Perfect pitch

Backers of the $11 million Prospect Meadows ball fields project at the intersection of Highway 13 and County Home Road in Marion are trying to turn a double play.

The 17-field development is a recreation project, expanding the number of fields available to baseball and softball teams and leagues from nearby communities. The number of local teams has exploded in recent years, and available diamonds are at a premium. 'It's not going to be a problem filling this (facility),” said Jack Roeder, the project's general manager and former longtime general manager for the Cedar Rapids Kernels.

That growth includes the League of Dreams, a program that puts low-income second- and third-graders on the field. It could be expanded to other grade levels if the facility is built, according to backers.

Prospect Meadows would also be home to a 'Miracle Field,” designed to allow children with disabilities to play ballgames on a special, rubberized surface with wheelchair accessible dugouts. Only about 200 such fields exist nationally, with the nearest in Des Moines.

ECONOMIC BOOST

But along with those community recreational uses, Prospect Meadows is also an economic development project. Perfect Game USA, a Cedar Rapids-based business touted as the world's largest baseball scouting and development firm, will be the primary user of the complex's eight largest diamonds. That means a series of high-level summer tournaments featuring dozens of teams from across the country.

'Youth baseball is growing like crazy here now,” said Perfect Game's Jerry Ford. 'The growth rate is unbelievable.”

According to an analysis commissioned by the Greater Cedar Rapids Convention and Visitors' Bureau, tournaments would bring 60,000 visitors to the area annually, with new hotel revenue topping $7 million. And that's just one potential impact, alongside significant restaurant and retail spending that would also generate local sales tax dollars.

So it's a potentially exciting project. But as of now, it's not a fully-funded project.

THE FUNDING PICTURE

Prospect Meadows' $4.2 million private fundraising campaign has raised $2.7 million so far, including $400,000 from Perfect Game, among several sizable corporate and individual gifts. The Minnesota Twins, parent club to the Kernels, has promised $10,000.

The project is also seeking $6 million in public support. The City of Marion already has pledged $750,000, and Linn County has agreed to lease the land for the complex at $1 per year while also allowing backers to keep money generated by a lease with the farming operation currently taking place at the site. Support may also be sought from the City of Cedar Rapids.

State help is also possible. Prospect Meadows has applied for a $1.3 million Revitalize Iowa's Strong Economy, or RISE, grant front the Iowa Department of Transportation. Those dollars would be spent on providing turn lanes, access to the site and other traffic needs. RISE grants are matched 50/50 with local dollars.

Roeder said Prospect Meadows also will seek help through the state's Vision Iowa and Community Attraction and Tourism, or CAT, programs.

EXCITING POTENTIAL

There's a lot to be excited about in this project.

We think Prospect Meadows' stated commitment to providing facilities that can be used by kids from this community make it a worthy recipient for local public investments. We're heartened by the potential for expanding the League of Dreams to kids in grades 4-6, although we'd like to hear more about how those children would be transported to a complex that's far more than a bike ride away. The Miracle Field is a great concept, and its place at the center of the complex shows its importance to the project's vision.

We're comfortable that local uses won't be trumped by Perfect Game, which is expected to account for 60 percent of the larger fields' use in the summer months. That split makes sense, considering that entree fees and gate receipts from Perfect Game events and tournaments provide a big share of the complex's projected $3 million operating budget.

BALANCE IMPORTANT

So long as a good balance is maintained between community uses and more profitable play, we see Prospect Meadows as a local asset.

We also hope state officials see that value. RISE funding is critical to handle issues associated with putting the complex at the intersection of an already busy highway and well-traveled county road. After watching Vision Iowa and CAT provide funding to so many outdoor recreation projects over the years, it would seem Prospect Meadows fits well within the programs' mission to improve Iowa's quality of life and encourage tourism.

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PROJECTIONS:

A consultant's analysis of Prospect Meadows plans estimates the project would annually:

' Attract more than 120,000 attendees, including 60,000 visitors who fill 80,000 hotel-room nights

' Generate $25 million in local direct spending.

' Create 200 full-time and part-time jobs

' Generate new hotel revenue of $7.2 million.

' Generate $500,000 in hotel-motel tax revenue

' Generate $500,000 in new local-option sales tax revenue

' Add $1 million to state sales tax revenue.

More information on the project: http://www.prospectmeadows.com