Multi-million dollar development coming to Council Bluffs’ Mid-America Center area

(Council Bluffs, IA)  The Iowa West Foundation announced two major anchor tenants will be coming soon to the Mid-America Center area in Council Bluffs. Pending city council approval, construction will begin next year on a sports recreation complex featuring multiple hardwood courts as well as a full-service hotel, The total cost of the development is more than $30 million, for which the Iowa West Foundation will serve as the master developer.

FieldhouseUSA, based in Frisco, Texas, is an event and league facility that caters to select, club and recreational teams across the United States for tournament play. In the past six years, the amenity has generated approximately $110 million in economic impact for the City of Frisco and surrounding area.

The hotel will be a Courtyard by Marriott and feature an in-house restaurant and bar as well as room-service. It also will be connected to the Mid-America Center.

“The intersection of Interstates 29 and 80 is one of the most highly traveled corridors in the country, so the MAC area certainly has the potential to be a vibrant gathering place for residents and visitors and their families,” said Pete Tulipana, President and CEO of the Iowa West Foundation. “We believe the full-service Marriott-brand hotel and FieldhouseUSA will help drive future storefront business within the “spine” of the Mid-America, and include restaurants and shops that the Council Bluffs community has been eager to see.”

Tulipana said the Foundation’s focus on economic development and place-making led the Board of Directors to serve as a catalyst in moving the development forward with the City of Council Bluffs. Pending city council approval, the city’s contributions will come in the form of a $1 ground lease, tax increment financing and the cost to subdivide the land and convey it to be used for the recreation complex and the hotel.

“We are excited to invigorate this area of the community with amenities that citizens will utilize and benefit from,” said Council Bluffs Mayor Matt Walsh. “The Iowa West Foundation has been instrumental in bringing this long-overdue development to fruition and we look forward to the MAC area being a bustling attraction in the years to come.”

The projected total construction cost for FieldhouseUSA is $13.7 million while the projected total construction cost for the full-service Courtyard by Marriott hotel, which will be connected to the Mid-America Center, is $17.5 million. Tulipana anticipates an expansion of convention business as well as subsequent development in the surrounding area.

“These developments will serve as a stimulus for a currently underutilized but high potential area in Council Bluffs,” he said.

The hotel will be approximately five acres in size and constructed in two phases, with 130 rooms initially and a goal of 250 to 300 rooms upon full completion. Each FieldhouseUSA tournament typically drives 375 hotel stays. FieldhouseUSA will be approximately 144,620 square feet and feature youth and adult year-round sports leagues including basketball, volleyball, soccer and football in addition to sports academies, camps, group outings and corporate events.

The two tenants will employ more than 100 full-time people, 60 part-time, and an additional 168 during the construction phase.

About the Iowa West Foundation

The Iowa West Foundation is one of the largest private foundations in the Midwest. It has distributed more than $330 million in grants to non-profits and governmental agencies through southwest Iowa and eastern Nebraska since the inception of its grant program.

About FieldhouseUSA

FieldhouseUSA, a 97,000 square-foot sports facility devoted to providing excellence in competitive and recreational sports for area residents, will feature 8 full-sized hardwood courts for basketball, 12 full-sized hardwood courts for volleyball and approximately 20,000 square feet of programming space for cheerleading, martial arts, tumble and other sports and activity uses. Youth basketball and volleyball leagues, as well as summer camps, will be forming beginning in spring of 2016; stay tuned to FieldhouseUSA’s website at www.fieldhouseusa.com for details. FieldhouseUSA currently has a facility in Frisco, Texas which opened in March of 2009 and is known as Frisco’s Community based facility. FieldhouseUSA has generated over $110,000,000 in economic impact for the City of Frisco and surrounding area since opening its doors.

About Courtyard by Marriott

Courtyard is designed for goal-oriented travelers who want more out of each stay. Courtyard recognizes guests’ successes by surrounding them with the right blend of attentive services and inviting spaces so they can enjoy their accomplishments. The Courtyard lobby fuses high-tech, high-style and greater functionality with Welcome Pedestals, an innovative and interactive GoBoard®, semi-enclosed Media Pods and The Bistro, offering a variety of healthy breakfast and dinner selections. An extension of the lobby, the Courtyard Terrace offers a place to enjoy outdoor spaces around a fire pit. For guests who exercise for a rejuvenating experience, there is a well-equipped fitness center. And the guest room has also evolved, providing an optimum balance between relaxation and flexible functionality with the new CYnergy design and décor package.

What Others Are Saying

“FieldhouseUSA has generated over $110 million in economic impact for the City of Frisco and surrounding area since opening its doors. We are pleased to bring this incredible opportunity to Council Bluffs and its neighboring communities. Residents will enjoy an exceptional experience in year-round activities and have access to the amenities of a state-of the-art sports facility not offered many places in the nation.”
-Gary L. Oliver, a principal of FieldhouseUSA

“A leader in the upper-moderate tier lodging for business and leisure travel, the new Council Bluffs Courtyard by Marriott® will provide key rooms inventory to help accommodate the significant year-round rooms demand from the FieldhouseUSA sports complex. In addition, the Courtyard is another asset to help the Mid-America Center attract additional events and activities. This hotel will also have a significant economic impact for Council Bluffs and surrounding communities in terms of rooms and property taxes and creation of jobs. We are excited about the opportunities and economic impact that the Iowa West Foundation and the City of Council Bluffs are creating by bringing FieldhouseUSA and the Courtyard by Marriott to the Mid-America Center.”
-John Nagle, Co-Founder of Imagine Resorts and Hotels

“Without a doubt, Fieldhouse USA will draw more visitors to the community, increase traveler spending at area businesses and generate more local option sales tax and hotel/motel tax for the city,” All of which delivers tremendous benefits to Council Bluffs residents.”
-Mark Eckman – executive director of the Council Bluffs Convention and Visitors Bureau