TUSCALOOSA SPORTS COMPLEX: A FEASIBILITY STUDY

Tuscaloosa Sports Complex: A Feasibility Study

Robert Cleveland
Ethan Haas
Davis Durham
The University o Alabama
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TUSCALOOSA SPORTS COMPLEX: A FEASIBILITY STUDY
Tuscaloosa Sports Complex: A Feasibility Study
Tuscaloosa is a thrivin" city located in a "ro#in" county and the need or a
central$ lar"e%scale sports complex is increasin" as #ell& Currently$ the city itsel is home
to ive main par's #ith athletic ields& These par's include (o#ers )ar' #hich houses
our li"hted youth sotball ields and our li"hted adult sotball ields$ the Fosters Sports
Complex #hich has t#o li"hted sotball ields and one unli"hted multi%purpose ield$
*cDonald%Hu"hes Community Center #ith t#o li"hted sotball ields and one li"hted
baseball ield$ +e# Hinton )ar' #ith one li"hted youth sotball ield$ t#o li"hted adult
sotball ields$ and one unli"hted multi%purpose ield$ and *unny So'ol )ar' #hich has
our li"hted adult sotball ields$ six li"hted youth sotball ields$ six li"hted multi%
purpose ields$ and three ree%play soccer ields& ,hile there appear to be plenty o
recreation ields and acilities throu"hout the city$ these locations are spread over the city
and some are not up to par #ith the standards that should be 'ept by the city o
Tuscaloosa& -ur plan is to build a state o the art sports complex placed in a centrali.ed
location #ithin the city o Tuscaloosa& +ot only #ill the citi.ens o the city en/oy this site$
it #ill also be utili.ed by "roups throu"hout the state$ aidin" the tourism industry o
Tuscaloosa by indirectly addin" economic beneit to the city&
Review of Background
Tuscaloosa is a city o over 01$222 people$ and the current layout and number o
athletic acilities and ields is stru""lin" to support the recreational needs o this "ro#in"
population& ,ith most o these acilities bein" older$ routine maintenance and up'eep is
sometimes ne"lected or simply not up to standards causin" these locations to sho# their
a"e& 3 no action is ta'en and no ne# acilities are built$ the citi.ens o Tuscaloosa and the
surroundin" area #ill be missin" out on a vital recreational opportunity #ithin the
community&
Method
For the purpose o ac4uirin" eedbac' on the necessity o a ne# sports complex in
Tuscaloosa$ a survey #as created to "ain a "eneral idea o ho# the population #ould eel
about such a pro/ect& Ten 4uestions #ere presented on the survey$ ran"in" rom "eneral
need or the sports complex all the #ay to ho# the pro/ect #ould be unded& The most
obvious and essential 4uestion or the survey is #hether or not there is a need or a ne#
sports complex in Tuscaloosa& The sample population #as also as'ed to provide a
location #here they #ould put this complex i it #ere up to them& This "ave us an idea o
i the complex #ould lourish in a centrali.ed area #ithin the city or a#ay rom the city
center to allo# or ample space and land or the pro/ect& Another very important point
addressed by the survey is #hich activities or acilities #ere most important to the
"eneral population& This #ould aid in the determination o #hich acilities #ould be
constructed at the Tuscaloosa Sports Complex& 3t #as also important to ind out i the
population bein" sampled 'ne# o any other athletic ields or sports complexes in the
area to determine i the ne# Tuscaloosa Sports Complex #ould become their primary
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TUSCALOOSA SPORTS COMPLEX: A FEASIBILITY STUDY
destination #hen it came to recreational activities& An attempt #as made to ma'e the
survey completely random$ ho#ever indin" people #illin" to ta'e the survey and$ more
importantly$ return it completed proved to be a challen"e& (ecause o this complication$
the "roup had to resort to havin" close riends and amily ta'e the survey& This may aect
the results by not allo#in" the survey to reach a #ide enou"h sample si.e&
Results
The results o the study clearly illustrated a need or desire or a ne# sports
complex in the city o Tuscaloosa to service the surroundin" area& !226 o survey ta'ers
supported the pro/ect and elt that it #ould be a "reat up"rade and supplement to the
par's that already serviced the Tuscaloosa area& There #ere also a lar"e number o survey
ta'ers that #ere in avor o tax dollars bein" the primary undin" o this pro/ect& A"ain$
!226 o individuals that too' the survey accepted the idea that tax dollars may be used to
supplement private undin" or this pro/ect& Another valuable piece o inormation "ained
rom the survey #as an idea or a location or the ne# Tuscaloosa Sports Complex&
Responses appeared to be split bet#een a more centrali.ed$ do#nto#n location and
another location sli"htly outside o the city 7/ust south on H,8 90: that may allo# or
more room and lo#er land costs& From the survey it #as also noted that most people are
only a#are o some o the older par's and recreation centers in the city& For example$
So'ol )ar' #as a re4uent response&
This survey also allo#ed insi"ht into #hat ields and other recreational structures
need to be built at the ne# sports complex& Ater analy.in" the results$ it #as ound that
the top three team or individual sports that most people #anted to see ields and;or courts
built or #ere ootball$ tennis and bas'etball& All three o these received an avera"e score
o importance 7! bein" least important$ 9 bein" most important: o over our& A similar
4uestion #as also presented or more recreation based activities& For these$ the top three
scorers #ere the ideas or a Frisbee;dis' "ol course$ multiple bi'in" trails and a do"
par'& A"ain$ all three o these scored above a our$ #ith Frisbee;disc "olin" scorin" a <&5
out o 9$ hi"hest o any activity observed& Soccer ields and an a4uatic center #ere ound
to be lo#est on the need scale$ scorin" at or belo# t#o out o a possible six&
Discussion
,ith all o these results analy.ed and ta'en in to account$ it appears extremely
easible to push or#ard #ith the construction o the ne# Tuscaloosa Sports Complex&
,ith one hundred percent o the sample population in avor o the pro/ect it is impossible
not to see an obvious need in the city and push to have plans dra#n up or the pro/ect
#ithin the next six months&
Limitations
,hile revie#in" these results$ it is important to remember that there are a e# 'ey
limitations in the method o research used in this study& As #ith all random surveys$ there
is a chance o not reachin" a #ide enou"h tar"et audience resultin" in a narro# ran"e o
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TUSCALOOSA SPORTS COMPLEX: A FEASIBILITY STUDY
responses& This can "reatly hurt the analysis o the population bein" studied by causin" it
to not be truly representative o the "roup in 4uestion& Another important limitation
encountered #as the #illin"ness o people to ta'e the survey and havin" them returned in
a timely manner& 3 results are not "athered promptly$ it can ta'e much lon"er to continue
#ith the study$ as they are the basis or the entire pro/ect& Also$ undin" or this pro/ect
may be an obstacle& A small$ local tax increase may be re4uired$ alon" #ith undraisin"$
in order to raise the unds re4uired or this pro/ect&
Conclusion
3n summary$ ater collectin" surveys rom multiple people around the city o
Tuscaloosa$ it has been made clear that a ne# state%o%the%art$ centrally located
recreational sportin" complex is #anted #ithin the city o Tuscaloosa& ,hile the pro/ect
may re4uire local tax payer support as #ell as private undraisin" and donations$ it is
clear that the complex itsel #ill boost the cities economy and tourism in the lon" run&
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