HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — Henrico County’s Sports activities and Occasions Middle celebrated its first anniversary — that’s one full 12 months of “Showtime… All of the Time!”
Ribbons and lights adorned the ability Friday, Dec. 6. Whereas there was undoubtedly loads of festive vacation cheer happening, loads of that spirit emanated from the middle’s main one-year milestone as officers, neighborhood members, and perhaps even some vacationers, mirrored on this previous 12 months and what’s to come back.
“It’s onerous to consider that that is the one-year anniversary of the Henrico Sports activities and Occasions Middle,” stated Henrico County Sports activities and Leisure Authority Government Director Dennis Bickmeier. “We actually minimize the ribbon a 12 months in the past. So, a outstanding imaginative and prescient to deliver this facility to life after which to mirror again on a 12 months of exercise on this constructing has been really outstanding.”
The week of Dec. 6 marked precisely one 12 months within the books for the huge Glen Allen web site. 8News has adopted the journey to deliver Henrico’s Sports activities and Occasions Middle to life since building started again in 2020. With eating spots, occasion area and greater than a dozen courts, the $50 million, state-of-the-art facility has reworked the area right into a hub for sports activities lovers. 8News requested Bickmeier about some standout occasions.
“The A-10 Ladies’s Basketball Championship in March was definitely one of many highlights,” Bickmeier smiled. “And the Nationwide Wheelchair Basketball Affiliation Nationwide Championship.”
The middle additionally hosted commencement ceremonies and have become dwelling to a Virginia Sports activities Corridor of Fame show.
“We would like our younger individuals to know who got here earlier than them and provides them one thing to dream for,” Bickmeier defined.
This inaugural 12 months noticed 370,000 guests. Bickmeier stated the advanced has helped increase Henrico County’s sports activities tourism trade’s financial influence from about $74 million a 12 months to $90 million.
“This actually was sort of the lacking hyperlink in our sports activities tourism portfolio,” Bickmeier defined. “As a result of we actually didn’t have something for December, January, February and March that we may do one thing indoor like this.”
Now it’s “showtime — on a regular basis.” Henrico County is taking pictures for an additional “slam dunk” of a 12 months on the hotspot in 2025. Bickmeier stated his staff is constructing off of the successes from this previous 12 months to learn to proceed to develop and domesticate the sports activities tourism environment they’ve developed.
“There’s some issues … with structure that we’re going to tweak in 12 months two as nicely,” Bickmeier introduced. “We’re making an attempt to, sort of … transferring a number of the items in our foyer space, a number of the items in our restaurant cafe space to make these areas extra environment friendly as nicely.”
Henrico County is celebrating this particular anniversary all weekend lengthy. For a full listing of those occasions — which embrace video games, neighborhood and even cake go to the web site.
