The Russell Sports Dome is open for business!
After several months of construction, the Russell Sports Dome is now open to everyone.
The Russell Sports Dome opened its doors to residents on Wednesday, January 10. The public is now invited to take advantage of all the dome has to offer. That is precisely what many people were doing during the dome’s first day of operation.
“It’s a nice facility and it’s good because winter has been so brutal. I’m glad that I can get out and do something and still bring the baby,” said Kristina Sinclair, mother of a fivemonth-old, who was trying out the running track. “It’s only a couple of minutes from home, so it’s a good investment.”
Construction of the $4.5 million facility officially began on May 17 of last year. The dome was originally scheduled to open in the Fall, around October or November.
Owned and operated by Russell Township, the 60 000 square-foot dome is located between Embrun and Russell. It is equipped with both artificial turf and solid flooring to accommodate a variety of activities and sports including football, soccer, tennis and bowling.
It is the first of its kind not only in Russell Township but also in Prescott and Russell. It will be open year-round.
“You can train for baseball in here. You can’t really do a full indoor game, but with the synthetic surface and the netting, we’re going to be able to get a lot of stuff done in here that you can’t get done in other domes in the city,” said Jason Coker, the Bytown Dodgers’ baseball coach.
“I love all the machines. There’s a lot of selection and they have everything you need,” expressed Carly, Jacqueline and Roxanne Crump, who were at the opening to check out the gym. “We’re anxious to see when they put the tennis courts up because we love tennis.”