County invites community, media to attend reveal of Sportsplex

The County to Share Plans for Virginia’s Largest Indoor Versatile Sports, Entertainment and

Exposition Facility Which Will Serve Both Its Citizens and Visitors

The Pulaski County Board of Supervisors, in partnership with the Sports Tourism and Entertainment Authority, is excited to invite the community and media to attend and participate in the public reveal of Pulaski County’s future indoor versatile sports and entertainment facility – the Pulaski County Sportsplex, on Saturday, March 29th from 10:00 AM– 12:00 PM on location in Dublin, Virginia.

“We are thrilled to finally be ready to invite the public into the future Sportsplex and share with them our bold plans for indoor sports and entertainment”, stated Jonathan D. Sweet, Pulaski County Administrator. “This project has been 15 years in the making, and we couldn’t be more excited to embark on this important community asset and economic development opportunity that will benefit of all our citizens and our hospitality and services industries.”

Attendees will be welcomed on a first-come, first-served basis to the facility, located at 3994 Pepperell Way, Dublin, VA, for the official public reveal and guided tour of the facility. Free refreshments will be provided, and vendors will be onsite. 107.1 FM will be broadcasting live from the event and giving away amazing prizes.

“The Board of Supervisors wanted to be strategic with this County-owned building. With the expertise of our County’s Leadership Team, the input of community stakeholders and the architectural and engineering services of ZMM, we will rapidly convert this 165,000-square-foot facility into something very special for our citizens. It will ultimately be a game-changer for the New River Valley and the Commonwealth,” stated Laura Walters, Chair of the Board of Supervisors. “This project will bring our long-standing indoor recreation goal to life and provide a central location for programming for citizens of all ages. It will also serve as a strong magnet for visitors encouraging them to play, stay, and spend here in Pulaski County.”

Virginia is currently ranked 10th in the nation for sports-sector visitor spending, despite lacking its own professional sports franchise. This spending is primarily driven by Virginia’s success in drawing youth, amateur, and collegiate events and tournaments to the Commonwealth. Sports tourism currently accounts for 8% of all visitor spending in Virginia, and it is growing faster than traditional tourism spending overall. The logistics of Virginia with its position on the Eastern seaboard and its proximity to major markets, as well as being within a day’s drive of nearly 2/3rds of the US population, ultimately positions the Pulaski County Sportsplex that is located near the intersection of I-81 and I-77, well to compete in this space and enjoy the market share of Southwestern Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Kentucky and beyond.

“This new and unique recreational and entertainment facility is another important component to building out Pulaski County’s robust sports, recreation and entertainment assets, and it will serve the County well to advance our sports tourism and entertainment vision”, stated Ashley Coake, Chair of the Pulaski County Sports Tourism & Entertainment Authority. “We will be able to sustainably serve our community, our athletes, our youth, our seniors, and more, with the enterprising and commercial opportunities the size and versatility this facility provides, and it is our intent to make sports and entertainment visitation a significant revenue center for this facility and for the surrounding businesses that will support our operations.”

Pulaski County’s evolving sports tourism and entertainment mission is to optimize the County’s sports, entertainment, and recreational assets for the benefit of our citizens and our business community, and to significantly enhance our local economy and quality of life by attracting and hosting a wide range of sports, entertainment and cultural events, while equally ensuring that the Board of Supervisors’ priority to meet our citizens’ health, wellness, and recreational needs is achieved. The County’s current sports tourism and entertainment assets include Historic Calfee Park, the Pulaski County Motorsports Park and Event Center, and components of Randolph Park. And Coming Soon – The future Pulaski County Sportsplex, Virginia’s largest versatile indoor sports and entertainment complex and expo center.