New sports center first to receive Borough credits

Frontiersman

WASILLA — Still under construction, AT&T Alascom Sports Center is receiving praise and economic incentives from local government.

The Mat-Su Borough Assembly recently approved the $8.4 million sports center to receive a 50-percent property tax exemption its first year of operation, a 25-percent exemption its second year and 10 percent the third. The sports center, a Double B LLC project, is the first project to participate in the incentives program, the Borough reports.

“Its purpose is to encourage businesses to locate here or expand,” said Dave Hanson, Mat-Su Borough economic director.

Although the program aims to bring more business to the Valley, Hanson said incentives are far from being handouts. Businesses that apply for the program have to meet specific criteria for their business sectors. For example, the sports center is required to have 15 employees with an annual average salary of $32,500. The center will employ at least 15 employees who, on average, will make $34,296 per year.

Not only do businesses have to meet certain criteria, “They have to benefit the community,” Hanson said.

The 60,600-square-foot sports center will house five basketball/volleyball courts, a running track, spectator area, food court and an athletic club, said Scott Johannes, co-owner of Double B LLC. Although the center will be useful for many people, one of its main goals is to help address the recreation needs of local youth.

“We’re able to provide an opportunity for kids in the Valley to do something productive and healthy,” Johannes said.

Terri Myers, a MYAC Palmer Basketball Club board member, said the new sports center will help relieve several problems with the facilities available for the area’s various youth programs.

“The elementary schools are always awesome, but trying to stretch the games from the Butte to Finger Lake was crazy,” Myers said.

MYAC has 41 teams that include third- to eighth-grade players from all parts of the Valley, she said. Although the club has enough games and players to keep local gyms busy, it also has to compete against Valley Youth Basketball Association and Matanuska Basketball Association for gym space.

“We’ve been trying to find a way to get more gyms or indoor courts in the Valley for some time,” she said. “I praise these guys for what they’re doing.”

In addition to court space, the building will also provide free office space for youth sports organizations, Johannes said.

AT&T Alascom Sports Center is scheduled to open Jan. 1, 2008, and is located at the intersection of the Palmer-Wasilla Highway and Double B Street.

Contact Chris Gillow at chris.gillow@frontiersman.com or 352-2284.