October 24, 2019–8:34 p.m.
NEWS RELEASE
LakePoint Sports, the nation’s premier youth sports destination, today inaugurated extended road infrastructure with Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and First Lady Marty Kemp, opening up more than 500 acres to development. LakePoint Sports also announced a $39 million, 200-room hotel will open in early 2021, showing continued growth and momentum towards building a one-stop destination for youth athletes and their families.
By early 2021, LakePoint Sports will have one of Metro Atlanta’s newest hotels, with experiences and amenities that resonate with athletes and families who come to play more than 30 sports year-round. Strategically located on the LakePoint Sports campus, directly adjacent to the technologically enhanced 170,000 square-foot Champions Center and across from the nation’s premier baseball complex, the new hotel will feature a resort-style pool, food and beverage offerings, and a rooftop terrace above the restaurant for athletes and families to gather.
Gov. Kemp and the First Lady joined the City of Emerson and Bartow County in celebrating the completion of the 1.3-mile parkway connecting Old Allatoona Road to Red Top Mountain Road.
“We see unrivaled potential for growth and opportunity for the LakePoint Sports campus in traditional and emerging youth sports and entertainment,” said Mark M. O’Brien, President and CEO of LakePoint Sports. “Our vision is for a vibrant development that features experiential retail, acclaimed restaurants, new lodging opportunities for our guests, and an expansion of venues and fields to create a complete sports and entertainment experience for all who come here. The completion of the parkway is essential to opening up new development and increased visitation, economic impact and job creation.”
Emerson Mayor Al Pallone added, “The new hotel itself will generate significant economic impact by creating hundreds of jobs, millions of dollars in tax revenues and bring upwards of 50,000 room nights to the City of Emerson and Bartow County throughout the year – we’re thrilled about this growth at LakePoint Sports.”
“We are so excited about adding this special hotel to the center of our campus,” added O’Brien. “The hotel will address the number one request of our athletes, families and coaches: More hotel rooms on campus. The hotel, restaurant, and food and beverage offerings will directly complement events at the Champions Center and the entire campus, enabling our guests the added convenience of staying on campus near their events and activities.”
Since its opening in 2014, LakePoint Sports has attracted more than 5 million visitor days from all 50 states and over six countries, contributing to nearly $100 million in annual economic impact.
“Marty and I are proud of the work done by the LakePoint Sports team to create this nationally recognized youth sports destination,” said Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. “LakePoint Sports is a remarkable asset for greater Metro Atlanta and North Georgia, and we appreciate LakePoint Sports for promoting family time together, creating new jobs in our state and encouraging young athletes to compete at the highest levels.”
“The new flagship hotel and expanded road infrastructure are significant milestones,” said Jeff Bemis of Rimrock Capital Management, the owner of LakePoint Sports. “These signature events reinforce our deep commitment to LakePoint Sports and enthusiasm for what the new leadership team is doing on the ground. We’re very pleased with the direction we’re seeing and the future of our nationally recognized, premier youth sports campus.”
“This has been a very strong public-private partnership at LakePoint Sports,” added Bartow County Commissioner Steve Taylor. “And we’re thrilled for what that means for the continued economic growth of our region.”
O’Brien added, “We’d like to thank Gov. Kemp, State Sen. Bruce Thompson, Commissioner Taylor and Mayor Pallone for the continued public and private support that is helping us make LakePoint Sports the nation’s premier youth sports destination.”
LakePoint Sports has partnered with a team of top professionals to plan for growth, including JLL and Cooper Carry on master planning and JLL and Hogan + Campis on design and development of the 200-room hotel. LakePoint Sport’s convenient location in metro Atlanta and proximity to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport ensures that more than 80 percent of the country is less than a two-hour flight away.
Today’s news at LakePoint Sports comes on the heels of four recent announcements:
- LakePoint Sports hired six new team members, including Greg Barckhoff as EVP of Partnerships and Marketing.
- PlaySight Interactive live streaming and video-on-demand services are now offered, making LakePoint Sports one of the most technologically advanced campuses of its kind.
- The campus is hosting a free day to give back to the community called LakePoint Fansgiving, featuring food trucks, live music, a car show and many other fun games and events.
- The Harlem Globetrotters, which train at LakePoint Sports, will launch their world tour from the Champions Center on Dec. 6. Tickets and information are available here.
About LakePoint Sports
LakePoint Sports, the premier youth sports destination in the country, creates lifelong memories for athletes, families and the community. LakePoint Sports serves more than 30 sports year-round, including baseball, basketball, volleyball, soccer, gymnastics, cheer and lacrosse. A top economic driver in Metro Atlanta, the LakePoint Sports campus features the 170,000-square-foot Champions Center with the world’s largest continuous wood floor, where 12 full-court basketball games or 24 full-court volleyball games can play at once. In addition, the campus features eight Major League-sized baseball fields and three multi-use fields for soccer, lacrosse, rugby, football, as well as a 10-court sand volleyball pavilion and wakeboarding park. The LakePoint Sports campus attracts more than 1 million visitor days a year, creating nearly $100 million in annual economic impact. LakePoint Sports is the official home to the training camp of the Harlem Globetrotters and partners with Prep Baseball Report (PBR) and PlaySight Interactive. For more information, visit https://www.lakepointsports.com.