A town in New York state wants to institute a hotel occupancy tax that would have significant youth sports impacts.
Amherst — near Buffalo — will ask the state to sign off on a 2.5% bed tax. A quarter of the new tax revenue would go toward youth sports facility repairs and renovations in town.
But Amherst has also hosted over 70 sporting events in the last few years. The town is home to Northtown Center — an ice facility — and is the proposed location for an $80M indoor-outdoor complex that will include a 120-room hotel.
Some critics have expressed concern the bed tax could negatively impact sports tourism and other businesses; the new 716 Sports Complex is expected to bring 1M visitors to the town each year and generate millions in economic impact.
Quick Take: We’ve seen hotel occupancy taxes and similar tools used to fund youth sports complex builds. But trying to create them on top of already established or planned tournament traffic is a new move.
Elsewhere …
Big Bend, Milwaukee: A planning commission has recommended a conditional-use permit for the initial phase of a controversial youth sports venue in the Milwaukee suburb. The Breck Athletic Complex would require agricultural and residential lands to be rezoned; the project will cost between $175M and $225M.
Broken Arrow, Oklahoma: Voters vetoed a 0.5% sales tax hike designed to generate funding for $46M in upgrades for several youth sports complexes. But a $42M multi-purpose community center was approved.
Williamsport, Pennsylvania: The $22M Williamsport Lumber Yards complex has opened. The 28-acre venue has seven baseball/softball fields, concessions and dining areas.
Follow on LinkedIn: Kyle Scott, James Kratch, Kyle Pagan