Supporters gather for a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Musco Sports Center in Muscatine, Iowa, on Thursday, Oct. 10. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON
MUSCATINE, Iowa – Construction has started on a new $7 million indoor sports complex in this community. If all goes according to plan, the inflatable dome structure – to be called the Musco Sports Center – will be complete by late March 2025. The structure will be the largest inflatable sports dome in Iowa. Also, […]
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MUSCATINE, Iowa – Construction has started on a new $7 million indoor sports complex in this community.If all goes according to plan, the inflatable dome structure – to be called the Musco Sports Center – will be complete by late March 2025.
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Supporters gather for a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Musco Sports Center in Muscatine, Iowa, on Thursday, Oct. 10. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON
A groundbreaking ceremony is held for the new Musco Sports Center in Muscatine, Iowa, on Thursday, Oct. 10. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON
A crowd of about 100 people listen to speeches during the groundbreaking for the new Musco Sports Center. At right is Gage Kent, CEO of Kent Corp. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON
Jim Howe of the Howe Foundation gives a speech during the ceremony.
Muscatine Mayor Dr. Brad Bark gives a speech during the ceremony.
Lauren Corrow, project manager of the sports dome project, gives a speech during the ceremony.
Richard Klimes, Muscatine parks and recreation director, gives a speech during the ceremony.
This rendering shows the exterior of the new Musco Sports Center.
The structure will be the largest inflatable sports dome in Iowa. Also, it will give local athletes a place to train and play throughout the year, and be a great place to hold weddings, social gatherings and many various shows, according to Muscatine Mayor Dr. Brad Bark.“The possibilities (with this new dome) are truly endless,” said Dr. Bark, during a Greater Muscatine Chamber of Commerce & Industry groundbreaking ceremony. It was held on Thursday afternoon, Oct. 10, at the future site of the sports center. The center is being built at the Muscatine Soccer Complex, 401 S. Houser St., and near the intersection of Houser and Bloomington Lane.About 100 people – most from the business community – gathered in the parking lot of the soccer complex on a sunny, hot afternoon for the ceremonial start of the sports center project. However, ground preparation work on the new center has already started. General contractor Merit Construction of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, had earthmoving equipment and a trailer office set up at the project site. Merit workers on Thursday said that a top priority is to get the footings and foundation work completed for the sports center before winter weather hits in the coming weeks.But most of Thursday’s ceremony was used to thank the community, groups, businesses and individuals who supported the sports center over the years.One of those major supporters is the Musco Lighting company – the namesake of the new sports facility.“We do a lot of neat stuff. Doing it at home is even neater,” said Jeff Rogers, president and CEO of Musco Lighting, during Thursday’s events.
New center, new name
In addition to the groundbreaking, the ceremony included the official unveiling of the facility’s name. It had been informally called the Muscatine Indoor Sports Complex until Dr. Bark and Mr. Rogers uncovered a Musco Sports Center banner near the end of the ceremony.Dr. Bark said he is proud of the new name, and proud that a sports complex that has been talked about and planned since 2012 is about to become a reality.“During those early meetings, it was said this is too big for Muscatine. … Now, years later, we are building it,” he told the QCBJ just before Thursday’s ceremony.Other Thursday speakers said they are also happy the sports center is starting to take shape. Two of the themes presented during those talks were: the center will help the local economy by bringing in more visitors and it will bring the community together, “This is an exciting project … It’s really great to see everybody coming together to make this happen,” said Gage Kent, CEO of Kent Corp.Mr. Kent told the crowd “this is our town” and residents should take pride in it and strive to make it better. He added that during the Greater Muscatine Chamber of Commerce & Industry’s annual meeting in March, he said the “buck stops here.” And that means residents should work to make the community a better place. “This (sports center) will be transformative for the community,” he said.Even though the center is still months from completion, the community is showing its support for the new facility.Richard Klimes, Muscatine director of parks and recreation, said there has been “extreme excitement” about the new facility. In the past few weeks, he added, 10 area organizations have approached him about reserving space at the complex during weekends next year.
Facility meetings planned
In the coming weeks, the city will be hosting several public engagement meetings about the complex. Those meetings will go over rules, scheduling, fee guidelines and other subjects concerning use of the center. Mr. Klimes added that there will be times the Musco Sports Center will have free admission because it’s important that the community has access to the new facility.The center will feature an indoor multi-use artificial turf field that can be used for sports, games and practices. Many Muscatine area sports teams are also excited about using that field.Mr. Klimes said he was recently approached by an area baseball coach. The coach told him that his team needs an indoor facility to stay competitive with other area high school teams. Currently, Muscatine area baseball teams are only able to practice about half the year because of the weather. Teams in the Quad Cities and other communities have access to indoor facilities and can practice the entire year. That gives them a major competitive edge.Soon, Muscatine will be able to even the playing field with a facility available for year-round games and practice sessions, Mr. Klimes added.
‘Just the beginning’
“This is just the beginning. … The journey ahead will need dedication and passion,” Dr. Bark said about the sports center.Here’s a look at some of the details of the new indoor sports facility:
Size: 122,000 square feet. It will be 87 feet tall.
Features: Some of the features will include a temperature controlled space, multi-use artificial turf field that can be used for many sports and non-sports activities, six pickleball courts, and a concessions/viewing area.
Funding for the project: The project will cost a little more than $7 million, according to Dr. Bark. Funding comes from private donations, a State of Iowa grant, allocations from Muscatine County and the City of Muscatine, and a donation from the HNI Trust, Musco Lighting, the Howe Foundation Rock In Prevention, MPW, and the Kent Corp. The City of Muscatine will allocate up to $1,303,500 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to cover the cost of construction.
