May 8, 2023

All 18 fields at the newly opened Sanford Sports Complex Diamonds were full over the weekend as the complex hosted its first major tournament.

While the Fastpitch Frenzy softball tournament competed on baseball fields, the State/Prairie Cup Soccer tournament was underway on the adjacent soccer fields.

Then there was the Prep Hoops Stomping Grounds basketball tournament in The Pentagon, plus activity at the Scheels IcePlex and Huether Family Match Pointe.

“All the teams that have been out here have been very impressed,” said Steve Young, president of the Sanford Sports Complex. “The comments are that it’s one of the best environments they’ve been able to play in.”

The Sanford Sports Complex was built on thinking big, from the unique model of The Pentagon more than a decade ago to the Scheels IcePlex, which brought much-needed ice to the community, and Great Shots, which pioneered a golf entertainment model in a market size where they’re not typically found.

As for what the future here holds, a master plan developed about a year ago might provide clues.

Sanford worked with ISG to develop the plan addressing its 427-acre Sports Complex, showing a multitude of potential uses.

“This was the first time we had a professional group take us through and interview user groups and get input on what’s necessary,” said Jesse Smith, vice president of operations.

“It was very thoughtful, down to the detail on the roads and what the roads should look like … and it was by far the most comprehensive master plan we’ve done to date.”

This animated flyover illustrates some of the potential uses for the remaining land.

It shows space for administrative needs and partner organizations.

An area is carved out for residential development, with medium-density housing shown as well as higher-density apartments.

A more defined main entry to the complex appears to show a stadium.

And a mixed-use area looks to combine athletics, hospitality and retail in a walkable setting.

“We’re trying to create our own density here,” Smith said. “We’re not in the core of the city … so we’re trying to create corridors and the feel of walking in a true campus as opposed to a cornfield with some buildings.”

ISG’s vision was “very bold and very strategic but also very attainable,” he continued. “I think what we’ve got is something to work from. If you look at it, it’s got multiple stadiums not right now on the radar, but it gave us the flexibility and blueprint to move forward with confidence.”

Momentum building

As soon as the snow melted and turf surfaced, teams were ready to start using the new fields at The Diamonds, which opened late last year.

“We opened much sooner than we were planning,” Smith said. “What we learned is weather and demand are going to dictate when we open the fields and who’s going to use those fields.”

Everyone from middle school sports teams to Division I baseball teams have used them already, he said.

“It’s going to be an incredible season for us, traffic-wise, and just learning the operations and how to integrate our team into those fields and making sure we’ve got operational standards high,” Smith said.

The turfed fields were a result of master planning that took seasonality into consideration, Young said.

“Outdoor turfed fields were the priority, turfed with lights and capability for shoulder season,” he said. “And we have growing needs and demand constraints for indoor turf and court space.”

On one recent weekend, The Pentagon drew 116 teams, and 85 were from out of state, plus two from Canada.

Numbers like that quickly fill up nearby hotels. The new Comfort Inn & Suites is scheduled to open in June, adding 86 rooms.

The master plan for the complex shows space for additional hotel development.

“We’re certainly seeing interest,” Young said. “I think we’re close. I think we’ll continue to have conversations throughout the year. I think as we start to learn what a true summer is doing out here, we’ll have a lot more clarity on the true need.”

Residential, retail prospects

The Sanford Sports Complex will begin seeing long-anticipated residential growth in the years ahead.

Lloyd Cos. is planning a housing development northeast of the future Sanford Virtual Care Center that likely will be built in four phases, vice president of development Luke Jessen said.

“It’ll be a significant housing development when it’s all complete over the next several years, trying to hit a wide range of incomes and demographics and cater to a broad range of people that work, attend events, go to the Sports Complex, so trying to match that from a housing perspective,” he said.

“Overall, we probably have at least five years’ worth of development out there.”

The goal is to break ground on the initial phase later this year or early next year.

“We anticipate several of our employees potentially living there, whether that’s virtual care or Dakota State’s employees living in that area,” Young said. “The group northwest corner of the city is certainly an area that needs housing, and this is a unique campus that I think would be attractive to certain individuals, whether they’re a sports lover or like being close to the interstate or like doing things to pass the time, whether it’s play golf at Great Shots or go for a walk at The Diamonds or be connected to the bike trail.”

Retail also will be coming to support the development, beginning with a new Scooter’s Coffee drive-thru kiosk along Benson Road directly in front of Fleet Farm.

It’s scheduled to open later this year.

“The momentum and excitement around what’s coming out here is really positive, and I hope to continue to have big announcements throughout the summer,” Young said.

“With Scooter’s, it accelerates conversations on quick-service restaurant opportunities … and we have several desires and conversations on future hospitality, entertainment and light retail. I don’t know what kind of light retail is ready for this location yet or if it needs to be developed further, and maybe residential helps, but hospitality, entertainment and quick service is top of mind for us just based on traffic patterns.”

The overall convergence of greater athletic options combined with the daily workforce traffic that will come with the future Virtual Care Center and Dakota State University cybersecurity research center could mean the daily population of the area starts to swell in the years ahead.

That all points toward more opportunity for additional investment.

“We’ve got a dialogue with user groups in several sports that have an interest in the market or they’re keeping an eye on the market,” Smith said, adding the remaining land “not only challenges you, it demands you to think big. We’ve got a huge section of land that’s almost sacred in that we want that big, visionary-type project to come in and transform the landscape and transform the community and have people go, ‘That’s so cool. I can’t believe that’s here.’”