MUSCATINE, Iowa – A new $7 million indoor sports complex in this community could be complete and hosting events in a few weeks.
The Musco Sports Center is now under construction at the Muscatine Soccer Complex, 401 S. Houser St., and near the intersection of Houser and Bloomington Lane. The center is expected to be complete and ready to host events in late August or September, according to Muscatine Mayor Dr. Brad Bark.
The sports facility, which will contain 122,000 square feet and be 87 feet tall, will be the largest inflatable sports dome in Iowa. The state-of-the-art, multi-use facility will accommodate regulation football, soccer, softball, baseball, pickleball, and a variety of group gatherings and special events.
“People are very excited about this. … They can’t wait for it to open,” Dr. Bark, who also leads the Greater Muscatine Muscatine Chamber of Commerce & Industry as CEO, told the QCBJ this week.
That excitement is shown in the early reservations made for the Musco Sports Center. So far, more than 25 weekend events have already been scheduled for the center once it is complete, he added.
Organizations and people interested in hosting events at the sports center may complete the Athletic Facilities Event Request Form and submit it to the Parks and Recreation office. For more information, call (563) 263-0241, or email at [email protected], or go in person to Muscatine City Hall, 215 Sycamore St.
The recent rainy weather has caused some delays in the construction of Musco Sports Center, but the work continues. Dr. Bark said a synthetic turf field will be placed soon and work to install the inflated dome will begin in a couple of weeks.
A ground-breaking ceremony was held for the facility last Oct. 10. At that time, city officials also unveiled the center’s name which honors the Musco Lighting company, a major supporter of the project.
Here’s a look at some of the details of the new indoor sports facility:
- Features: Some of the features will include a temperature-controlled space, a multi-use artificial turf field that can be used for many sports and non-sports activities, six pickleball courts, and a concessions/viewing area.
- Project funding: 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.
- Sports center owner: City of Muscatine.
- Contractor: Merit Construction of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
