Sports Commission selects Virginia company as management partner

Published 7:49 pm Tuesday, June 16, 2026

QUINCY — Plans for a proposed indoor sports complex in Quincy are being reset almost to the beginning following a meeting of the Sports Commission on Tuesday, but it’s still a promising step in the right direction.

The Quincy Sports Commission got updates Tuesday on several different portions of the process for bringing a complex to Quincy. Two of those portions are stepping back from earlier decisions including a request for proposals from design and engineering firms, as well as rethinking the physical location for the facility.

The third major update for commission members was the results of meetings with three separate sports management firms that met with commission representatives, city officials, and other community stakeholders.

Officials held meetings with Sports Facilities Companies (SFC) of Clearwater, Fla., Kemper Sports of Northbrook, Ill., and Eastern Sports Management of Fredericksburg, Va. Over a four-day period at the end of May, representatives of all four companies came in and talked with community members involved in the project.

In the proposals from the companies, SFC projected a first-year revenue of $1.4 million in the first year increasing to $2.6 million by year 5. SFC was asking for a fee of $17,000 per month. Kemper Sports projected $1.78 million in the first year with an expectation of $2.7 million by the fifth year.

Eastern was the only one of the three to project the complex hitting profitability in the first five years, with projections of $2.18 million in year one increasing to $3.5 million by the fifth year.

Eastern also proposed a annual fee of $9,000 for operation the facility, a little more than half of SFC’s $17,000 ask. Kemper was proposing a fee of $18,500 during the planning phase dropping to $12,500 once the facility is operating.

Details on revenue sharing terms would be part of any final contract negotiations with the chosen company.

The commission members on Tuesday overwhelmingly echoed the results of feedback from those meetings, selecting Eastern Sports Management with no votes in opposition. According to commission co-chair David Adams, more than 70% of responses from the meetings listed Eastern as the preferred choice.

The next step in the process will be to work out a full contract with Eastern that will then be presented to the Quincy City Council for approval. Adam said the current hope is to take the contract to the council at the June 29 meeting. At the June 22 meeting, Adam will provide alderman a look at the proposals being presented by Eastern.

Plans for site selection were put on hold while terms are finalized and pending council approval to include Eastern Sports Management in those discussions. The commission had previously looked at a piece of property near 48th and Maine, but more recently had gotten a proposal from Cullinan Properties, owners of the Quincy Town Center, to build a pair of air-dome structures on the Town Center property.

In addition to the proposed sports facilities themselves, Cullinan reportedly envisioned supporting construction on the property, including hotels and restaurants.

In cooperation with the commission, the Great River Economic Development Foundation (GREDF) has issues requests for proposals/quotes from design and engineering firms. Because the requests were issued by GREDF rather than the City of Quincy as a home-rule entity, there were questions raised about some of the information that has been included in the requests.

As with the site selection discussion, Adam told commission members that out of an abundance of caution, all proposals were being tossed with an expectation of a new round of proposals expected with input from Eastern Sports Management.

Information is expected from the City of Quincy through official channels, including social media channels, ahead of upcoming city council meetings. Dan Brink, Quincy’s director of operations, said the current timeline he’s hoping to see move forward, would lead to a presentation and possible vote on the full project near the end of August.