CASPER, Wyo. — On Tuesday, the Casper City Council voted 9–0 to approve a lease agreement that will allow a nonprofit entity formed to create a new indoor sports facility to move forward with plans for city-owned land near the Ford Wyoming Center.
Jessica Hastings with WYO Complex, the nonprofit working on the project, told the City Council that the entity is working with Stateline No. 7 Architects for the design of the facility and will share those designs when they are ready. Hastings added that the nonprofit is working to raise money for the project, which she said in August has an estimated cost of around $31 million.
While the City of Casper is being asked to lease land for the construction of the facility, it is not being asked to pay anything toward construction or operation and maintenance of the facility.
The indoor sports facility may be called “Wyo Sports Ranch,” according to a press release shared by WYO Complex on Tuesday that included some details about plans for the facility. The release said the Wyo Sports Ranch is expected to be around 133,000 square feet in size and will offer:
- 10 basketball courts
- Six permanent basketball courts
- Four additional temporary courts
- 20 volleyball courts
- 12 permanent volleyball courts
- Eight additional temporary courts
- Permanent indoor multi-use turf
- 36,000 square feet
- Sports Performance & Training
- Opportunities for:
- Mat sports
- Dance/cheer
- Baseball/softball
The facility is expected to add more youth sports opportunities in Casper.
“At the beginning, we were wanting to solve a local problem, the shortage of gym space in our community for our young athletes,” J.R. Boyles, a board member with the nonprofit behind the project, said. “In the end, we will solve that problem and many more with the space we are looking to build.”
Joe Legerski, retired coach for the University of Wyoming Cowgirls basketball team, has joined the nonprofit’s board of directors, according to the release.
“As a Division I basketball coach for over 30 years, I spent several weeks throughout a year traveling from coast to coast to recruit student-athletes participating in basketball tournaments,” Legerski said in the press release. “These tournaments ranged from hundreds of participants with thousands of family members cheering them on to events with thousands of participants with tens of thousands of family members.
“The opportunity for America’s youth to showcase their talent, improve their skills or bond with teammates was ever-present and an exciting feeling. I am thrilled that Wyo Sports Ranch will provide a much-needed facility to provide these types of opportunities and exuberant emotions to student-athletes in the Rocky Mountain Region.”
The nonprofit said it projects the Wyo Sports Ranch will open in summer 2024.
“A big thanks to the City of Casper for giving a home to Wyo Sports Ranch,” Boyles added in the press release. “We are excited about this facility and the opportunities it will bring to our community, the state, and the region overall. We would love to hear from the community and encourage all interested to join us as we make the Wyo Sports Ranch a reality for the State of Wyoming.”
A memo from City of Casper attorneys and the language of the lease agreement approved by the City Council on Tuesday can be reviewed below:
