developers are trying to keep the Iowa teams in Iowa first and draw in outside teams second. We see a LOT of Iowa teams for soccer tourneys in KC. Expanding the footprint and keeping that money in state should be goal number one.

After a while, teams from Omaha, Davenport, CR, Minny and KC will start to filter in for tournaments. Despite plenty of local competition, most clubs like travel tournaments. A new venue should be pretty attractive and there are boatloads of Iowa transplants around the Midwest that would take the opportunity to come back home for a tournament.

The big thing with this complex is it will be turf vs. grass. DSM needs a turf complex to be competitive and it allows events to go on regardless of the weather. Cownie is a nice complex, but with a decent amount of rain, you cannot play there.

There is a reason so many teams from Iowa go to Kansas City - they know they are going to play because the big complexes (Scheels in Overland Park, the new complex in Olathe, and Compass Mineral in Wyandotte) are all turf, so when you go for a tournament, you know you are going to play all your games.

 

[MJ29]

I also live in this area and am concerned about traffic on Highway 44 once all that retail opens. I'm hoping Grimes/Iowa has a plan to widen it.

 

[CycloneDaddy]

I also live in this area and am concerned about traffic on Highway 44 once all that retail opens. I'm hoping Grimes/Iowa has a plan to widen it.

Yeah traffic could be more of a pain then it already is. I find myself using the 100th St exit more and more then dealing with 141.

That reduction from 2 lanes to 1 lane befor e K&G is already a pain.