The Latest Update On The Kids Inc. Complex In Amarillo Is Amazing

It was over two years ago when this incredible project was announced here in Amarillo. Something that was much needed for the community, and something that could be a huge revenue driver for the city.

It got out of the gate extremely fast with donations rolling in, then all of a sudden it hit a wall. Donations stopped pouring in, and rumors of some donors even backing out. We can't confirm if anyone backed out, but the rumors were out there.

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Now it appears, we can finally put it all to bed, as the news has come out that it's time to get the machinery out there, level out the ground, and get to work on this incredible addition to the Amarillo area.

Rockrose Sports Complex is on the verge of beginning construction, and I personally couldn't be more excited to see this happen.

After being stuck on a number that wouldn't allow them to start building it, they hit the $24 million mark. It was at that mark that triggered a $1 million Challenge Grant kick-in that allowed it to get to $25 million. That was the magic number to start rolling out the bulldozers and start building the facility.

Jimmy R. Lackey, president and CEO of Kids Inc. said, “It’s nice to be in a position where I don’t feel like anybody is waiting on us anymore. We are ready.”

And so are we and the entire youth sports community. In case you forgot what was coming, and it's entirely possible you have, the complex will be home to eight baseball and softball fields, 31 total soccer fields, and eight Olympic size flag football fields.

There will also be a multipurpose area that will span over 600,000 sq. feet along with food trucks, paved parking spots, a covered pavilion, lighted fields, and multiple restrooms.

The revenue driver this will be for the city will be huge. It will allow for more tournaments in multiple sports to be held and attended, which in turn will drive the demand for hotels up and restaurants will see a huge boom in business. Not to mention all the local businesses that will see increased traffic due to the amount of people here.