Laconia Sports Complex – Market and Financial Feasibility Analysis PDF Free Download

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Laconia Sports Complex – Market and Financial Feasibility Analysis PDF Free Download

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Laconia Sports
Complex Market
and Financial
Feasibility Analysis
June 21, 2019
1
Table of Contents
Executive Summary
vChapter 1: Project Orientation
vChapter 2: Economic, Demographic and Tourism Analysis
vChapter 3: Local Inventory and Condition Assessment
vChapter 4: Demand Analysis and Stakeholder Feedback
vChapter 5: Regional Sports Facilities Analysis
vChapter 6: Sports Tournaments and Opportunity Analysis
vChapter 7: Case Studies
vChapter 8: Support Amenities -Hotel & Restaurant Analysis
vChapter 9: Site Analysis
vChapter 10: Conclusions
vChapter 11: Partnerships & Funding
vChapter 12: Demand & Financial Projections
vChapter 13: Economic, Fiscal, and Employment Impact Analysis
2
Executive Summary
3
Key Questions
The Lakeshore Redevelopment Planning Commission (Client) engaged the Hunden Strategic Partners Team (HSP),
including design professionals from NBBJ, to investigate the feasibility of developing asports complex at the
Lakes Region site in Laconia, New Hampshire (Project).The study aims to answer the following key questions:
§What is the market opportunity for anew indoor or outdoor sports complex development in Laconia?
§What is the existing supply of sports and recreation facilities in Laconia and the surrounding area? Is there agap
in quality or size of facilities? What is the level of local demand for anew sports facility or complex?
§What is the existing state and greater regional supply of sports complexes capable of hosting impactful
tournaments and events? Is there agap in supply that anew facility in Laconia could accommodate? What is the
opportunity to host major state and regional tournaments?
§How is the area hotel market performing and what support amenities exist in the area? What does this mean for
the market opportunity for anew sports facility or complex?
§Based on the comprehensive market analysis, what are the conclusions and recommendations? Should multiple
scenarios be considered?
§What are the pros and cons of the potential development site?
4
Headlines
§An adequate supply of indoor and outdoor sports complexes exist in New Hampshire and throughout
New England. Laconia’s population base, lack of branded hotel rooms, and proximity to larger markets
will make it difficult to attract large regional tournaments.
§The hotel market in Laconia and surrounding cities is performing fairly well with solid rates and
occupancies over 60 percent.Hotel performance is driven by strong summer months due to leisure
activities in the region.The gaps in hotel performance occur during the shoulder seasons and winter
months.The gap suggests that an indoor sports complex could have positive impact on hotel
performance during the shoulder seasons and winter months.
§Locally, the lack of available, quality indoor athletic facilities presents amajor challenge for area clubs to
train and practice during the season and throughout the offseason, both for indoor as well as outdoor
sports.
§HSP’s analysis indicates that opportunity exists for anew sports complex to both accommodate local
demand and drive sports tourism to the site.
§While sports facilities are impactful, they often do not break even operationally, necessitating the
investment upfront and ongoing support of outside forces.Most of the spending that occurs from a
facility generally happens in lodging, restaurants, attractions and retail.Attracting private capital to such
facilities is difficult, even if they are busy and impactful.5
Headlines
§HSP’s analysis suggests that there is enough demand generated by Laconia area organizations to fill anew
court/gymnasium facility in the evenings throughout the winter season.This demand would drive
significant rental revenue to any new indoor complex.The development of aflexible indoor court
complex would likely also result in the creation of new local and regional events.
§Based on the comprehensive market analysis, HSP recommends that a 4-court indoor facility be
developed.The facility would offer 4regulation basketball courts which can be converted to 8volleyball
courts.Such afacility could accommodate weekly use for flat-floor sports, as well as smaller regional
weekend events.While such afacility would be able to accommodate other flat-floor activities such as
pickleball, wrestling, robotics, and Esports, the primary benefit would be to Laconia area sports
organizations.
§While there is also demand for outdoor fields to accommodate soccer, lacrosse and other field sports, this
demand may not be enough to generate afiscal return on investment due to issues with an uneven site
(more expensive to develop) and already occupied hotel rooms with high rates in the summer months.
The sloped site will greatly influence the cost and viability of outdoor facilities that will take up more land
than an indoor facility.
§While there is ademand for ice and indoor turf fields, the cost to develop such afacility is much greater
and offers less flexibility for various sports which limits potential impact.Additionally, there is an adequate
supply of ice and indoor turf within a60 mile radius.
6
Recommended
Program
The adjacent table summarizes
the recommended program
based on market conditions and
opportunity.
Events
The projection model for the scenario assumes that the Laconia sports facility will primarily
cater to basketball, volleyball, and indoor flat floor sports (wrestling, dance, etc.). These event
projections include various sized tournaments that are assumed to rent the entire facility for
multiple days over aweekend, as well as smaller single day events.Projections also include
midweek court rental hours for practice, training, and leagues at the facility.
Overall, HSP projects the indoor complex to host 63 events and more than 2,700 additional
rental hours per year by stabilization (Year 5).
Attendance
Family and friends accompany most of the participants.Tournaments are assumed
to bring between one and 1.6 spectators per participant.Trends show that the
younger the participant, the more family and friends accompany the participant to
the event.By stabilization, HSP projects more than 77,000 total attendees at the
facility driven by events.
Financial Projections
The model assumes events will
pay daily, hourly or facility
rental fees to use the facility,
based on fees charged at
comparable facilities.This
model assumes a $5 gate fee
per car for weekends
tournaments.As shown, rental
fees are projected to be the
largest revenue source,
increasing to roughly $370,000
by Year 10.
Impact
The table to the right shows a
summary of estimated combined 20-
year impacts for the recommended
complex.
The net new spending for the Project
totals $221 million over the 20-year
period, $64 million in new earnings,
186 new full-time equivalent jobs,
and more than $1.5 million in new
taxes collected from the ongoing
spending over 20 years.The
construction impact will be more
than $7 million on materials and
labor, most of which will accrue to
the local economy and local workers.
The 25 job-years will be atemporary
boom for the local economy.
Chapter 1:
Project Orientation
12
Project Orientation
The Lakeshore Redevelopment
Planning Commission (Client)
engaged the Hunden Strategic
Partners Team (HSP), including
design professionals from NBBJ, to
investigate the feasibility of
developing asports complex on the
state-owned Lakes Region Facility
site in Laconia, New Hampshire.
The Client is interested in
understanding how asports facility
could best serve the community
through improved quality of life,
additional overnight stays, new jobs
and aboost in economic impact to
Laconia.
13
Redevelopment Commission Feedback
14
§Anew sports complex would align with
Laconia’s reputation as atourism destination
oApopulation of about 16,000 grows to
roughly 35,000 in the summer
oThere are plenty of restaurants and
entertainment to support additional
tourists
§The site is in an opportunity zone
§It is important to determine what would
happen with the Lakes Region Mutual Fire Aid
Building if anew facility is built on that site
§The City, county and state will likely not invest
significant money into the Project;private
sector involvement will have to play arole
§There have been past attempts to activate this
specific parcel of land without success
§Overall academic enrollment in the region has
been declining the Project could help attract
younger families to the area
§Indoor sports have been achallenge to
accommodate, so the region is losing athletes
in the winter months
Initial feedback from the Client provided insight to the history of the Project as well as the goals of
the study.
Chapter 2:
Economic, Demographic and Tourism
Analysis
15
Laconia Regional Area
The adjacent figure shows
Laconia’s location within the
greater New England region.
Laconia is 45 miles north of
Manchester, 60 miles
northwest of Portsmouth, 85
miles west of Portland, and 94
miles north of Boston.
Lake Winnepesaukee is the
largest lake in the state and
third largest in New England,
making it apopular summer
destination.
New Hampshire Lakes
Region
Laconia has relatively fast and
easy access to locations along
the north-south oriented I-93
corridor.However, points east
or west of the City tend only to
be accessible by two-lane
highways which slows travel
time.The area is halfway
between the population
centers to the south and
southeast.
The area is home to aTanger
Outlets shopping center, which
is popular with visitors due to
no state sales tax.
Laconia Drive-time
Map
The population increases from
over 75,000 to nearly four
million from a30-minute drive-
time to atwo hour drive-time.
Average household income
surpasses $100,000 in this
same two-hour drive-time
area.
Population & Growth
Rates
Laconia is the county-seat of
Belknap County and part of
the Laconia New Hampshire
Micropolitan Statistical Area.
Belknap County is growing at a
faster rate than the City of
Laconia and the state of New
Hampshire, and all sub-areas
are growing slower than the
U.S. as awhole.
Percent Change
2000 2010 2018 2023 Projected 2010 - 2018
United States 281,421,906 308,745,538 330,088,686 343,954,683 6.9%
New Hampshire 1,235,786 1,316,470 1,374,067 1,408,984 4.4%
Laconia-NH-MSA 56,325 60,088 63,523 65,647 5.7%
Belknap County 56,325 60,088 63,523 65,647 5.7%
Laconia 16,405 15,946 16,605 17,041 4.1%
City Population as % of MSA 29.1% 26.5% 26.1% 26.0% --
Source: ESRI
Population and Growth Rates
Population
Income, Spending &
Other Demographic
Data
While most economic statistics
are lower than the state or
national averages, Belknap
County and the City of Laconia
produce retail sales per capita
greater (2012)than the the
national average.
Income, Spending and Other Demographic Data
Category United States New Hampshire
Belknap
County Laconia
Homeownership rate, 2013-2017 63.8% 70.7% 75.8% 54.8%
Median value of owner-occupied housing units, 2013-2017 $193,500 $244,900 $220,400 $180,600
Persons per household, 2013-2017 2.63 2.45 2.42 2.27
Median household income, 2013-2017 $57,652 $71,305 $65,834 $52,702
Persons below poverty level, percent 12.3% 7.7% 8.3% 14.3%
Total employment, 2016 126,752,238 594,243 21,310 --
Total employment, percent change, 2015-2016 2.1% 3.1% -0.2% --
Retail sales per capita, 2012 $13,443 $19,700 $22,503 $17,171
Source: US Census Bureau
Educational
Attainment
The City of Laconia and
Belknap County both rank
above the state of New
Hampshire and the nation in
high school completion rates.
Both rank slightly below the
state averages in Associates,
Bachelor, and Graduate
educational levels.
Educational Attainment - 2017
Population Age 25+ United States
New
Hampshire
Belknap
County
Laconia
Did Not Complete High School 12.6% 7.1% 7.6% 10.3%
Completed High School 27.3% 28.0% 29.5% 31.6%
Some College 20.8% 18.8% 21.2% 22.2%
Completed Associate Degree 8.3% 10.0% 10.2% 9.6%
Completed Bachelor Degree 19.1% 22.3% 19.5% 15.9%
Completed Graduate Degree 11.8% 13.8% 12.0% 10.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Unemployment
Unemployment in Belknap
County has been declining and
is coming closer to the rates of
the MSA.Overall, the rate of
unemployment is much lower
than the U.S., but is also very
seasonal.
Area Attractions
Many of the most popular
attractions in Laconia are nature
and parks, scenic, or water and
amusement activities.
Laconia is home to the annual
Laconia Multicultural Festival in
September as well as the annual
New Hampshire Pumpkin
Festival in October.These events
draw visitors to the community
from around the region.
Several of Laconia’s most active
tourism generators are detailed
in the following slides.
Tourism Generators
Monkey Trunks
Monkey Trunks offers three
family-oriented outdoor ropes courses in
Chocorua and Weirs Beach, New Hampshire.
Monkey Trunks courses feature ziplines, swinging
beams, tightropes, rolling logs, hanging tires,
cargo nets to name but afew of their unique
offerings.
Belknap Mill
The Belknap Mill is the official
meeting house of the state of new Hampshire,
the oldest unaltered brick textile mill in the U.S.
and the only industrial knitting museum in the
U.S.
Weirs Beach
Referred to affectionately by locals
as “The Weirs it is known for its wide, sandy,
public beach on Lake Winnipesaukee.Weirs
Beach also offers the Funspot Family Fun Center.
Guinness Book of World Records named Funspot
as the “Largest Arcade in the World.” 24
Tourism Generators
Laconia Antique Center
The LAC is located in
the former Newberry’s Department Store,
which was built in the 1950’s.The antique
selection is vast, ranging from furniture, lamps,
glassware and more.WWII memorabilia is also
featured catering to diverse interests.
Ahern State Park
Ahern State Park is a128-
acre state park that offers year round activities
such as swimming, camping, hiking,
snowmobiling and snowshoeing.
Laconia Motorcycle Week
Celebrating 96
years in June 2019,motorcyclists will ride into
Laconia and take part in numerous events
across town.The events range from charity
rides to local events at Weirs Beach and
attracts riders from near and far. Laconia
Motorcycle Week is sponsored by Progressive
Auto Insurance each year.25
Tourism Generators
New England Porch Rockers
The New England
Porch Rockers is asmall business which makes
custom Mama Bear rockers, Papa Bear rockers as
well as Baby Bear rockers.Owned by Jeanne
Howe Compton, this professional weaver and
craftswoman has been selling custom chairs since
2000.She has astrong reputation and shoppers
visit her shop based on reputation alone.
Opechee Park Cove Beach &Opechee Point
Park
This 20-acre park features two beaches,
the Cove and the Point.Each beach is 1,400 feet
in length.There are also baseball diamonds, field
hockey fields, aconcession stand, asoccer field
and a400mrubberized track.
Logs of Fun
Located at Weirs Beach near
Funspot, Logs of Fun offers mini-golf and go-
karts.It provides plenty of choices of activities
near the lakes.
26
Tourism Generators
Endicott Rock State Historic Site
Endicott is astate
park located on the shoreline of Lake Winnipesauke in
the Weirs Beach area of Laconia. It is known for its
large rock with lettering from the Massachusetts Bay
Colony that symbolizes one of the earliest
engagements with Europeans in the area.
Sandwich Fair
The Sandwich Fair is an annual fair
that lasts three days held over the Columbus Day
weekend.The Sandwich Fair offers two parades:an
antique auto parade and the “Grand Street Parade”
which features marching bands from the local area.
Rides, carnival games and food are also offered.
New Hampshire Pumpkin Fair
With over 40,000+
attendees, a34-foot tower of jack-o-lanterns, a
Zombie walk, beer garden, pancake breakfast and
other events coupled with numerous regional
sponsors, the NH Pumpkin Fair is astaple event on
Laconia’s calendar.27
Tourism Generators
New England Pond Hockey Classic
the New
England Pond Hockey Classic began 10 years ago
and has grown from 77 teams to 280 teams in that
time span.Teams come from across the county
compete in the event, which consists of 26 rinks.This
event provides anoticeable boost for room night in
the Lakes Region in February.
Ice Fishing Derby
The annual Ice Fishing Derby is
sponsored by the Meredith Rotary Club and occurs in
February on Lake Winnipesaukee in Meredith Bay.An
estimated 20,000 people come to the region for the
derby to watch and there are roughly 5,000
participants during agood year.
28
Chapter 3:
Local Inventory and Condition
Assessment
29
Local Outdoor Athletic
Supply
There are currently seven outdoor sports fields in Laconia.
Opechee Park at Laconia Middle School offers five diamonds
and atrack but no single location offers more than one full-size
multipurpose field or diamond.
Local Outdoor Sports Supply
Venue Location
Diamonds
Basketball
Tennis
Track
Other
Robbie Mills Sports Complex Laconia 11-- -- --
Opechee Park (At Laconia Middle School) Laconia -- 5-- -- 1One full-sized diamond, four youth diamonds
Leavitt Park Laconia 1-- 2 2 --
Sanborn Park Laconia 1-- 1-- --
Wyatt Park Laconia -- -- 2-- --
Laconia High School Laconia 1-- -- -- -- Turf field
Memorial Park Laconia -- 2-- 5--
Source: Various Sources
Local Outdoor Athletic
Supply Map
The parks and schools that provide
outdoor amenities for Laconia are
scattered and located primarily to the
south of the site.
Robbie Mills Sports Complex is a
multipurpose complex that is
adjacent to the potential Project site.
31
Opechee Park
Notes
:
§Five little league diamonds (one with afence),
400Mrubberized track
§Adjacent to Laconia Middle School and Opechee
Bay
Key attributes
:Home to Laconia Little League. Picnic
facilities and two beaches are located at the park in
addition to athletic amenities.
32
Robbie Mills Sports
Complex
Notes
:
§Ballpark that serves as ahome to the
Winnipesaukee Muskrats baseball team
§One multipurpose field for local soccer leagues
Key attributes
:The Muskrats attract roughly 200
attendees per game.Robbie Mills Sports Complex is
located just north of the site.
33
Local Indoor Athletic Supply
Laconia currently offers only four indoor sports-related facilities.
These facilities are located in local schools and in the
community center.Merrill Fay Ice Arena offers one sheet of ice
for local clubs.
Local Indoor Athletic
Supply Map
Most local indoor assets are clustered
around Opechee Bay while the ice
facility is located further to the south.
35
Merrill Fay Arena
Notes
:
§One full-size sheet of ice
§Closes in the spring and summer
§The rink hosts hockey games, figure skating,
lessons, birthday parties and more
Key attributes
:Home to the New England Wolves.
The Wolves include ajunior team and youth teams.
36
Chapter 4:
Demand Analysis and Stakeholder
Feedback
37
Stakeholder Feedback
38
Laconia High School Athletic Director
§The high school has anew turf field and they are constantly turning people away booked until
8:00 p.m. most nights
§The gym is in use from 6:00 a.m. 6:00 p.m. most days
§High school does not host any tournaments currently, but could have that option with anew facility
§Something similar to the Hampshire Dome would have asignificant impact on awide range of
sports in the region
§Basketball and soccer numbers have remained steady over the past several years
§Lacrosse is booming in the region, but it is unclear whether major events could be hosted with an
additional field
§Football had declined, but has bounced back
§Baseball and hockey numbers have declined at the high school level
Stakeholder Feedback
39
Lakes Region Dance
§The organization has been around for 15 years and operates out of a 4,000-square-foot studio in
Meredith, NH
§There are roughly 150 students from ages 2through adult
§Classes run throughout the year and there is acompetition team of 40 dancers that takes several
trips throughout the year
§They have been interested in hosting acompetition for awhile.This competition would be:
oFriday Sunday
oAn estimated 11 40 studios (with 10 100 performance per studio) would compete
§Outside space for performances, large changing spaces and concessions are appreciated.The
changing spaces do not have to be formal locker rooms
Stakeholder Feedback
40
New England Wolves
§The New England Wolves are ahockey organization with junior and youth teams.They have roughly 70 80 kids
and they are outgrowing their current facility at Merrill Fay Arena
§Since the junior teams are made up of kids out of high school, they can play during the day
oPractice 12 15 hours per week
oAugust to Mid-March
§Youth program of roughly 100 kids that practice after school during the week;all ages play games on the weekends
§Laconia loses roughly 20%of boys and nearly 100%of girls after ages 10-11 to Concord, Hudson, and other
locations due to lack of ice time and training
§An ideal facility would include:
oMultiple sheets of ice
oLodging and dining options
oAdedicated locker room for the wolves
oCapacity of 1,000 2,000 for the Wolves with additional visitors seating
§The EHL, New England Premier Hockey League, and United Tier One Hockey League have never held showcases
in Laconia a new facility could keep this business local
Stakeholder Feedback
41
Additional Stakeholder Feedback
§The new turf field at Laconia High School has been busy and city parks get plenty of use during the
summer months
§Additionally, the high school, middle school and community center gymnasiums are at capacity
with various activities
§Any new development would help to expand on current assets and attract additional tournaments
§There is astrong need for indoor turf with the closing of the Tilton Sports Center
§Stakeholders believe that youth sports should be the next big attraction in New Hampshire
§New Hampshire has an aging population and an investment in youth sports would help drive
younger families to the region
§Teams and athletes drive over one hour for quality indoor training during the shoulder and winter
seasons
Stakeholder Feedback
42
Laconia Little League
§Little league baseball made up of 300 kids,
ages 6 12
§Play at Opechee Park, which has only one full-
size diamond
§Currently host adivision two all-star
tournament in late June
oHave had as many as 20 teams express
interest, and will host at least 12
oVery challenging with one field
§Used agymnasium this past year for indoor
training after the closure of the Tilton Sports
Center
§More fields could allow them to expand their
existing tournament and add new events
Winnepesaukee Muskrats Baseball
§New England Collegiate Baseball League that
attracts roughly 225 fans on game nights
§The Muskrats play at Robbie Mills Sports
Complex
oThe Muskrats are happy with their current
situation at the park
oGames are run almost completely by
volunteers
§Have held tournaments in the past, but it is
often difficult for visiting teams to find
accommodations in the summer
§The Muskrats also have a28+men’s league
they want to continue to expand the brand to
both youth and adult teams
Stakeholder Feedback
43
Lakes Region Flag Football
§Fall and spring seasons, 250 kids ages 4 15
§Adult league in the spring and summer with
150 participants
§The league uses Inter-Lakes High School in
Meredith and Laconia High School
§Three fields are created sideways from afull-
length field
§Growth has slowed down abit, but the league
could expand with more space
§There is interest in awinter league if space
were available
Lakes Region United Soccer
§U10 U18 youth soccer with between 200 and
250 unique participants
§Play home games at Bryant Field in Belmont
§Used to train inside at Tilton Sports Center for
$70 per hour for the field
§There would be opportunity for games and
tournaments with just one more outdoor turf
field
§Additionally, there is aneed for indoor training
with the closure of Tilton
§They would prefer any new development to be
community-focused and not price out local
groups
Stakeholder Feedback
44
Lakes Region Juniors Volleyball
§U15 U18 youth volleyball wit between 90
and 120 girls
§Season runs from November to May
§Practices are typically held on Sundays due to
limited gym time.They would extend to
include weekday practices as well
§Currently using Inter-Lake High School in
Meredith, NH
§They host five tournaments each year at
Plymouth State, but would move some of
these events to anew facility in Laconia
§There are roughly 5-6 large clubs in New
Hampshire that are looking for anew facility to
host their tournaments
Laconia Pickleball
§Indoor pickleball plays year-round at the
community center
§The two courts are used Monday through
Thursday mornings while sports are out of the
gymnasium
§Players pay $2 per drop-in at the Community
Center
§Outdoor pickleball is offered at Leavitt Park
§Pickleball would primarily drive weekday use,
but would struggle to generate any major
weekend tournaments or events in Laconia
Stakeholder Feedback
45
Cap City Basketball
§Cap City basketball has 40 teams spread
between Hampton, Concord and Manchester
§They use gym space year round for practices
and camps
§Many of their players are from the Lakes
Region and they would hold practices at a
potential facility
§Cap City hosts nine camps that occur
essentially every week during the summer
§They are currently not hosting tournaments
but that is agoal for the near future
§Around $40 per hour per court is areasonable
rate
Chapter 5:
Regional Sports Facilities Analysis
46
Regional Outdoor Athletic Supply
The regional facilities shown below have at least 4 multi-purpose fields or 6 diamonds.
47
Regional Outdoor Sports Supply
Venue Location
Distance from
Laconia
Multipurpose
Diamonds
Tennis
Track
Other
Global Premier Soccer Bedford, NH 49.6 4-- -- --
Seacoast United Outdoor Complex Epping, NH 50.5 4-- -- -- Indoor training field
Roger's Field Ft. Devans, MA 80.4 11 -- -- --
Wainright Sports Complex South Portland, ME 85.1 8 7 -- --
Massachusetts Youth Soccer Lancaster, MA 87.3 10 -- -- -- 5 large turf fields, additional grass fields of varying size
Green Mountain Challenge Soccer Tournament Weston, VT 93.6 10 -- -- -- Grass fields can vary in size and number
NMH Lower Soccer Fields Gill, MA 104 6-- -- --
Capital Area Sports Complex Augusta, ME 135 4 6 -- --
Source: Various Sources
Regional Outdoor
Athletic Supply Map
As the figure to the right
demonstrates, there is alack of sports
facilities northwest of Laconia. The
closest competitive facilities are
roughly 50 miles away and are
primarily located to the south.
48
Global Premier Soccer
Location
:Bedford, New Hampshire
Notes
:
§Two large outdoor fields, divisible into 4fields
§Multiple, large light fixtures for night games
§Hosts youth and adult soccer leagues, lacrosse,
football, field hockey, rugby, ultimate frisbee
and corporate events.
Key attributes
:Home to numerous organized and
established sports clubs, GPS Complex also offers NH
College Forum Information for players and parents to
ask questions relating to college selection.
49
Seacoast United Sports
Complex
Location
:Epping, NH
Notes
:
§Founded in 1992
§33,750 square feet
§On-site parking
§4multi-purpose fields for all-weather:Soccer, Field
Hockey, Baseball, Softball
§Offers indoor and outdoor fields.
§Three of the four fields have lights for night games.
Key attributes
:This facility is the main headquarters for all
Seacoast United (NH) soccer tournaments.The state-of-
the-art complex is arelatively short distance from multiple
population centers like Manchester and the coastal cities.
50
Wainwright Sports
Complex
Location
: South Portland, ME
Owner
: City of South Portland of Maine
Operator
: City of South Portland
Notes
:
§66 acres of developed athletic fields which
include baseball, softball, boys and girls
lacrosse, soccer, hurling and football.
§8 multipurpose fields
§7 diamonds
Key attributes
: Spacious and open fields, baseball
and softball diamonds organized in close proximity
adjacent to long, parallel open grass plots used for
soccer and other outdoor sports. No artificial turf.
51
Regional Indoor Athletic Supply
The closest multi-court facility is located in Derry, over 50 miles away. A handful of ice facilities exist within 60 miles.New
England Sports Center in Marlborough is one of the largest facilities and offers 10 sheets of ice.
52
Regional Indoor
Athletic Supply Map
The majority of competitive indoor
facilities are located to the south of
Laconia towards and beyond Boston.
53
Fieldhouse Sports
Location
:Bow, New Hampshire
Owner
:privately owned and operated
Notes
:
§3pro-size indoor turf soccer fields
§1multi-sport rubber playing surface
The rubberized surface can be used for futsal, volleyball
and basketball.There is astore that offers concessions
and sports equipment. Leagues and skills clinics are run
year-round.
54
SportsZone
Location
:Derry, New Hampshire
Owner
:privately owned and operated
Notes
:
§95,000 square feet
§3floating wood multi-sport courts
§2indoor hockey-rink-sized turf fields
§Space can also be used for trade shows
§40-foot climbing wall &batting cages
§Restaurant on-site
Takeaway
:Amenity-filled multi-use facility located ten
miles southeast of Manchester which thrives due to afull
calendar of adult and youth sports, and home to several
youth sports camps.Near hotels &restaurants.
55
Hampshire Dome
Location
:Milford, New Hampshire
Owner
:Privately owned and operated by Hampshire
Hills
Notes
:
§309 foot by 180 foot field, divisible into three
fields
§94,000 square feet, 80 feet high peak
§Numerous leagues including 4x4futsal,
soccer, lacrosse, golf driving range, flag
football and 1/5 mile track
The facility has also been rented out for private
events and shows including the New Hampshire
Democratic Convention, the Great Northeast Boat
Show and the New England Food Show among
others.
56
Maine Sports Arena
Location
: Saco, Maine
Owner
: privately owned and operated
Notes
:
§26,000 square feet and two mezzanines
§5 volleyball courts
§3 basketball arenas
§Meeting rooms, reception area, and meeting
planner on-site
Takeaway
: Good for volleyball tournaments, but are
not full size basketball courts. Seating is tight.
57
The RIM Sports
Complex
Location
:Hampton, New Hampshire
Owner
:privately owned and operated
Notes
:
§36,000 square feet
§Five basketball and volleyball courts
§12,000 weekly users
Attributes
:home to respected basketball, volleyball
programs and tournaments, it also includes camps,
after-school programs, adult and youth leagues.Users
live in the Seacoast NH, southern Maine, south-
central New Hampshire, and far northeast
Massachusetts.
58
New England
Sports Center
Location
:Marlborough, MA
Owner/Operator
: H. Larue Renfroe /New England
Sports Management
Notes
:
§8full-size ice rinks
§2small-scale practice rinks
§220,000 square feet
§Home of 2junior hockey teams, 5high school
teams, and figure/synchronized teams
§Two restaurants on-site
Attributes
: Located 25 miles directly west of downtown
Boston on I-495,this is the largest ice rink facility in
New England, with ahockey pro shop, 65 locker
rooms, and a 1,800-seat arena.It was completed in
stages from 1994 -2016.59
Chapter 6:
Sports Tournaments and Opportunity
Analysis
60
Stakeholder Feedback
61
Legacy Global Sports
§Legacy Global Sports is based out of Portsmouth, NH and primarily runs events for Soccer, Lacrosse,
Football and Basketball
§Would highly recommend focusing on an indoor space to meet the needs of winter sports and
training opportunities for other sports
§For court sports, four to six courts would be ideal
oSix courts would allow for a72 team bracket in three days for abasketball tournament
oFour to six courts is typically astraight rental fee of between $4,000 and $8,000 for the weekend
§Legacy sports has established boys basketball, and are working to bring girls tournaments to the
region beginning in 2020
Stakeholder Feedback
62
Legacy Global Sports continued
§If indoor turf were to be developed, they typically look for two football fields to host showcases,
camps and academies for soccer, football, rugby and lacrosse
§While lacrosse is growing in the region, it has not risen to the same level of need of other sports
§Legacy Global Sports typically looks for at least three sheets of ice for regional hockey events, which
could be achallenge with the site and potential development costs
§Laconia would be agood location for indoor events and accessibility should not be too much of a
challenge
§Lack of branded hotels should not be amajor issue.The resort-style hotels present adifferent
process to the tournament organizers, but work just as well for tournament-goers
Stakeholder Feedback
63
USA Volleyball
§The New England region of USA Volleyball has about 12,000 members
§There are nine convention center events throughout the year and five one-day events at 75 different
locations throughout the region
§The season extends from December -May
§Tournaments can accommodate roughly eight teams per court
§USA Volleyball has held tournaments at Plymouth State University in the past
§Boston, Providence and Hartford will continue attract the largest tournaments due to their population
bases and reasonable hotel pricing
§USA Volleyball brings events to facilities that give up their courts for free there is atradeoff for the
room nights and economic impact
§It would be asafer bet for Laconia to focus on amore localized facility with 4courts (8 volleyball) that
could attract smaller tournaments
Stakeholder Feedback
64
Premier Travel Media
§This organization publishes an annual guide
showcasing new facilities to governing bodies
and rights holders
§They are familiar with all new sports
developments and trends across the country
§Compared the situation in Laconia to Yakima,
Washington
oSurrounded by larger markets such as
Spokane, Seattle, Portland
oFocus on regional and family tournaments
USA Football East Region
§Host national development camps
o4hours Saturday, 4hours Sunday
o300 -400 kids, open to the public
oUse at least two fields
oPrimarily host these camps in large
markets
§The NFL Flag program ranges from youth
through high school ages
§Football participation is declining overall, but
flag football is increasing rapidly.There is
opportunity in Laconia for aflag football
league, but regional camps are unlikely to
occur in asmall market
Stakeholder Feedback
65
National Collegiate Table Tennis Association
§The National Championship is the group’s
main annual event.The event utilizes 40 tables
and attracts 250 to 300 athletes from
Wednesday through Sunday.The event needs
40,000 to 50,000 square feet of space, as well
as meeting rooms for officials and event
organizers
§Past events have been held in Texas,
Wisconsin, and Illinois.Athletes and coaches
grow tired of the same venues year after year
§The event generates approximately 450 room
nights over four days
USA Team Handball
§USA Team Handball sanctions 80 events per
year.These are typically club-operated
weekend tournaments that attract 4to 8teams
§USA Team Handball organizes the Open Club
Championships, which attracts 35 teams over
3.5 days.Past years have been held in Reno
(NV), York (PA), Myrtle Beach (SC)
§High School and College age groups are
growing.They trying to develop the sport
before the Olympics in 2028
§Atraditional basketball surface works well for
events, but additional banquet rooms and
storage is typically required
Stakeholder Feedback
66
US Youth Soccer East Region
§The East Region of US Youth Soccer includes
the entire northeast and extends down to
Virginia
§Major cup events in 2019 are scheduled to
occur in Charleston, WV and New Castle, DE
§These regional cups events require upwards of
14 fields
USA Wrestling
§Events roughly every weekend from March
through May
§Events involve all ages and primarily occur at
the Broken Ground School in Concord, NH
Stakeholder Feedback
67
Other Opportunities
Every community is looking for their “silver bullet” as it relates to hosting events and driving sports
tourism.As detailed in the management analysis, owning and booking venues is hard work, especially
due to the competition in the current environment.Esports, for instance, certainly presents opportunity,
but with afew exceptional game and competitions, they are not driving significant traffic to a
destination (sports tourism) and, as alocal draw, present challenges since the real money is being made
by the brands who push online viewing.Other trending non-traditional sports that may present
opportunity at an indoor facility include:
§Badminton, Fencing
§Futsal, Team Handball, Weightlifting
§Gymnastics Need local gym operator who wants to be a promoter
§Martial Arts (all disciplines)
Northeast Region Basketball
Tournaments
The adjacent table highlights upcoming youth basketball
tournaments in the Northeast Region. An average of four
courts are needed for the tournaments shown.
New England Region
Volleyball Association
New England Region Volleyball Association (NERVA) has
several one day events throughout the spring.These one day
events average just under five courts.
New England Region Volleyball Association also sanctions
several multi-day events but these can range from 18 to 97
courts spread across large convention centers and multiple
facilities.
Tournament Implications
§Tournament analysis and feedback from several events rightsholders indicates that apotential facility in
Laconia could accommodate several indoor events throughout the year
§Basketball and volleyball events are occurring throughout the region in facilities with between four and six
courts, which is what would be recommended for Laconia
§Tournament organizers suggested that an indoor sports facility would have agreat impact on the market
and is in higher demand
§Groups such as Legacy Global Sports, who are based in the New Hampshire,believe that Laconia could
attract additional events and lure existing events to anew facility with four to six courts
70
Chapter 7:
Case Studies
71
UW Health Sports
Factory
Location
: Rockford, IL
Opened
: 2016
Owner
: City of Rockford
Operator
: Rockford Park District
§96,000 square feet
§8 basketball courts (16 volleyball courts)
§Seating for up to 3,700 spectators
§Five meeting rooms
§Events plaza, restaurant/bar, riverfront
boardwalk
UW Health Sports Factory
The UW Health Sports Factory in Rockford,
IL is aconverted former warehouse facility.
Built in 2015,the facility cost $24.4 million,
including land acquisition.The project was
paid for by the City of Rockford and the
Rockford Park District through aseries of
grants and a 2 percentage-point increase in
the Winnebago County hotel tax.The City of
Rockford sold the naming rights to UW
Health for $1.9 million in 2016,with base of
$175,000 per year for ten years.
The venue was designed to be adestination
for weekend tournaments, while also
accommodating local needs during the
week.The facility is hosting approximately
30 to 40 weekend events annually.
73
UW Health Sports
Factory
The adjacent table details the
operational performance of
the UW Health Sports Factory
in Rockford.Personnel
expenses account for nearly
half of all expenses at the
facility, followed by services
and supplies.Net operating
losses have ranged from
$245,000 to $350,000 over the
facility’s first three years of
operations.
2016 2017 YTD 2018 (October)
Revenue
Fees $155,961 $405,112 $371,670
Other $172,299 $188,912 $159,816
Total Revenue $328,260 $594,024 $531,486
Expense
Personnel $315,288 $467,429 $376,706
Benefits $117,408 $159,676 $133,497
Supplies $88,750 $78,834 $56,713
Services $163,939 $259,712 $226,336
Transfers ($7,400) ($20,000) ($16,670)
Total Expense $677,985 $945,651 $776,582
Net ($349,725) ($351,627) ($245,096)
Source: City of Rockford
UW Health Sports Facility
*Personnel and Benefits include direct seasonal Police support, 50% of consumer service, and 80% D.
Potter. Benefits include health, life and retirement benefits
Myrtle Beach Sports
Center
Location
: Myrtle Beach, SC
Opened
: 2015
Owner
: City of Myrtle Beach
Operator
: Sports Facilities Advisory/Sports Facilities
Management (SFA/SFM)
§8 regulation basketball courts
§16 volleyball courts
§Seating for 1,500 (portable bleachers)
§Seven team rooms
§Private mezzanine for elevated viewing
§Café for indoor/outdoor dining
75
Myrtle Beach Sports Center
Opened in 2015,the $13.8 million
100,000-square foot Myrtle Beach Sports
Center was developed by the City of Myrtle
Beach to drive tourism to the area during
the beach’s offseason.In addition to sports,
the venue is designed to host conventions,
trade shows, and other flat floor events.
The facility is managed by Sports Facilities
Advisors/Sports Facilities Management
(SFA/SFM), one of the premier third party
operation companies in the country.
76
Myrtle Beach Sports
Center
The adjacent table details the
historic events by type for the
Myrtle Beach Sports Center
since opening in 2015.As
shown, utilization is dominated
by basketball tournaments,
followed by volleyball
tournaments and other tourism
events.The facility has
averaged approximately 71
events per year since 2015.
Myrtle Beach Sports Center Events
2015 - 2016 2016 - 2017 2017 - 2018
Basketball Tournaments 48 36 40
Volleyball Tournaments 913 12
Cheer Events 3 5 6
Gymnastics Events 4 8 4
Other Tourism Events 7 9 8
Total Events Per Year 71 71 70
Source: SFM
Myrtle Beach Sports
Center
The adjacent table details the
financial operating
performance of the Myrtle
Beach Sports Center since
opening in 2015.As shown,
the complex lost $94,000 in
Year 1before breaking even in
Year 2.
Revenue is driven primarily by
facility rentals, followed by
food and beverage (gross) and
sponsorship revenue.
Myrtle Beach Sports Center Total Revenue & Expenses
2015 - 2016 2016 - 2017 2017 - 2018
Revenue
Basketball Tournaments (Rental and Facility Fees) $335,682 $330,939 $340,217
Volleyball Tournaments (Rental and Facility Fees) $74,741 $107,992 $96,630
Cheer Events (Rental and Facility Fees) $33,976 $52,887 $67,900
Gymnastics Events (Rental and Facility Fees) $24,543 $67,370 $32,100
Other Tourism Events (Rental and Facility Fees) $66,462 $35,162 $7,000
Local Events (Rental) $31,339 $24,352 $45,000
Local Rentals (Basketball & Volleyball Court Rental) $56,168 $58,017 $58,900
Food & Beverage $104,982 $321,477 $359,964
Parking $119,099 $128,942 $137,347
Hotel Rebates $31,714 $14,448 --
Sponsorship $225,045 $234,585 $250,000
Other Miscellaneous Income $3,801 $12,235 $16,000
Recovered Expenses $34,705 $85,010 $91,000
Total Revenue $1,142,257 $1,473,416 $1,502,058
Expenses
Basketball Tournaments (Rental and Facility Fees) $27,280 $13,598 $12,805
Volleyball Tournaments (Rental and Facility Fees) $3,959 $4,332 $3,449
Cheer Events (Rental and Facility Fees) $1,439 $2,608 $3,055
Gymnastics Events (Rental and Facility Fees) $959 2803 $1,035
Other Tourism Events (Rental and Facility Fees) $4,764 $1,939 $490
Local Events (Rental) $1,439 $1,019 $2,269
Local Rentals (Basketball & Volleyball Court Rental) -- $136 $589
Food & Beverage $500 $109,942 $115,188
Parking -- $450 $481
Hotel Rebates -- -- --
Sponsorship $81,017 $60,251 $75,000
Other Miscellaneous Income -- -- --
Recovered Expenses $38,414 $78,747 $81,900
Payroll $486,506 $593,470 $570,782
Total Cost of Goods Sold $646,277 $869,295 $867,043
Gross Margin $495,980 $604,121 $635,015
% of Revenue 43% 41% 42%
Operating Expense $92,007 $53,018 $53,000
Facility Expense $285,243 $276,658 $276,000
Management Fee Plus Incentives $180,075 $190,768 $163,000
Payroll Taxes/Benefits $33,162 $23,448 $24,000
Total Operating Expenses $590,487 $543,892 $516,000
Net Income ($94,507) $60,229 $119,015
Source: SFM
Myrtle Beach Sports
Center
The adjacent table details the
budgeted payroll summary for
2018-2019 at the Myrtle Beach
Sports Center.As shown, the
complex employs five full-time
staff members and avariety of
part-time employees for
tournaments, food and
beverage, and other staffing
requirements.The facility
anticipates atotal staffing
expense, including benefits, of
$641,000 in 2018.
Myrtle Beach Sports Center Payroll Summary Budget 2018-2019
Year 2
General Manager $81,600 $83,232
Operation Director $56,100 $57,222
Marketing & Business Development Director $51,000 $52,020
Facility Manager $35,700 $36,414
Office Manager $35,700 $36,414
Subtotal Management Payroll $260,100 $265,302
In-House Basketball Tourn. Director $5,400 $5,940
In-House Volleyball Tourn. Director $6,000 $15,840
In-House Cheer & Dance Event Director $2,450 $19,795
Subtotal Sports Directors $13,850 $41,575
In-House Basketball Tourn. Staff $2,458 $2,598
In-House Volleyball Tourn. Staff $4,066 $10,858
In-House Cheer & Dance Tourn. Staff $1,225 $9,898
Food & Beverage Staff $87,420 $126,285
Retail Staff $6,764 $8,966
Climbing Staff $5,073 $6,725
Subtotal Sport Admin Staff $99,258 $141,976
In-House Basketball Tourn. Officials $17,280 $17,280
In-House Volleyball Tourn. Officials $12,800 $40,960
In-House Cheer & Dance Event Judges $2,500 $15,750
Subtotal Officials & Judges $32,580 $73,990
Payroll Subtotal $405,788 $522,843
Health Insurance $30,900 $31,827
Management Bonus Pool $24,916 $39,720
Payroll Services $2,472 $2,546
Payroll Taxes $37,321 $44,885
Payroll Taxes/Benefits/Bonus Totals $95,609 $118,979
Total Payroll $501,396 $641,822
Source: SFM
Grand Park
Location
:Westfield, IN
Owner/Operator
:City of Westfield/Various Organizations
Notable users
:Indiana Soccer Association, Indianapolis
Colts, Indiana Fire Juniors, Indiana Bulls, Indy Eleven
Pros
:Tournament-quality facilities, large local programs
operate facilities, mix of turf and grass fields, well-
maintained
Cons
:Amenities proximity to fields, limited shaded
areas, multiple events happen each weekend
Additional Info
:
§400 acres
§Opened in 2011
§Includes:31 multipurpose fields, 26 baseball
diamonds, 8basketball courts or 16 volleyball courts,
3indoor multipurpose fields
80
Grand Park
81
§Grand Park is 100%owned by the City of
Westfield:
oDifferent structures are in place for the
operations of baseball, soccer, basketball,
etc.
oThey would advise against splitting
responsibilities among parties for
maintenance (irrigation, upkeep, etc.)
§Achampionship field is aluxury item:
oUse it roughly 10 times per year
oNeed to look for title sponsor for the first
five years
§Locker rooms are used sporadically.If you
have them people will use them, but they can
find another way
§Fields are the biggest revenue producers,
partially because of the condition they are
kept in
§There are currently no plans to add any
amenities, however, they have thought about
play structures or shade structures
§They do not count hours, but they will allow 7
to 10 days on grass fields before major events
§The facility uses adynamic pricing model, with
discounted rates for tenants
§There are about 4,000 paved parking spots at
the complex.This works year-round with the
exception of acouple big weekends
§They currently own two events and are
growing to six.They would encourage event
ownership
Chapter 8:
Support Amenities Hotel &
Restaurant Analysis
82
Laconia Area Hotels
Over 1,400 rooms are offered
within 10 miles of the site.The
majority of the lodging
offerings are independent.
Laconia Area Hotels
Hotel Distance!Rooms!Chain Scale Open Date
Lake Opechee Inn & Spa 1.7 34 Upscale Jun-05
Barton's Motel 2.3 41 Economy Mar-38
The Margate Resort 2.4 141 Upper Midscale Jun-52
The Landmark Inn 2.4 104 Economy Jun-72
Birch Knoll Motel 3.1 24 Economy Jun-60
TownePlace Suites Laconia Gilford 3.2 75 Upper Midscale May-09
Naswa Resort 3.6 82 Upper Midscale Jun-35
Grand View Motel & Cottages 3.9 22 Midscale n/a
The Cozy Inn Lakeview House 434 Midscale n/a
Half Moon Motel & Cottage 435 Midscale Jun-57
Weirs Beach Motel & Cottages 4.1 21 Midscale n/a
The Lord Hampshire 4.4 33 Midscale Jun-46
Misty Harbor & Barefoot Beach Resort 4.6 93 Upper Midscale Jun-87
Travelodge Tilton Lake Winnisquam 4.7 30 Economy Jun-96
Silver Sands Motel 4.7 29 Economy Jun-55
Fireside Inn & Suites Lake Winnipesaukee 583 Upper Upscale Jun-84
Anchorage On Lake Winnisquam 530 Economy Jan-50
Econo Lodge Inn & Suites Tilton 5.2 40 Economy Jun-60
Belknap Point Motel 6.2 16 Midscale Jun-60
The Gunstock Inn & Resort 6.4 25 Midscale Jun-71
Church Landing @ Mills Falls 6.8 58 Upscale May-04
Chase House @ Mill Falls 723 Upscale May-85
Mill Falls at the Lake 754 Upscale Jun-84
The Inn @ Bay Point 7.1 24 Upscale Jun-86
Hampton Inn Tilton 7.3 92 Upper Midscale Jun-08
Super 8 Tilton Lake Winnipesaukee 860 Economy Jul-89
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Tilton Lakes Region 868 Upper Midscale Oct-08
Ames Farm Inn 8.1 42 Midscale n/a
Total/Average -- 1,413 -- Jun-75
Source: Smith Travel Research
Laconia Area
Tournament Hotels
Not all hotels in the area are
suitable to host teams visiting
for tournaments.The adjacent
list cuts the number of rooms
down to less than 1,000 by
cutting out economy
properties and hotels with very
few rooms as teams will want
to stay in one block.
Laconia Area Hotels
(Within 10 Miles)
The adjacent map shows
Laconia area hotels within 10
miles of the site.
Laconia Local Hotels
The adjacent map shows the
local hotels within roughly 3
miles of the site.
Laconia Restaurant
Supply
The adjacent list shows the
supply of restaurants in
downtown Laconia. A plethora
of casual dining and fast casual
options are attractive for
tournament goers.
Restaurant Name Address Type Quality
Soda Shoppe 30 Beacon St E Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Casual Dining
Laconia Village Bakery 660 Main St Breakfast & Lunch Casual Dining
Hectors Fine Food & Spirits 53 Beacon St Lunch & Dinner Casual Dining
Karma Café and Art 72 Church St Breakfast & Lunch Casual Dining
Water Street Cafe 141 Water St Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Casual Dining
Tavern 27 2075 Parade Rd Lunch & Dinner Casual Dining
Faro Italian Grille 70 Endicott St N Dinner Casual Dining
Blue Bistro 1086 Weirs Blvd Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Casual Dining
NazBar and Grill 1086 Weirs Blvd Lunch & Dinner Casual Dining
The Steak House 644 Weirs Blvd Dinner Casual Dining
Myrna's Classic Cuisine 131 Lake St Dinner Casual Dining
China Bistro 89 Lake St Lunch & Dinner Casual Dining
The Union Dinner 1331 Union Ave Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Casual Dining
T-BONES Great American Eatery 1182 Union Ave Lunch & Dinner Casual Dining
Friendly's 1160 Union Ave Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Casual Dining
Lakeside Famous Roast Beef 1091 Union Ave Lunch & Dinner Casual Dining
CJ Avery's 10 Railroad Ave Dinner Casual Dining
Fratello's Laconia 799 Union Ave Lunch & Dinner Casual Dining
405 Pub Grill 405 Union Ave Lunch & Dinner Casual Dining
Lanna Thai 363 Union Ave Lunch & Dinner Casual Dining
Sal's Pizza Laconia 360 Union Ave Lunch & Dinner Casual Dining
Brick Front Restaurant-Lounge 134 Church St Lunch & Dinner Casual Dining
Shang Hai 331 Main St Lunch & Dinner Casual Dining
South End Pizza & Seafood 302 S Main St Lunch & Dinner Casual Dining
Wayfarer Coffee Roasters 626 Main St Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Fast Casual
Burrito Me 9 Veterans Square Lunch & Dinner Fast Casual
North Country Deli & Pizza 821 N Main St Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Fast Casual
El Jimador 36 Endicot St E Lunch & Dinner Fast Casual
Jon's Roast Beef & Deli 1367 Union Ave Lunch & Dinner Fast Casual
Faro Express Casual Italian 1127 Union Ave Lunch & Dinner Fast Casual
Dairy Queen 1126 Union Ave Lunch & Dinner Fast Casual
Dunkin' 1106 Union Ave Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Fast Casual
D'Angelo Grilled Sandwiches 1056 Union Ave Lunch & Dinner Fast Casual
Lakes Region Cupcakes 1002 Union Ave Lunch & Dinner Fast Casual
Aroma Joe's Coffee 644 Union Ave Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Fast Casual
Laconia House of Pizza 334 Union Ave Lunch & Dinner Fast Casual
Goody Good Donuts 235 Union Ave Dinner Fast Casual
Annie's Cafe & Catering 138 Gilford Ave Breakfast & Lunch Fast Casual
Dunkin' 369 S Main St Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Fast Casual
My Coffee House 92 Court St Breakfast & Lunch Fast Casual
Cafe Dejavu 311 Court St Breakfast & Lunch Fast Casual
Taco Bell 1315 Union Ave Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Fast Food
McDonald's 1231 Union Ave Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Fast Food
Domino's Pizza 585 Union Ave Lunch & Dinner Fast Food
Happy Cow Ice Cream Shop 385 Union Ave Lunch & Dinner Fast Food
Laconia Local Eatery 21 Veterans Square Dinner Fine Dinning
Source: Hunden Strategic Partners
Laconia NH Restaurant Supply
Laconia Restaurant
Map
The adjacent map shows that
the site is located ashort drive
away from the restaurant
nodes in Laconia.
Laconia Competitive Hotel
Set
Laconia Area Hotels
Hotel Distance!Rooms!Chain Scale!Open Date
TownePlace Suites Laconia Gilford 3.2 75 Upper Mid May-09
Hampton Inn Tilton 7.3 92 Upper Mid Jun-08
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Tilton Lakes Region 868 Upper Mid Oct-08
Comfort Inn Ashland 12.5 41 Upper Mid Jun-86
Fairfield Inn & Suites Plymouth 18.8 85 Upper Mid Aug-16
Total/Average -- 361 -- Nov-05
Source: Smith Travel Research
The adjacent tables shows the Laconia competitive hotel set.
Due to the majority of hotels being independently owned, the
competitive set is made up of five branded hotels within 20
miles of the site.
Competitive Hotel
Performance
The competitive set performance indicates that room nights sold and
occupancy have fluctuated slightly over the last six years.However,
rooms sold have increased by acompound annual growth rate of 8.3%
during this period
ADR had shown apositive change from 2013 to 2017,before aslight
decrease in 2018.This equates to aCAGR of 4.0% for ADR and 6.1%
for RevPAR through 2018.This is an indicator of agrowing hotel market
Supply & Demand
The trend lines show supply
growth in 2016,aligning with
the Fairfield Inn &Suites
entering the market.
Demand peaks during the
summer months, but has
smaller spikes in the spring
and fall.
Room Revenue
Change
Points above the x-axis in the
adjacent chart represent year-
over-year room revenue
growth, while points below the
line means room revenue
decay.
Revenue Per Available
Room
The trend line shows that
RevPAR, which is the product
of occupancy and rate, has
recorded an increase of
roughly $20 since 2013.
Seasonality
Occupancy & ADR
The summer months are the
strongest in the Laconia area,
with average occupancy
around 80 percent in July and
August.
Rate mirrors occupancy (shown
in the table below),
demonstrating that local hotel
options are appropriately
compressing rates when
demand is highest.
Day of Week
Occupancy & ADR
The adjacent figures show the
day of week performance of
the competitive hotel set from
May 2018 through April 2019.
High rates during the
weekends suggest astrong
presence of leisure travelers
and lower weekday/corporate
usage.
Heat Charts
The adjacent heat charts
summarize the day of week
performance of the hotel market
over the last calendar year.
Weekend occupancy is strong
from June through October.
ADR is strongest on Friday and
Saturday from June through
October, surpassing $200 in July.
It would be hard to bring
tournaments to the area on
weekends from June through
October.
Chapter 9:
Site Analysis
97
Site Analysis
98
Lakeshore Redevelopment Planning Commission
The purpose of the Commission is to identify and study potential redevelopment concepts for the 200+-
acre State-owned Lakes Region Facility.The site has been selected by the Governor of New Hampshire
to participate in aFederal economic redevelopment program.
The current condition of the site is shown on the following slide.
99
Site Analysis
100
Geographic Context
Sitting atop and along the slopes of an approximately 250 foot tall hill rising from the shores of
Winnisquam Lake and Opechee Bay, the 200+acre site, formerly the New Hampshire Lakes Region
Facility (NH LRF) lies 2.5 miles north of downtown Laconia.
The Lakes Region Facility site is bordered on the southwest by the forested, 128-acre Ahern State Park,
State Route 106 to the east, and the Robbie Mills Center, one of the City’s recreational sports resources.
Of note is that 5.2 acres on the northern edge of the State Facility have been used historically for
overflow parking for the Robbie Mills Center during larger seasonal tournaments.
To the east of the site, the Opechee Bay Tract of 48 acres is an agricultural preserve featuring publicly
usable gardens and cleared land for growing of hay.This designation should forever preserve views to
Opechee Bay from the State Facility.
Visitor amenities in the region consist of numerous beaches, resorts and recreational destinations along
the west side of Lake Winnipesaukee.Weirs Beach and boardwalk, Mt.Washington Cruises, Funspot
and other year round family recreational sites are within a10 minute drive. Laconia Municipal Airport is
located 5miles from the State Facility with two Fixed Base Operators (FBOs) offering refueling,
maintenance and scenic flights.
Site Analysis
101
Site Access
The NH LRF site has two vehicular access points today:one on the south at State Route 106 and another on the
north from Eastman Road.Right Way Path is apaved road that runs the north-south length of the site on the
alignment of Old North Main Street which connected downtown Laconia to Meredith Center before the construction
of Route 106 and Meredith Center Road.The unpaved Ahern State Park Road is accessed from Right Way Path.
While the Lakes Region Facility is not on astate primary snowmobile trail, it is located within amile of Primary Trail
303 and within 3miles of New Hampshire Corridor Trail 9which runs through downtown Laconia. Two posted local
trails run through the State School Property.One trail runs parallel and north of State Route 106 from Meredith
Center Road to Ahern State Park.The other trail runs from Ahern State Park through the northwest corner of the
State School Property to the intersection of Eastman Road and Meredith Center Road, where it continues onward
towards State Primary Trail 303.
Several marked and mapped hiking trails extend from Ahern State Park into the State School Property and the
property is frequently used by nearby residents for avariety of passive recreational uses such as mountain biking,
running, and dog walking.
Future trails have been proposed to extend to the LRF site including the Winnipesaukee Opechee and Winnisquam
(WOW) Trail that is expected to include the existing road system on the site to connect Ahern State Park with
Opechee Lake and the Robbie Mills Sports Complex.The proposed trail is intended to be apaved, ten foot wide
multi-use path and aprotected street crossing at Route 106 and Old North Main Street.
Site Analysis
102
Existing Landscape
The 200+acre site sits on aridge between Winnisquam Lake and Opechee Bay.The site rises
approximately 150 feet from alow point along State Route 106 and ahigh point approximately 725 feet
above sea level at the northern end of the site where existing water tanks are located.Slopes on the site
are generally mild (less than 5%) except the western edges of the site adjacent to Ahern State Park,
where slopes approach 15%. However, the site has sufficient slopes nearly everywhere such that
extensive grading would be required for any use dependent on alarge, flat surface.
The lands of the former school buildings and fields have been cleared for decades, while the remaining
areas are densely forested with mixed age timber of white pine, oak and birch, typical species for
formerly agricultural land or logged forests.Soil types consist of fine sandy loams appropriate for
agriculture and other areas with steeper slopes and stones not suitable for agriculture.Generally, areas
that are currently open and mowed are the more suited for this use.There are no known wetlands or
streams on the site.
Given the proximity to the lakes, water quality is of prime concern to regulating bodies and advocates.
Thus, soil disturbance, increases in impervious surfaces, or removal of forest cover will require on-site
mitigation in the form of retention areas or active storage to reduce flows and protect water quality.
Site Analysis
The above figures show the footprint of a potential 4-court
facility in two separate locations on the site. The RIM Sports
Complex is used as a reference footprint.
Chapter 10:
Conclusions
104
Headlines
§Ahandful of indoor and outdoor sports complexes exist in New Hampshire and throughout New England.
Laconia’s population base, lack of branded hotel rooms, and proximity to larger markets will make it
difficult to attract large regional tournaments.
§The hotel market in Laconia and surrounding cities is performing fairly well with solid rates and
occupancies over 60 percent.Hotel performance is driven by strong summer months due to leisure
activities in the region.The gaps in hotel performance occur during the shoulder seasons and winter
months.The gap suggests that an indoor sports complex could have positive impact on hotel
performance during the shoulder seasons and winter months.
§Locally, the lack of available, quality indoor athletic facilities presents amajor challenge for area clubs in
both indoor and outdoor sports, to train and practice during the season and throughout the offseason.
§HSP’s analysis indicates that opportunity exists for anew sports complex to both accommodate local
demand and drive sports tourism to the site.
§While sports facilities are impactful, they often do not break even operationally, necessitating the
investment upfront and ongoing support of outside forces.Most of the spending that occurs from a
facility generally happens in lodging, restaurants, attractions and retail.Attracting private capital to such
facilities is difficult, even if they are busy and impactful.
105
Headlines
§HSP’s analysis suggests that there is enough demand generated by Laconia area organizations to fill anew
court/gymnasium facility in the evenings throughout the winter season.This demand would drive
significant rental revenue to any new indoor complex.The development of aflexible indoor court
complex would likely also result in the creation of new local and regional events.
§Based on the comprehensive market analysis, HSP recommends that a 4-court indoor facility be
developed.The facility would offer 4regulation basketball courts which can be converted to 8volleyball
courts.Such afacility could accommodate weekly use for flat-floor sports, as well as smaller regional
weekend events.While such afacility would be able to accommodate other flat-floor activities such as
pickleball, wrestling, robotics, and Esports, the primary benefit would be to Laconia area sports
organizations.
§While there is also demand for outdoor fields to accommodate soccer, lacrosse and other field sports, this
demand may not be enough to generate afiscal return on investment due to issues with an uneven site
(more expensive to develop) and already occupied hotel rooms with high rates in the summer months.
The sloped site will greatly influence the cost and viability of outdoor facilities that will take up more land
than an indoor facility.
§While there is ademand for ice and indoor turf fields, the cost to develop such afacility is much greater
and offers less flexibility for various sports which limits potential impact.Additionally, there is an adequate
supply of ice and indoor turf within a60 mile radius.
106
Recommended
Program
The adjacent table summarizes
the recommended program for
the indoor court facility.
Chapter 11:
Partnerships and Funding
108
Realities of Private Facility Development
While there have been indoor and outdoor facilities developed privately, the financial realities of the
business make it difficult to sustain aprivate business model.Typically, someone who is connected in the
business and passionate about specific sports undertakes these developments at great personal cost/risk.
Often they go bankrupt or are sold for much less than developed, as the net cash flows do not support the
upfront development cost/debt load.
Other factors at play:
§The location of the facility is near the developer's house.Finding aprivate developer to care as much as
you do about this facility in this place and work days/nights to make it work can be difficult.This is why
HSP often looks for existing local talent in terms of groups or people who can manage the facility and
attract tournaments
§Most privately-developed facilities are smaller (2-4 courts), with lower quality of equipment &amenities
§They are not able to host large tournaments due to size
§They often cannot keep up with needed renovations due to cash flow
§There is often very little room for seating or spectators
109
Governance Options
The following pages show examples of how other youth sports tournament facilities are operated, including:
§Third-party private management
oCompany
oIndividual Contractor/Contracted Position
§Authority owned and managed
§Anchor tenant-operated (Sport Association)
§Parks &Recreation Department
§Public-Private Partnership
110
Private Management -Pros
Private management companies operate approximately 18%of all small civic sports and entertainment
venues.
§Third party management companies have the advantage of strength in numbers in terms of their access to
talent in their network, relationships with vendors, sponsors and others
§Access to anetwork of venues means more leverage and more events.Third-party management tends to
have networks of national and regional event promoters, planners and other facility users for bringing in
new events
§Some third-party management companies provide capital investment, especially if the contract is for a
long term
§Competition drives improvements as several primary management companies compete for contracts.
§Third party management can handle management issues such as discipline, pay, human resources and
others and can hire/fire to meet the mission of the enterprise
§Management companies generally know how to maximize revenue and minimize expenses without
negatively impacting the quality of service.They also have the ability and experience to appropriately
staff the facility which can save issues and expenses that are the result of overstaffing and understaffing
111
Private Management -Pros
§Third party management can maintain continuity in the case of turnover because other equally
experienced parties can be brought in to assist with operations
§Third party management is away to separate an organization from the tough decisions that need to be
made
§Third-party managers are experienced in negotiating food and beverage contracts, advertising and
sponsorship deals and other related deals for the facility
§Performance-based compensation is often standard.This means that the third-party management
company will be aggressive and comprehensive in their sales and marketing programming
112
Private Management -Cons
§The client can feel like they are losing control of their processes and day-to-day management
§Learning curve can be an issue for someone new to the area
§Third-party managers can sometimes use smaller venues as a“training ground” for their own staff and
have arevolving door of staff that they move in and out of facilities
§Management fees can be high and the professional manager may concentrate only on their own bottom
line without necessarily considering the larger community as awhole
§Private management companies do charge fees above and beyond the cost of their general manager.The
management fee is typically aflat amount with abonus that can be achieved by meeting certain goals
annually.These deal points are critical to the success of the facility and should be reviewed carefully as
deal negotiation is key.Ultimately, the efficiency, customer service, and financial results produced via the
management company should more than make up for their fee
§The management fee for private companies is relative to the size of the facility, but at minimum for a
facility like Laconia’s, would be $75,000+per year.Most youth sports facilities with private management
pay them $125k -$175kper year on top of normal staffing and other expenses
113
Private Management
Example: SFA/SFM
Based in Florida, Sports
Facilities Advisory/Sports Facility
Management (SFA/SFM) helps
to open and manage youth and
amateur sports facilities
throughout the U.S.
SFA has experience in several
comparable facilities throughout
the country, with aspecialty
focus on “court sports.” Some of
these top facilities include
Round Rock Sports Center
(Round Rock, TX), Rocky Top
Sports World (Gatlinburg, TN)
and Myrtle Beach Sports Center
(Myrtle Beach, SC), among
others.
Round Rock Sports Center
Myrtle Beach Sports Center
Rocky Top Sports World
Private Management (SFA/SFM)
115
§Nationwide marketing reach is one of the key
selling points
§Open and willing to work with local partners
not alot of clarity on what that would look like
§Convention Center model charge between
$100k - $300kper year
oTypically work with alarge number of
courts/fields
oRoom night generation is the key
§Have relationships with major sponsors across
professional sports
§Value add:
oTypically hire ageneral manager with
outside experience to relocate
oAll other employees are hired within the
local community
§Detailed marketing strategies:
oDigital assets
oGrass roots
oSocial media
oDigital presence
oGrand opening marketing
Authority Model
§The authority model combines the best elements of public and private ownership and management
§The model is often used for major public venues like convention centers, arenas, youth sports complexes
and others
§Apublic, non-profit authority is set up to take ownership of the asset
§Appointees to the authority board come from mayor and council, typically 3each, plus one member
appointed by the local tourism entity.This can vary depending on the situation
§The Authority has arevenue stream to fund operations at the facility they are charged with.Typically a
portion of the hotel or meals tax
§The Authority hired ageneral manager OR amanagement company to run the facility.In Laconia’s case,
an experienced individual should be hired to manage the facility and attract tournaments, and can hire
part-time staff as need to assist in running the facility
§The Authority can have an arrangement to provide maintenance services inside and outside the facility for
anominal charge
116
Anchor-Operated Model
§The anchor-operated model combines the best elements of private management and abuilt-in user and
tournament organizer
§The model is used when there is alocal or area sports organization, such as abasketball or volleyball
league, that has astrong track record financially and organizationally, and can manage the facility on
behalf of the client or an authority.
§The sports anchor may pay alease or may have afree lease, so long as they take responsibility for all
revenue and expenses at the facility and keep the client’s financial operating loss risk to zero.
§Lease terms would need to ensure that the anchor tenant allowed for other teams and organizations to
rent and use the facility.
§The focus should be on maximizing usage, revenue and tournament activity.
§This model has worked at Grand Park in Westfield, Indiana
117
Example: Grand Park (Westfield, IN)
§100%owned by the city anchor tenants are
the managers and pay alease take care of
expenses
oIndiana Soccer Association leases and
manages the multi-purpose fields
oIndiana Bulls Baseball leases and
manages the diamonds
oAnchor tenants receive majority of rental
revenue, city shares in other revenue
streams
§The City receives 100%of parking, aportion
of apparel, hotel rebates
§Encourages event ownership
118
Parks and Recreation
119
Pros:
§Community focus
§Programming for local population (classes,
camps, etc.)
§Controlled by government
§Able to use government resources to do
things that may not be affordable to private
operators
Cons:
§Controlled and bound by government rules,
bureaucracy
§Not as nimble or flexible to demands, needs
and opportunities of fast-moving enterprise
§Not focused on revenue maximization,
expense minimization
§Can be influenced by politics and local
government
§Salary and benefit costs are much higher than
private sector employment or contract
§Overall results expected to be less robust
Implications/Recommendations
§The authority/public non-profit model is recommended with hired management.It can be simply apublic
non-profit
§Appointees to the board come from mayor and council, typically 3each, plus one member appointed by
the local tourism entity.This can vary depending on the situation
§The entity should have adedicated revenue stream to fund operations at the facility for the first 3-5 years
while it is ramping up
§The entity should hire aexperienced general manager to manage the facility and attract tournaments,
who can then hire part-time staff as need to assist in running the facility for concessions and other items.
The cost of any additional talent would be expected to be paid for by onsite revenues from concessions,
advertising, parking, rent and others
§The Authority should likely have an arrangement with the client to provide maintenance services inside
and outside the facility for anominal charge, as the operation will run on avery tight budget
120
Process
In order to create the most successful facility possible, there are several key tasks that must be undertaken in
the management of the facility.The client should be able to answer the following strategic questions prior to
beginning the process:
§What is our goal or mission? What does success look like?
§What can we expect to do financially?
§What will our impact be?
§How will our facility meet or exceed all of these goals and expectations?
Only once these answers are clear and afirm strategic plan is created that includes everything from the
facility design and operations to personnel to marketing and so on, can the client actually begin to
determine the timeline for the facility and begin to execute on the bigger plan.
The job isn’t done there.The client must also understand what performance measures will support or feed
back into the goals and expectations of the facility and the timeline should have created asolid plan that
will include specific key performance indicators and measurements.
121
Chapter 12:
Demand and Financial Projections
122
Events
The projection model for the scenario assumes that the Laconia sports facility will
primarily cater to basketball, volleyball, and indoor flat floor sports (wrestling,
dance, etc.). These event projections include various sized tournaments that are
assumed to rent the entire facility for multiple days over aweekend, as well as
smaller single day events.Projections also include midweek court rental hours for
practice, training, and leagues at the facility.
Overall, HSP projects the indoor complex to host 63 events and more than 2,700
additional rental hours per year by stabilization (Year 5).
Event Days
Based on the number of average days per event (shown in the first column), the
adjacent table shows the number of event days projected for the facility. By
stabilization, HSP projects that the sports facility will generate 104 event days per
year, not including hourly rentals.
Attendance
Family and friends accompany most of the participants.Tour naments are assumed
to bring between one and 1.6 spectators per participant.Trends show that the
younger the participant, the more family and friends accompany the participant to
the event.By stabilization, HSP projects more than 77,000 total attendees at the
facility driven by events.
Financial Projections
As shown, there are hourly and
daily rental fees.Rates (other than
hourly rentals) are calculated on a
per-day basis.In order to project
total rental revenue, the rental
rates are multiplied by the number
of event days for each event type,
assuming three percent annual
inflation.
By Year 5, HSP projects over
$340,000 in rental revenue at the
facility.
Financial Projections
The model assumes events will
pay daily, hourly or facility rental
fees to use the facility, based on
fees charged at comparable
facilities.This model assumes a $5
gate fee per car for weekends
tournaments.As shown, rental fees
are projected to be the largest
revenue source, increasing to
roughly $370,000 by Year 10.
Financial Projections
While the staffing assumptions for
these facilities is highly dependent
on the managerial structure for the
venue, most comparable
competitive indoor sports
complexes employ between five
and seven full-time employees,
plus part-time event staff.Full-time
staff is projected to cost $254,000
plus benefit costs of approximately
33 percent of salaries.Part-time
staff is expected to cost an
additional $65,520.
Financial Projections
These projections are based on
per day, per cap spending
assumptions for event attendees
(shown in the first column).It is
assumed that 40 percent of
concession revenue accrues to the
facility.
Chapter 13:
Economic, Fiscal, and Employment
Impact Analysis
130
Room Nights
As shown, there are projected to be more than 13,700 room nights generated by
the stabilized year.Most are assumed to be generated by regional basketball and
volleyball tournaments.If the project were located in asuburban market, the
room night generation would be lower.However, given the location in agetaway
market, asmaller facility can leverage more impact, per court.
Visitation
Roughly 42,000 visitor days are
expected by the stabilized year.
HSP only counts net new spending
captured in the community, not
recycled spending by local users
or impact outside of Laconia. This
adjacent table also considers the
percentage of total room nights
captured in Laconia, which is
dictated by both occupancy, rate,
and the seasonality of of the hotel
market.While HSP projects the
complex to generate over 32,613
room nights per year, HSP
anticipates that only 15,964 will be
captured in Laconia hotels.
Impact
Spending on lodging is the largest component of direct new spending in Laconia,
followed by food and beverage, transportation, and other local spending.
Over 20 years, the recommended facility is projected to generate more than $130
million in direct net new spending within the community.
Impact
The next table shows the direct, indirect, and induced spending from the Project
based on the IMPLAN multipliers.
The direct spending totals $130 million over the 20-year period (as shown in the
prior table), while the indirect and induced spending add another $43 million and
$46 million, respectively. In total, $220 million in economic impact is projected
from new and recaptured spending.
Impact
The adjacent table shows the new earnings associated with the new economic
activity. Earnings are the portion of new spending that ends up as wages for
employees in businesses in the local community.
By the fifth year of operations, more than $2.7 million of direct, indirect, and
induced earnings are projected, with a total of more than $60 million over the 20-
year period.
Impact
The adjacent table shows the estimated full-time equivalent jobs created by the
Project. These new positions will be supported throughout the economy, not just
in visitor-related jobs, although these will be most likely.
New full-time equivalent jobs (FTEs) are projected to vary over the period based
on the net new spending and total 186 by the fifth year.
Impact
The fiscal impact of the Project is the benefit to the community via taxes
generated. The following table shows the projections of new taxes over the first
20 years of operation.
In total, local taxes are projected to generate more than $202,000 by Year 5, and
total more than $1.5 million over the first 20 years.
Impact
The one-time construction of the
project will impact Laconia as
spending will occur via the purchase
of materials (40 percent of the
budget) and the payment of labor
and service providers (60 percent of
the budget).It is assumed that the
total investment will be
approximately $10 million for the
sports facility.
Materials spending locally is
estimated to total $3.8 million in
direct, indirect, and induced
spending.The direct labor spending
is approximately $3.6 million and
would support 25 job-years (one
construction job for one year).
Impact
The table to the right shows a
summary of estimated combined 20-
year impacts for the recommended
complex.
The net new spending for the Project
totals $221 million over the 20-year
period, $64 million in new earnings,
186 new full-time equivalent jobs,
and more than $1.5 million in new
taxes collected from the ongoing
spending over 20 years.The
construction impact will be more
than $7 million on materials and
labor, most of which will accrue to
the local economy and local workers.
The 25 job-years will be atemporary
boom for the local economy.
Hunden Strategic Partners is afull service real estate
development advisory practice specializing in
destination assets.With professionals in Chicago,
San Diego, and Minneapolis, HSP provides avariety
of services for all stages of destination development
in:Real Estate Market &Financial Feasibility and
Development Consulting;Economic, Fiscal &
Employment Impact Analysis (Cost/Benefit);
Organization Development;Public Incentive
Analysis;Economic and Tourism Policy/Legislation
Consulting;Research &Statistical Analysis;and
Developer Solicitation &Selection, Private
Management Company Solicitation &Selection.
For further information about Hunden Strategic
Partners, please contact:
Hunden Strategic Partners
213 W. Institute Place, Suite 707
Chicago, Illinois 60610
312.643.2500
www.hundenpartners.com