OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — The next phase of the Bluhawk development in Overland Park is nearly open.
AdventHealth Sports Park is a 260,000-square foot facility with a focus on youth sports that people involved in the project say is the first of its kind in the area.
“We're going to put Overland Park and Kansas on the map with what we're doing here,” said Bart Lowen, PB Development vice president. “Everything that we're going to offer in The Boundary and the hotels and everything else at large really. What we're creating here is very unique.”
There are basketball and volleyball courts that can be converted into a soccer field, a hockey arena, and food and entertainment spaces. They've partnered with different youth sports clubs in the area and the club hockey team at the University of Kansas.
Lowen says they expect around 800,000 visitors a year, bringing millions of dollars in economic activity.
The idea behind the sports park was to merge everything a family looks for while traveling for sports into one place.
“It was really just a matter of what's the best anchor to do that with? And youth sports, as we all know, it's a $50 billion industry, and headed north, right?" Lowen said. "So it really made a whole lot of sense to anchor this development with youth sports, and then again, offer everything we're offering right outside the front door to make this experience a comprehensive experience for the family."
Greg Jackson is the Sports Park's general manager.
Jackson said there’s a lot more to come, including an entertainment district comparable to the Power & Light District in downtown Kansas City, Missouri.
“That is going to be the icing on the cake in regard to the adjacency, the things we can offer," Jackson said. "You know, in most tournaments, I'm a parent of four. You know, you go to a venue, you're stuck in a gymnasium, and there's not much to do. Well, that is definitely not the case here."
After the sports park opens, developers will break ground on the next phase of Bluhawk.
The new development will be an extension of the Sports Park and the entertainment district across the street.
The area will be called The Boundary and will have restaurants, retail, and outdoor spaces.
“People are going to want to come here, they're going to want to spend time here, they’ll want to stay here," Jackson said. "It's going to have that economic impact to the community and it's all going to be geared around sports and what we do here."
