Pella Sports
Park
Project
Building Community Through Sports
Pella Sports Park Project
Building Community Through Sports
Fields for Our Future, Inc
A 501(c)(3) non-profit organization
Board Members
Advisory Council
Tim Brackin, Grading and Earth Moving Professional
Rob Bradley, Director of Corporate Accounting, Pella Corp.
Tony Briggs, Director of Underground Sales, Vermeer Corp.
Curtis Baugh, Pella Arts & Graphics, Board Member of
Iowa Economic Development Fund
Darryl De Ruiter, Principal, Pella Christian High
Fred Kreykes, Kreykes Law Offices
Jerry Brummel, Private Contractor
Ryan Davis, Business Systems Manager, Pella Corp.
Marie Ware , Full-time park & recreations professional
Bill DeMeulenaere, General Counsel, Pella Corp.
Joel Dorman, Associate General Counsel, Pella Corp.
Verlan Nikkel, MDC Vermeer Corporation
Dan Tauke, Director Business Insights, Pella Corp.
Wendy Sims, CPA, Schuring & Uitermarkt
Sam Van Maanen, Strategic Account Sales, Vermeer Corp.
Craig Wassenaar, Wassenaar Financial Group.
Mission Statement
To create a recreational complex that strengthens and unites our youth, families and community by providing
an exciting, safe and high quality Sports Park
Pella Sports Park Project
Building Community Through Sports
Pella Sports Park Project
Building Community Through Sports
Why a Pella Sports Park?
Pella Sports Park Project
Building Community Through Sports
Why a Pella Sports Park?
Throughout the years of planning, four community centered themes have come to the
top and have been developed into top priorities for the sports park concept. These are
briefly explained below as the Four Pillars of Progress:
Pella Sports Park Project
Building Community Through Sports
1. Places for Youth to Play
800
2003
2009
600
400
200
0
Little League
6 & Under
• Large growth in involvement
• Fields with poor drainage
• Lack of lighted fields
• Large growth + low availability (rain, light, conflicts) leads to poor experience
• Difficulty in scheduling practice times
• Pella home games scheduled in other towns (Leighton, etc)
• Large number of rescheduled games or cancellations
• Over 40% of scheduled days had games cancelled in 2008, vs. 3 in Oskaloosa
Number & Quality of fields creates a poor experience
Pella Sports Park Project
Building Community Through Sports
1. Places for Youth to Play
PELLA
• Lack of centralization
• Lack of common features
• Lack of centralization makes existing sub-par facilities less likely to be addressed
• Bathroom facilities
• Bleachers
• Parking
• Playground facilities
• Shelters
• Safety
• Concession stands
• Batting cages
Lack of centralization affects facilities and thus experience
Pella Sports Park Project
Building Community Through Sports
2. Community Involvement
• Multiple sports, same location
• Interaction during & between games
•A destination
• A centralized location improves logistics and makes it a destination for families
• Attendees will stick around for more than just their game, to interact with friends
• Still within easy reach from all residential areas
• The Community Survey in 2000 indicated that a Sports Park was a key need in Pella
A project that greatly improves our long term “social capital”
Pella Sports Park Project
Building Community Through Sports
2. Community Involvement
The Comprehensive Plan recognizes a Community Park need
Pella Sports Park Project
Building Community Through Sports
2. Community Involvement
The numbers in our community that will benefit from the Pella Sports Park is tremendous. In 2010, an
estimated 620+ kids participate in little league or other youth baseball and softball programs, 90+ in a tackle
football league; 100+ in flag football and 200+ in club soccer and 510+ in recreation soccer. This is a total of
1520+ participants (of course some are overlapping but a substantial portion does not). Those who will
spend time and enjoy the Pella Sports Park will be far greater than only the kids participating.
Parents and families will have a central, safe and enjoyable location to enjoy. Grandparents, aunts and
uncles will have a much more enjoyable place to watch their grandkids and nieces and nephews and to
interact with their neighbors. In Oskaloosa, you find community members who are not participants or relatives
of participants enjoying the venue. It is safe to say thousands of our community will spend time at the Pella
Sports Park. Over, the years the numbers will be even greater as new crop of kids start in youth programs.
Thousands Impacted
Pella Sports Park Project
Building Community Through Sports
3. Safety & Accessibility
• Limited areas for siblings
• Open areas, fields near to roads
• Roadside parking
• Many facilities in other towns include play areas for siblings to safely enjoy
• Having a consolidated park separate from residential streets is a safety benefit
• Roadside parking is inconvenient and can be a safety hazard for parent and child
Safety improvements are not something to be overlooked
Pella Sports Park Project
Building Community Through Sports
4. Economic Vitality
• Pella Chamber indicates tournaments will bring in significant dollars to the community to
support our local businesses. This is in addition to regularly scheduled games in Pella
rather than other communities:
• Altoona – nearby land was developed for housing and commercial
• Nevada, IA – Adjacent 50 acre land had significant economic development.
• A review of articles and list of best place to live recreation facilities are often highlighted.
“The desire for cohesive neighborhoods, home ownership, good schools, recreation and
proximity to jobs usually trumps the need to be at the center of the action.”
http://finance.yahoo.com/real-estate/article/103227/Where-We'll-Live
The Pella Sports Park will have strong economic impact
Pella Sports Park Project
Building Community Through Sports
4. Economic Vitality
Efforts have been underway for quite some time to address the need for additional recreational space for Pella’s youth. “Fields for
our Future” has brought together leaders throughout the community to determine definite needs and explore solutions. After
evaluation of the materials and request for funding, both foundations are supportive of the project and together have pledged $2
million, dependent upon the group securing the remaining funding.
We are supporting this major community project for several reasons, including:
• Safety. Current fields are located next to highly traveled streets that have resulted in accidents and near-accidents as players
and other children hurry to practice, play, or watch the games.
• Capacity. Due to a lack of adequate facilities and drainage concerns with some current fields, teams sometimes have to travel to
other communities for their games. On the positive side, that indicates the broad support the community has for youth recreation of
all types.
• Community Betterment. Pella’s recreational facilities pale in comparison to other communities of our size and communities that
are much smaller than Pella. This can put us at a disadvantage in recruiting and retaining the talent needed by area businesses to
continue to grow and prosper.
We encourage other organizations to join us in supporting Pella’s Fields for our Future.
- Joan Farver
- Charlie Farver
- Pat Meyer
“On behalf of the Vermeer Charitable Foundation, I would like to express our full support of the Pella Sports Park project. Some will
see this as an ambitious goal, particularly during this challenging economic period, however, it is during times like this that we need
to see that our children and families maintain the excellent quality of life this community has always provided. This team has
completed a meticulous due diligence process and now is prepared to go forward. After carefully reviewing this committee’s work,
VCF is committed to partnering with this group and the city to move this project forward in order to keep Pella an excellent place to
grow families..”
- Lois Vermeer
This project clearly helps attract and keep talent in Pella
Pella Sports Park Project
Building Community Through Sports
4. Economic Vitality
Quality facilities help attract and retain the talented pool needed for
our schools, hospitals and businesses in this region to thrive.
Pella Corporation’s head of Recruiting: “A sports complex will have a positive impact on
influencing a person or family decision to relocate to Pella.”
The Pella Sports Park will have strong economic impact
Pella Sports Park Project
Building Community Through Sports
Pella Sports Park Specifications
Pella Sports Park Project
Building Community Through Sports
Local Examples
Grinnell
Grinnell
Many area communities have recognized the opportunities
Oskaloosa
Oskaloosa
Pella Sports Park Project
Building Community Through Sports
LL / Soccer
Household
Participants Population
Income Home Value
# of “Main Complex” Fields
City
Acres
Pella [Planned]
105
631/629
10,245
$49,700 $139,700
7 BB*, 5 multipurpose
Grinnell
100+
550
9,105
$38,900 $104,500
8 BB, multiple soccer
Oskaloosa
200+
545/386
11,028
$37,600 $77,800
5 BB, 26 soccer
Nevada
58
400/300+ 6,328
$42,600 $114,200
4 BB, 3 full size soccer
Norwalk
40
580/480
8,246
$64,300 $122,600
6 BB, 20 soccer
Knoxville
[220]
7,476
$37,200 $86,400
4 BB
Prairie City
19+
1,450
$46,700 $109,600
4 BB, 3 soccer
Newton
76
15,579
$44,000 $93,300
6 BB, 4 soccer
Altoona
65
13,394
$56,500 $153,000
11 BB, 7 soccer, 5 FB
Indianola
160
14,227
$47,700 $122,900
6 BB
950/550
*BB- baseball/softball fields
**Benchmarking primarily performed in 2008 - many facilities have additional fields not included in their Sports Park
This project is well within local and regional benchmarks
Pella Sports Park Project
Building Community Through Sports
PELLA
105 Acres
Pella Sports Park location – Oskaloosa street east of PCHS
Pella Sports Park Project
Building Community Through Sports
Phase 1
Future Phases
ROOM FOR FUTURE GROWTH
• More Ball Fields
• More Multipurpose Fields
• Other facilities
(as identified)
PELLA SPORTS PARK - PROPOSED LAYOUT
• Approx. 105 Acres
• 6 Little League Fields
• 1 Babe Ruth Field
• 5 Multipurpose Fields
• 1 Main Concession Stand
• Batting Cages
• Playground and Picnic areas
• Centralized parking
• Endowment for:
• Small future upgrades / Maintenance
• Administration
Pella Sports Park Project
Building Community Through Sports
Pella Sports Park Cost, Funding & Timing
Pella Sports Park Project
Building Community Through Sports
Benchmarking/Cost Assumptions
Baseball/Softball Fields -Based on Oskaloosa facility with confirmation from
Iowa Athletic Field Construction
Concession /Restrooms - Scaled down version of Oskaloosa’s structure
Parking - Based on a specified number of spaces per BB field and
multipurpose field, at a fixed cost per space
Access/Sidewalk – Assumes some sidewalks around the fields and parking
Other Infrastructure - Based on discussions with various groups, both private
and public (City)
Architect Fees – Based on industry benchmark information
Ongoing Maintenance – Based on Indianola’s experience
Research was done to identify cost benchmarks
Pella Sports Park Project
Building Community Through Sports
Funding Plan
Partner
Target Commitment
Base Plan
City of Pella
$2.5
$2.5
Pella Rolscreen Foundation & Peter H.
and E. Lucille Gaass Kuyper Foundation
$2.0
$2.0
Vermeer Charitable Foundation
$1.5
$1.5
General Fundraising & Grants
TOTAL
$2.5
$ 0.3
$8.5 Million
$6.2 Million
(Amounts in millions)
Comments
• City Contribution is from Local
Option Sales Tax funds
• Field For Our Future, Inc. – Board
has pledged $100 with matching gifts.
• Korver Foundation, Sports Page
Sporting Goods, Marion County Bank,
Leighton State Bank, Cargill, and
others have already donated to the
project
• General fund raising campaign to
begin in Spring of 2012
• Well within benchmark
Focus now is the General Fundraising Campaign: $2.5 M
Pella Sports Park Project
Building Community Through Sports
Project Timeline
• Close on land
August 2012
• General fundraising campaign
Begins May, 2012
• Finalize detailed specs & contractor selection Fall 2012
• Begin construction
Fall 2012 / Spring 2013
• Play Ball !!
2014 / 2015
Playing ball!
Pella Sports Park Project
Building Community Through Sports
Join The Team
PellaSports Park Project
Building Community Through Sports
YOUR SUPPORT
You can support the Pella Sports Park project in a number of ways:
1. Spread the Word - forward a link to this site to friends & family!
www.pellasportspark.org
2. Donate – make a commitment for the next 5 years to support the community!
www.pellasportspark.org/donate
3. Volunteer - contact a Board member!
www.pellasportspark.org/committee
4. Contact us! – contact a board member or email us!
pellasportspark@ymail.com
Thanks for spending time to learn more about our project!
- Fields For Our Future Committee
Join the Team!
Pella Sports Park Project
Building Community Through Sports
JOIN THE TEAM!
SUPPORT THE PELLA SPORTS PARK!
www.pellasportspark.org