Focus on Manatee: Bradenton area makes important investment in Premier Sports Campus, sports tourism

Just before the new year, Manatee County officially purchased Premier Sports Campus from Schroeder-Manatee Ranch in a deal that had been in the works since late summer.

Previous host to elite sporting events, including the Special Olympics, U.S. soccer and USA field hockey showcase, the world-class campus offers 23 FIFA regulation fields, a 3,500-seat stadium and more than 140 acres that can support small- and large-scale sporting events and training camps for athletes of all levels.

In 2016, Premier Sports Campus attracted more than 75,000 visitors, generating an estimated economic impact of more than $14 million. But for years it also has aided in the Bradenton area’s efforts to establish itself as a leader in sports-related tourism, which is continuously one of the county’s top drivers of economic impact.

At purchase, it was valued at more than $20 million; the county was able to secure the campus for $5.2 million, funded by tourism dollars and impact fees.

As news of the purchase spreads, the County is committed to ensuring Premier Sports Campus will continue to contract with organizations, including the Lakewood Ranch Chargers, Monsters Lacrosse and I-9 youth sports, which cater to residents.

As part of the agreement, it is also focused on improving the campus, including constructing an aquatics center to fill the need for a complex to house recreational and competitive swimming events for high school athletes in the eastern portion of the county.

Additional plans include the construction of permanent restrooms as well as a multi-purpose building that will provide client meeting space and offices. The county also will place heightened emphasis on promoting out-of-town sports business, which now falls under the purview of the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.

I am confident that under the county’s direction, Premier Sports Campus will maintain its elite brand and continue to attract world-class athletes and events to the Bradenton area.

The county is thrilled to have retained Antonio Saviano, the previous director of Premier Sports Campus, to manage the facility, bringing him under the Convention and Visitors Bureau department. The county’s property management division will handle the daily maintenance of the campus.

Sports tourism is one of the fastest growing – and most impactful – sectors in the tourism industry and its future in the Bradenton area is now brighter than ever. We are thrilled to bring Premier Sports Campus into the BACVB fold and hope that visitors and residents alike continue to take advantage of all it has to offer for years to come.

This story was originally published January 28, 2018 at 8:35 AM with the headline "Focus on Manatee: Bradenton area makes important investment in Premier Sports Campus, sports tourism."