Blaine innovates on a sports and entertainment district of $ 750 million to stimulate tourism and city revenue from the city with new hotels and businesses.
Blaine, Minnesota – Dirt travels to a new sports and entertainment district of $ 750 million in the heart of Blaine, next to the National Sports Center.
The redevelopment of 60 acres takes shape along the 105th avenue. According to Erik Thorvig, director of community development of Blaine, the city began to acquire aging properties in the region a decade ago with the long -term objective of transforming it into a center for entertainment, catering and tourism.
The city has sold the land to private developers, who are now building the mass project – which includes high -end restaurants, hotels, apartment complexes, walking trails and a stadium of events that could accommodate concerts and a potential team of a minor league.
“An investment of $ 750 million that will be made by the private market will increase our tax base, generate additional long -term income in the city,” said Thorvig. “There will be a financial advantage for the city from this point of view.”
Blaine attracts 7 million visitors a year, but he has no “city center”. This is one of the objectives of this new development: creating a central space for visitors and residents to be collected.
How the Olympic Games stimulated the creation of NSC
Sports have long been part of Blaine’s DNA, anchored by one of the greatest advantages in the city: The National Sports Center.
The largest amateur sports center in the world extends to a 700 acres campus and welcomes more than 4 million visitors each year, according to Todd Johnson, executive director of Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission and the National Sports Center Foundation.
“This is the largest amateur sports center in the world,” said Johnson.
It has more than 50 football fields, seven of which are state -of -the -art grass, eight skating rinks, an 18 -hole golf course designed by PGA and a training center for Minnesota United.
The complex hosts the USA Cup football tournament Each summer, which attracts more than 16,000 players from around the world.
The installation was born from a major investment in the late 1980s, when Minnesota asked to host the summer Olympic Games. Although the offer finally lost against Atlanta by only three votes, the credit of $ 14.7 million in the state has borne fruit – transforming Blaine into a sporting destination.
And that does not even explain about 3 million people who visit the city every summer for the PGA Tour 3m open to TPC twin cities.
“When I took the job for the first time, I said that there was no reason that this complex was not like Central Park for Blaine,” said Johnson.
Built with the community in mind
City officials stressed that no tax on the general fund is used for the project. As part of the agreement with the developers and the National Sports Center, they built 10 new grass fields.
The community has helped shape the vision. There have been a number of community contribution sessions where various proposals have been examined. The member of the municipal council of Blaine, Chris Massoglia, said that his voters had expressed a desire for more commercial development and entertainment rather than additional housing.
“My voters would like to see a little less residential growth and a little more emphasis on commercial, commercial and entertainment options,” said Massoglia.
The project also addresses one of the longtime tourist hedges of Blaine: limited accommodation options.
“We want people to stay in the city when they come to visit and, hopefully, there will also be really fun equipment for residents,” said Massoglia.
An upward city
The population of Blaine has exploded in recent years – now exceeding 73,000 residents, up more than 16,000 since 2010, according to data from the American census. It is the largest city in Anoka County.
“It’s wild, isn’t it?” Said Massoglia.
With growth and investment increasing, city leaders say that Blaine is about to become a high -level destination for sports tourism and entertainment in the Midwest.
“This will take us to the next level of some of these events, for sure,” said Johnson.