The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
Officials host groundbreaking ceremony for Nexus Center
UTICA, N.Y. » Groundbreaking work has begun in downtown Utica on the $44 million tournament-based recreation and sporting complex, the Nexus Center.
The 169,440- square-foot complex will be a center for ice hockey, box lacrosse, soccer, and other field sports, drawing competitive youth teams from across the U.S. and Canada.
The Nexus Center is projected to host 24 hockey and 24 lacrosse tournaments each year and is estimated to see more than 320,000 annual visitors who will spend more than $26 million a year during their stay in the Mohawk Valley Region, according to a news release.
Officials said the Center’s three sheets of ice can be easily transformed into field-based surfaces to attract turf-performed sports. In addition, the Nexus Center will feature more than25 locker rooms, commercial office space, college classroom space, retail space, food and beverage services, and other multi-purpose training space.
The project is expected to be completed by December 2020.
Funding was provided by a $22 million Upstate Revitalization Initiative grant awarded last year to the Upper Mohawk Valley Memorial Auditorium Authority, matched by $22 million from Oneida County, according to the project announcement.
“The Nexus Center is a key component of our bold vision to generate economic growth in Utica and the entire Mo hawk Valley by boosting tourism and creating more opportunities for New Yorkers,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in the news release. “This exciting milestone puts us one step closer to transforming downtown Utica into a world-class destination for visitors from all over the country and the globe.”
Cuomo also announced an outdoor winter festival will be held at Griffiss Business and Technology Park in December 2020 to coincide with the grand opening of the Nexus Center. The Winter Festival, which commemorates the Park’s 25th anniversary,
Soccer League outdoor game featuring Utica City FC.
The Nexus Center will be part of the U-District, the region’s emerging arts, and entertainment district, and will be located adjacent to the Adirondack Bank Center.
The center’s focus will be on out-of-town tournament participants yearround while catering to local athletes during the week for practices and training. When the facility is left idle, it will function as a community sports and recreation center for area sports organizations, high schools, and colleges.
“The Nexus Center has an essential role to play in the reshaping of downtown
Utica as a sports, arts and entertainment center and will draw visitors from all over the Northeast and Canada boosting the local economy, and will continue to make Utica an attractive place for families and young people to live, work and play,” Empire State Development Acting Commissioner and President & CEO-designate Eric Gertler said in the news release.