By admin 
Lexington County could be getting a large, new multi-sports complex to host tournaments and other events in town, if the county approves issuing a multi-million-dollar bond to pay for it.
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Lexington County Council on Tuesday gave initial approval to a $74 million bond issue that in part would fund the construction of the new facility.
Requested by the county Recreation and Aging Commission, the bond funding would go toward “capital improvements,” including “the construction and equipping of a multi sports complex which could include a large capacity indoor sports events center and a number of playing fields, all of which will be designed for both regular daily use and tournament and championship level play,” according to the proposed county bond resolution.
Recreation Commission Director Randy Gibson said the agency will be acquiring land across Interstate 77 from the Cayce Tennis and Fitness Center. The planned complex would sit on a little more than 300 acres, including a more than 150,000-square-foot indoor facility that could be configured for 12 basketball or 24 volleyball courts, plus two four-wheeled pods of college regulation-sized baseball fields, Gibson said.
“To get an idea, we modeled this after LakePoint Sports in Cartersville, Georgia,” Gibson told The State, citing another large sports facility that has made its host city a hub for sporting events that draw 2.4 million visitors annually.
The site would also host a hotel, restaurants and retail space, Gibson said. Once complete, he said the facility would be an economic driver for the area.
Todd Cullum, the councilman for the Cayce area, said at Tuesday’s county council meeting that he agreed the proposed complex could have a major impact on the county.
“There would be nothing like it in the state of South Carolina if we go through it, and you can associate it with a facility that has already been recognized nationally,” Cullum said, referencing the nearby tennis center. “It’s also close by the interpretative center for Timmerman Trail and part of the greenway that has been approved for construction. I would see it as a sports village district.”
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With previously allocated state funding, the recreation commission would have $77 million in total to spend on the project after the bond issue, he said.
“There’s not a facility like this in Lexington County or the Midlands,” Gibson said. “Others don’t have indoor and baseball at the same location. There are others that have indoor facilities like Rock Hill and Myrtle Beach, but there’s nothing around here, and it’s been sorely needed.”
The bond issue would need to be approved by county council members in three separate readings and be the subject of a public hearing, provisionally scheduled for the Aug. 11 council meeting. Gibson told the county council that a tax assessment of approximately $14.88 on a $100,000 home would go toward paying down the bond.
“Over the life of the bond, the amount of millage will decrease as the assessed value [of the complex site] increases,” Gibson said.
If approved, the project would be funded with the money raised by the county issuing $74 million in bonds to investors, to be paid back over time with funds raised from public revenue.
The new complex would be just the latest in facilities funded by the county recreation commission. The commission owns several community centers, walking trails and sports fields, perhaps the most prominent being the Lexington County Baseball Stadium, which has hosted the Lexington County Blowfish since 2015.
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