Bell Bank gains naming rights to Mesa complex
After breaking ground September 2020, Legacy Sports USA and Oak View Group are moving closer to opening its more than $280 million multipurpose sports and entertainment complex in southeast Mesa.
The two companies announced on Tuesday a 10-year naming rights deal with Bell Bank, one of the biggest familyand employee-owned banks in the nation.
Bell Bank Park, located east of Mesa Gateway Airport on the former site of the General Motors proving grounds, will feature a 320-acre complex. It will host youth and amateur sports teams, individual and team training, family fun events, youth sports tournaments and fitness opportunities. It will be the largest multifaceted complex in North America and 50 acres larger than ESPN’s Wide World of Sports complex in Orlando, Florida.
The new facility will include 62 volleyball courts, 40 pickleball courts, 24 soccer fields, 20 sand volleyball courts, 16 basketball courts, eight baseball/softball courts, an E-sports arena and a 50-acre area with a multipurpose outdoor amphitheater.
The park also includes a 2.7 acre lawn for concerts, events and indoor and outdoor facilities for many different fitness programs and sports.
“This long-term agreement reinforces Bell Bank’s commitment to the Phoenix metro area,” said Michael Solberg, President and CEO of Bell Bank, which is based in Fargo, N.D. “We’re proud to be the official bank of Bell Bank Park. Our goal has always been not just to grow and thrive here, but to partner with those who want to bring people together and have a lasting impact. As a family-owned company, it’s been especially meaningful to us to connect with the Miller family at Legacy Sports USA, hear about the longtime vision, and become part of the story of what now will be called Bell Bank Park.”
Set to open in January 2022, the park will create over 1,500 jobs and bring in an estimated 5 million visitors every year, according to the partners.
Some areas will be ready to use as soon as this winter. The Soccer Complex’s turf fields are set to be installed in time to host the Victory Cactus Cup (Dec. 17-19) and the Arizona Soccer Championships (Dec. 27-30).
“Bell Bank Park will be a special place to compete and train, and gather with family and friends to enjoy sports and live entertainment,” said Chad Miller, CEO of Legacy Sports USA. “Sharing similar core values of family and giving back with Bell Bank, we are thrilled to have them as our naming rights partner for our new complex.”
Global Partnerships is the sales and marketing branch of Oak View Group and is responsible for selling all Oak View Group Arena Development projects. Oak View Group will also manage the building of Arizona State’s new hockey arena in Tempe, which is set to open in the fall of 2022.
Based in Los Angeles, Oak View Group has been apart of many groundbreaking projects. Some recent ones include arena developments for NHL’s Seattle Kraken and New York Islanders and the University of Texas’ new basketball arena.
And while the country still is battling the coronavirus pandemic, officials say the numerous amount of outdoor facilities that Bell Bank Park has should help lessen the spread of COVID-19.
“We’re going to focus a ton on safety and sanitization of the property. I can guarantee you that,” said Dan Griffis, president of global partnerships at Oak View Group.