A recent analysis of economic development in Westfield determined that Grand Park Sports Campus is the motivating force behind $92 million in new development already built or under construction, along with an additional $491 million approved or currently in the planning process.
“The purpose of Grand Park Sports Campus is to establish youth sports as the industry in Westfield and stimulate private development in the city,” said Westfield Mayor Andy Cook. “It’s exciting to see the numbers demonstrate that the park is fulfilling these intended goals.”
Many of the new commercial developments include hospitality-focused businesses to serve the visitors attending tournaments at Grand Park. Among those currently under construction is the 153-room Cambria Hotel & Suites, a joint venture with Ceras Enterprises, located adjacent to Grand Park Sports Campus.
“When it comes to the youth sports industry, Grand Park is certainly the place to be,” said David Crisafi, President of Ceras Enterprises. “We think this property will be a great addition to the Westfield community.”
Located in another new commercial development, Noble Roman’s selected Westfield as the first location for its new Craft Pizza & Pub concept.
“When choosing a location for our very first Noble Roman’s Craft Pizza & Pub, we wanted a premier site and Westfield was tops on our list,” said Scott Mobley, President & CEO of Noble Roman’s. “Grand Park made this an easy decision. We knew they would be drawing great crowds that were a perfect fit for what we have to offer.”
The City of Westfield recently completed its third economic impact study by an independent firm, Applied Economics, which calculated 1.9 million total visits* to Grand Park Sports Campus in 2016, exceeding projections. The overall economic impact of Grand Park Sports Campus in 2016 was $244 million.
Additionally, Grand Park Sports Campus was responsible for 60,103 hotel room nights in 2016 and generated $145 million in visitor spending. Its visitors also contributed $9.3 million to state sales tax revenues.
* The term Visits is similar to the term Impressions used regularly in media and sponsorships, e.g. if a single visitor attends an event over a five-day period, that would be counted as five visits.