PROGRESS: Indoor sports complex coming to Sioux Center | Progress Rec & Leisure

The air-inflated dome, a joint project between the city and Dordt University, will host youth and college sports teams, adult athletic and wellness programs and tournaments. The turf will be designed for soccer, youth football, softball, athletic practices, recreation activities, and other multi-purpose uses.

The structure will measure 250 by 470 feet with a height of 75 feet. The main entrance will be an 8,400-square-foot building, which will house offices, restrooms, storage, concessions and seating for spectators.

City Manager Scott Wynja said the dome will be unlike any other indoor sports complex in the region.

“The proposed facility will be great for the community and also a great regional attraction that will bring people to Sioux Center,” Wynja said. “This year-round complex will attract many events to our community and have a positive impact on our businesses and community.”

A $500,000 Community Attraction and Tourism (CAT) grant, awarded by the Enhance Iowa Board in December, will help finance the project, which has an estimated cost of $8.5 million. 

The structure has been named the American State Bank Sports Complex, the lead sponsor for the project, which is expected to be complete by the end of the year. The bank’s logo will be displayed on the roof of the dome, which is anticipated to open to the public in January 2023.

The complex will be built on the former site of the Heritage Village at 1180 Seventh St. NE. The city paid to move the village’s collection of historic villages to a new site paid to is paying The historic site has been prepping for months the move from its spot next to the Dordt campus to Tower Fields in the southwest part of town.

The dome will be built across the street from Dordt’s campus and next to other sports and recreational amenities, including the city’s football field, waterpark and ice arena.

Local officials noted the location will be convenient for Dordt’s 600-plus student athletes. 

The multi-sport recreational facility will bring new opportunities for members of the community to meet, connect, and deepen relationships with year-round soccer, softball, football, baseball, and more—for all age groups from a variety of diverse backgrounds, Dordt President Erik Hoekstra said.

“Cities like Sioux Center are made because, at pivotal moments in history, people and organizations step forward to make investments in the future,” Hoekstra said. “American State Bank has done this with a lead sponsorship for this indoor turf facility, and we will all be the beneficiaries of this investment for generations to come,” 

Wynja said the turf area is large enough to allow for spectators and mobile bleachers around different field configurations, ranging from full-size soccer and softball fields to three youth football or soccer fields side-by-side. The facility also will be set up to host regional soccer youth tournaments, which are expected to draw athletes and members of their families from around the region.