Help Prospect Meadows sustain a regional destination

Backers who launched the Prospect Meadows baseball and softball complex north of Marion brought hopes of continuous grand slams to promote youth sports-drawing consistent visitors to the region. While the complex has seen some wins, the need to focus to ensure a financially solvent future is now.

It’s been a rough road for the long-awaited facility. During its first year of operations in 2020, the pandemic knocked out scheduled tournaments and the August derecho inflicted further damage. Projected profits evaporated while loses and debt grew. Another six ball fields slated for construction remain on hold.

According to reporting by The Gazette’s Marissa Payne, Prospect Meadows is looking once again to local government to help it weather growth pains.

Backers contend the facility draws score of visitors, many from out of state, to tournaments at the complex. Those families stay in local hotels, shop in retail stores and eat in restaurants. An economic impact report in January 2023 showed Prospect Meadows attracted 127,000 visitors from March through October 2022. They spent $11.08 million locally and filled more than 24,000 hotel room nights in Linn and Johnson counties.

Local leaders acknowledge Prospect Meadows’ economic value. But after backing some of the facilities’ debts in the case of Marion and Linn County and providing incentives for filling hotel beds in an agreement with Cedar Rapids, there’s a wariness about providing more public investments.

“The public entities have really supported this from the beginning,” Linn County Supervisor Ben Rogers told Payne. “It’s an economic driver. It brings a lot of people into the community, but we’d also hope that they’d approach other stakeholders when they're discussing the future and sustainability of Prospect Meadows.”

So, what can be done?

A capital fundraising campaign has been discussed. But no commitment has been made.

Raising entrance and tournament fees to increase revenue are options. Although with other large complexes available, such as at the Field of Dreams in Dyersville, Prospect Meadows doesn’t want to price themselves out of a competitive market.

Expanding a request for investments in the region beyond Marion, Linn County and Cedar Rapids is a possibility. After all, the complex has a regional economic impact.

Prospect Meadows supporters may have to come up with a new, creative way to raise money. There must be good ideas out there. We’d also like a stronger public position from Perfect Game. What is their commitment for the long-term?

We’re not opposed to more public investment in Linn County. But we believe if governments are going to sink more dollars into the complex, they should have representation on the Prospect Meadows board of directors. Local government currently is not part of the board.

No one wants to give up on Prospect Meadows. It is a regional asset. Finding a way to keep the facility afloat is imperative. In the end, we remain confident in the facilities’ prospects.

(319) 398-8262; editorial@thegazette.com