Sports Complex Update: Purchase Agreement to be Discussed at Monday City Council Committee of the Whole Meeting; Community Update Tentatively Set for March 26 - 3/6/2026
As previously reported by The Community News Brief, a 30-acre site at the intersection of East Jackson Street and Bower Road was selected for Macomb's proposed Sports Complex from three previously identified sites. At the Monday, March 9 Macomb City Council Committee of the Whole meeting, the purchase agreement for the land will be discussed. According to the committee agenda, the committee will consider the purchase of the property at East Jackson and Bower Road for $2 million from Jackson, LLC of Peoria.
According to a memo from City Administrator Scott Coker in the Committee of the Whole agenda/packet, the agreement allows the city an extended period of due diligence up to Aug. 31, 2027. There will be no cost to the city if the complex does not proceed.
Mayor Mike Inman stressed at this time, there is no legal consideration (no money required to be paid up front). The full City Council will vote on the purchase agreement at its March 16 meeting. If the complex moves forward, the City of Macomb will pay Jackson LLC the $2 million purchase price, which is part of the overall costs.
"This purchase agreement allows us to have control over the property until we decide to execute the agreement and purchase the property at the agreed upon price of $2 million. If we do not proceed with the city's economic development project, which is anchored by the sports complex, we are not required to purchase the property," Inman noted. "This is a great deal for the city as it allows us to control the property with no risk. Should this move forward, this will not come from the city's general fund."
A community update, which will be open to the public, is tentatively scheduled for 5:30-7 p.m., Thursday, March 26 at the Spoon River College Outreach Center on East Jackson, directly across from the proposed Sports Complex property. More information will be available from the City of Macomb closer to the date.
According to a search on the Illinois Secretary of State's website, Jackson LLC, 7625 N. University St., Peoria, is managed by Russell L. Waldschmidt. Wald Land Corp., a commercial real estate brokerage, management and development business, is also listed at the same Peoria address as Jackson, LLC. Wald Land Corp.'s website states: Wald Land Corporation has more than 140 years of experience in development, brokerage and property management of commercial real estate throughout Central Illinois.
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Macomb City Officials Get More Info to Move Ahead with STAR Bond Application - 2/27/2026
During a phone call with Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity staff Tuesday afternoon, city and economic development leaders were able to clarify further details in order to move forward with the state's Sales Tax and Revenue (STAR) Bond program, which is the driving force behind the ability to fund the city's proposed Sports Complex.
'We had a good conversation with DCEO staff, which provided clarification on some of the technical questions we had,' Mayor Mike Inman told The Community News Brief following the meeting. 'While the state cannot provide details regarding their support, or lack thereof, for a project, they were able to provide us with answers so that we can move forward with our notice of intent.
We shared the scope of our project, and based on what was shared, our proposed complex fits within the legislative intent of the grant.'
According to Inman, communities who wish to pursue the competitive state grant must file via email by June 1 an intent to pursue a STAR Bond. The intent to pursue does not obligate the city, he noted. The city was seeking further information on the composition of the required STAR Bond district, which must be within at least 50 percent of an underserved census tract in a community. It was determined the city's selected location at the corner of East Jackson Street and Bower Road is adjacent to the tract. The selected city must also create at least 300 jobs as a result of the project over 15 years.
'This also includes the ancillary development – shopping, lodging, restaurants – as well as the complex itself,' he explained. 'This allows us plenty of time to meet this set of criteria, and we have the data to support the 300job requirement and meet the deadline well before the 15-year timeline.'
While the city intends to file its intent to pursue June 1, the bigger piece of the puzzle remains and that is a private developer must be in place before the city can begin the nearly year-long application process, which begins January 2027. However, Inman is optimistic they'll have a developer in place before the application deadline.
'We are still in discussions with interested developers but we have from June until the end of the year to meet this benchmark. But if we don't that is likely our off-ramp,' Inman pointed out.
The city should also know who their competitors are by the middle of June as the notice of intent will be a matter of public record. There is only one bond available for this geographic region, but Inman believes that Macomb will be a 'strong contender.' Applications are due in January 2028 and are set to be awarded in mid-2028. As part of the application process, the city must hold public hearings and complete an independent cost-analysis by a DCEO-approved firm.
'If we do not have a developer in place before January 2027, we'll have to think twice about moving ahead with the full-on application due to the expenses involved with the process, which include more detailed physical design of the project and other expenses related to the application,' he added.
'The City Council will most certainly need to weigh in, and ultimately approve any significant expenses related to moving forward with the application process.'
The startup costs to build Macomb's sports complex is $58.4 million. The city, which does undertake the cost of building the facility, would own the complex, but it would be managed by a third party, likely Sports Facilities Company (SFC).
The concept is that the sports complex will be an anchor for a much larger retail and commercial development, known as ancillary development, located near the facility, Inman said.
According to the study completed last year by SFC, the complex could bring visitors from four-plus hours to Macomb for sporting and other events held at the sports complex. Once here, the study noted that guests would stay in hotels, eat a restaurants and shop at local stores. While there are 125 sports facilities in the region, only10 have major indoor arenas. The closest to Macomb is 90-minutes from Macomb in Bettendorf, IA; however, the City of Quincy, approximately 60 miles down the road from Macomb, is reviewing the possibility of a sports complex in their community.
The Sports Facilities Advisory recommended building an 8.18-acre complex in Macomb that will contain eight basketball courts, 16 volleyball courts, seating for 4,000 and a parking lot to accommodate 434 vehicles. SFC estimates the facility could host 20-30 tournaments and events in year one, and approximately 40 tournaments and events by year five, along with other special performances, private party rentals and family-related events. The facility will also have a 'family entertainment center' that could include such features as an arcade, a climbing wall and other opportunities to provide entertainment options yearround.
Overnight visitors are projected to spend $138 per day in year one, eventually reaching $146 in the fifth year. An overall $7.4 million in spending within the community is estimated for the first year, with that number increasing to $15.5 million by the fifth year. The mayor has repeatedly stressed that property taxes will not be impacted should the project move forward as the city is solely obligating the business development district revenue and TIF money to service the debt obligation payments. The STAR Bonds are a critical component of that overall debt service plan, he added.
The City of Macomb has a feedback form, along with presentation-related information, at cityofmacomb. com/cityofmacombproposedsportsfacility.
