KUNA, Idaho — A plot of land off Meridian Road in Kuna could soon be transformed into a massive youth sports complex, aiming to make the city a destination for sports tourism.
"I travel as a sports dad, 12 hours sometimes in a car, to go to my son's baseball tournaments," said David McMenomey, founder of True Gritt Sports.
McMenomey created the organization with the goal of giving young athletes a place to compete locally.
"We're building the largest youth sports complex in the northwest and we're going to put it right in Kuna, Idaho," he said.
The proposed True Gritt Sports Complex would feature eight outdoor turf pods for year-round play across multiple sports and a 200,000-square-foot indoor facility.
"They can be used for lacrosse, for soccer, for flag football, for softball and for baseball. And then the indoor portion, 200,000 square ft., 8 full-sized basketball courts that is ClearSpan, so no pillars in between, that we could use for 16 volleyball courts, 32 Pickleball courts," McMenomey said.
The development wouldn't stop at athletic facilities. Plans also include a hotel, restaurants, a gas station, family entertainment venues, and an RV park to support families traveling to Kuna for tournaments.
"Right now we have 77 acres to build a complex," McMenomey said.
McMenomey says the City of Kuna has offered 20 acres of land just off Meridian Road to be included in the project, with another 57 acres secured from a private party.
"So that's a big part of the next step is to get it through zoning and planning and then get it in front of the City Council for approval," he said.
If approved, funding the massive project would be the next hurdle to jump.
"So it's estimated between 90 and 120 million for the total project, that's no small chunk of change," McMenomey said.
He expects most of that funding will come from large corporate sponsors, but once the complex is complete, young athletes will reap the benefits.
"For the youth, it's going to impact them because it's going to give them something to do out in Kuna and it's gonna be like this meeting hub for kids who are like, 'I'm out of school, I got to be there,'" McMenomey said.
