WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – A primary sport will come to the Historic Triangle.
It will be called the Williamsburg Sports and Events Center and will also serve out-of-state sports teams and tourism.
In 2022, in Virginia, tourism accounted for 4,500 million dollars. Our region claimed 27%.
“Destination is so vital now that I have grandchildren who travel overseas just to compete,” said Sheila Noll, vice chairwoman of the York County Board of Supervisors.
Sports are a joint effort between the city of Williamsburg, York County and James City County.
“The three of us couldn’t do it alone, but we’re neighbors, it’s a network, and other people from the three of us will come to this network and shape it,” Noll said.
The facility will have space for 12 basketball courts, pickleball, volleyball, a wall and the largest retractable grass court in the United States.
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It will be open on Monday Thursday for local sports, and on Fridays and Saturdays it will host regional and national competitions.
“This will introduce Williamsburg, James City County and York County to a whole new generation of people so they can see what we have to offer beyond sports,” said Williamsburg Mayor Doug PonsArray.
Ruth Larson of the James City County Board of Supervisors said the concept has been in the works for more than 10 years and was born out of necessity.
“This is a genuine need for James City County,” Larson said. “Of course, I’m excited about sports tourism, but we lack space, recreational space for our citizens. “
Tourism-related taxes fund most of the $80 million project. One of those taxes is the Historic Triangle Tourist Tax, which is a 1% tax on consumables.
The estimated finishing touch of this order is 2026.
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