Construction is expected to begin this spring on a $50 million indoor sports complex along Maple Road in Amherst, a project being led by orthopedic surgeons Dr. Justin Fineberg and Dr. Brian McGrath.
Known as the 716 Sports Complex, the 331,000-square-foot campus will feature full-length indoor fields and courts, an indoor track, wellness and sports performance services, and family entertainment options. Developers say the facility is designed to support athletes of all ages while also attracting regional and national sporting events to Western New York.
Speaking with BTPM this week, Dr. McGrath said the scale of the complex is what will set it apart from anything else in the area.
“You know, how is the facility different and why are we different than other facilities? Because our roof is 85 feet high, this structure is 500 feet long and 275 feet wide,” McGrath said. “It is enormous, you can play a full game level for every sport that we have."
Project leaders hope the facility will help grow local athletes to compete at the highest levels while positioning Amherst as a destination for major tournaments and events.
Dr. McGrath said the facility is designed to serve as a stepping stone for young athletes hoping to reach the professional level.
“I look at the new beautiful Bills stadium being built, and sit there and say we are giving people the stepping stones to get to that level. If we won’t build something like this, how can we expect our young football players to become another Rob Gronkowski? And Rob is an extraordinary individual based on size and shape. His family is phenomenal around sports and training, but they went to great lengths and traveled a lot to make that happen," McGrath said. "All our kids who become those elite athletes have a lot of travel and spend a lot of money because we don’t have it around here. “
Health and wellness are a big component of this project. McGrath said he wants not only athletes to use the facility, specifically highlighting people with health issues and disabilities and those who have seasonal affective disorder during the long winters in Buffalo.
"A place to exercise that is large enough where they don't feel like they're walking in a closet," he said
McGrath added it will give a chance to "get their heart rate up and get some oxygen blowing through their lungs and help their brain reenergize through the simplicity of exercise."
The sports fields will feature a full indoor 200-meter track and field area, softball, pickleball, lacrosse, soccer, baseball and a bleacher seating football field.
The project is expected to be completed in 2027, through private financing.
