Cedar Point Sports Center inks agreement with schools

Coming in the Weekender: A progress report for the Cedar Point Sports CenterSANDUSKY — Soon checking into the game at Cedar Point Sports Center: hundreds of local middle school-aged children.Both Cedar Point executives and Sports Facilities Management representatives recently signed an agreement with three school districts — Huron, Perkins and Sandusky — which allows children to practice indoor sports, like basketball and volleyball, at the center. The deal provides for an alternative space when one isn't available at a specific district's home site.Cedar Point owns the center's land, on Cleveland Road (U.S. 6) beside its sister outdoor site, Sports Force Parks at Cedar Point Sports Center. Sports Facilities Management runs the entire indoor complex.These middle school teams can begin practicing at the center, within a 145,000-square-foot arena, once it opens in January.A deal quickly came together after executives and representatives realized many middle school teams practice late at night, an unideal time, typically, for students, families, teachers, coaches and administrators."Gym space in the area is tight when you are looking at all the teams for both boys and girls, factoring in grade school, middle school and high school," said Jake Schwerer, the sport center's marketing manager."There are a lot of kids and a lot of teams that need gym space in the area," Schwerer said. "They would still play their games at their schools, but they would be able to practice here."School leaders appreciate the gesture, one a private business didn't have to pursue and execute:• Huron Schools superintendent Dennis Muratori: With a growing number of Huron boys and girls participating in biddy sports, such as basketball and volleyball, available gym space within the district has become a challenge. Utilizing the court space at Cedar Point Sports Center provides several benefits to Huron children, including earlier practices on school nights and reducing weekend practices, allowing for more family time.• Perkins Schools superintendent Todd Boggs: The partnership with Cedar Point Sports Center facility is a great opportunity for all Perkins student-athletes and families. Multiple teams from Perkins Schools can practice at the same time without having to schedule late-night or early morning practices, and, therefore, we won't force families to sacrifice precious family time and study time for practice time. And, because of limited athletic space in the school buildings, students won't have to practice in secondary athletic facilities, such as cafeterias.Each district individually negotiated a specific rate, on an as-needed basis, to rent out space. While financial specifics weren't readily available, district officials and executives indicated they're "fair" prices.Students enrolled in area middle schools — the districts of Sandusky, Huron and Perkins — can practice sanctioned sports, like basketball and volleyball, at the Cedar Point Sports Center, on Cleveland Road (U.S. 6) in Sandusky, once the facility opens in January.Becoming a community partnerInvolving the local area and engaging residents played an important factor before ground broke on this $42 million complex in summer 2018.Other than the middle school partnership, at Cedar Point Sports Center, the public can access its facilities through:• Receiving treatment from an orthopedics and sports rehabilitation facility run by Firelands Regional Medical Center• Walking along a one-eighth-mile-long indoor track extending above the playing area• Renting space within the facility for meetings, functions, corporate outings or partiesAnd, most recently, Sports Facilities Management just created a league for all area children for those enrolled in kindergarten through fifth grade. Starting in mid-January, at the center, kids can take part in skills sessions on Mondays and play games on Wednesdays. More information, including how to register, can be found on the center's Facebook page."This is such a great asset and can provide so much opportunity for our kids to mix from different communities," said Duff Milkie, Cedar Fair's general counsel and executive vice president. He's one of the project's main point people. "These are just our initial installments for an overall local usage plan, which has been a point of emphasis from us," Milkie said.The center's business model primarily revolves around attracting teams from outside the Firelands region to compete in tournaments there. Through this method, the indoor facility can help fill hotels, motels and lodges during winter, producing many more year-round jobs.More visitors translates into additional tax dollars produced at stores, restaurants and the like. These funds can then improve many public services Erie County residents will benefit from.Though it's important to remember the community in this entire process. They deserve to enjoy Cedar Point Sports Center as much as tourists, Milkie said."Just like the outdoor sports park, the indoor sports park has to be a community asset," Milkie said. "We want it to be something that the local community uses and embraces while we utilize it to bring in people from outside the community to create and drive an economic benefit for everybody."Students enrolled in area middle schools — the districts of Sandusky, Huron and Perkins — can practice sanctioned sports, like basketball and volleyball, at the Cedar Point Sports Center, on Cleveland Road (U.S. 6) in Sandusky, once the facility opens in January.Making sense of the dollars and centsBuilding the Cedar Point Sports Center totals $42 million with not a single cent coming from local taxpayers. It breaks down with:• $23 million: funds coming from Erie County through bed tax money, a fee assessed onto people, mostly tourists, whenever staying in area hotels, motels, lodges, Airbnb or VRBO properties, bed and breakfasts and the like• $11 million: funds coming from Firelands Regional Medical Center, which includes money from donors• $6 million: funds coming from Cedar Fair, Cedar Point's parent company, which is also assuming all operating risk and includes covering any yearly operating losses• $2 million: funds coming from Sandusky through a tax-financing arrangement; This accounts for future property taxes from development occurring at this site.Reach reporter Andy Ouriel at ouriel@sanduskyregister.com and follow him on Twitter @AndyOuriel.