By KATIE WISELY
WISH-TV | wishtv.com
Grand Park Sports Campus in Westfield is hoping for a big boost in income. The teams and the town are banking on full fields for the first time since the pandemic started.
There’s a lot of pent-up demand and campus officials say all projections with visitor numbers are higher than 2019. Typically, they see about 2.3 visitors per athlete. This year they say it will look more like three.
Following a year where field revenue was down $1 million, Grand Park officials say they’re preparing for a strong bounceback this spring and summer. (Photo provided)
Grand Park Sports Campus director William Knox says in June and July, the complex brings in between $700,000 and $800,000 in field revenue a month, plus anywhere from 20,000 to 30,000 people over the course of a weekend. This year they expect everything to significantly increase.
During the shutdown, the campus was down $1 million in field revenue. Knox says this was hugely impactful to the operation. Luckily, July 2020 was financially the best month since opening in 2016, which allowed the complex to come out net positive at the end of the year.
Knox says if they have the season they are anticipating, it would make up for a lot of losses in 2020.
Knox
“When we look at the overall revenue portfolio, that’s concessions, that’s hotels, that’s all those things that make up that travel industry and we look at being up for this summer and hopefully will again trend through the end of the year,” Knox said.
Many facilities in surrounding states could not hold events and tournaments last summer, which is how they ended up at Grand Park. Now, campus officials say those organizers are moving their events back to Westfield this summer.
The baseball Shamrock Classic kicks off this coming weekend. Every weekend there’s an event scheduled. Although the mask mandate is set to end, the complex will still require them inside all indoor facilities. Social distancing is still in effect outside. The complex will evaluate on a weekly basis.