WILLIAMSBURG — Architects and other visitors got a glimpse of the new Greater Williamsburg Sports and Events Center on Thursday during a hard-hat tour of the construction site.
Construction for the project, a joint venture between Williamsburg and James City and York counties, began last year on the campus of the Colonial Williamsburg Visitor Center. The 200,000-square-foot facility is designed by Clarknexsen and GuernseyTingle with MEB serving as general contractor.
Representatives from the firms led the tour, which was attended by roughly a dozen people.
The building, which is 65% complete, is one of the few sport centers in the country with a brick facade and has been designed to match other buildings in Williamsburg, said Chris Warren, an architect with Clarknexsen. The exterior of the massive center — large enough to fit three passenger jets — is nearly finished, while work continues inside.
Chris Warren, an architect with Clarknexsen gives a tour of the Greater Williamsburg Events and Sports Center, which is 65% complete. Brandy Centolanza/For The Virginia Gazette
When complete, the sports center will be able to accommodate up to 5,000 people and house a dozen basketball courts, 24 volleyball courts and 36 pickleball courts. In addition, there is the potential for indoor soccer, field hockey and flag football, thanks to another rare feature, a massive turf roll that “will allow for a quick transformation of the space, and allow for many types of sports and recreation to be going on back-to-back,” Warren said.
“It’s one of the things that makes this place special,” Warren said. “I am really excited to see it in action.”
The facility will also boast an area for rock climbing and Ninja Warrior obstacles, a gym, mezzanine, concessions with beer and wine available, gathering spaces for teams to utilize as a home base for the day, a balcony with a lounging area and the potential addition of firepits, a huge lobby with more seating, conference rooms with retractable walls and flex spaces that can be rented for a variety of functions.
“This is not just a sports center,” Warren said. “It is also an events center. There are all kinds of things you will be able to do here.”
The sports center will be able to accommodate up to 5,000 people and house a dozen basketball courts, 24 volleyball courts and 36 pickleball courts. Brandy Centolanza/For The Virginia Gazette
So far, construction has gone “smoothly” with “no major hiccups,” Warren added, with the builders currently 11 days ahead of schedule. The center will likely be complete in August 2026.
Government officials and those affiliated with Visit Williamsburg, the region’s tourism organization, are eagerly awaiting the opening, as they predict a boon in visitors once the facility is up and running. More than 86,000 hotel stays are anticipated over the next few years, as many sporting events have already booked use of the facility through 2028. More than 16,000 hotel rooms have been secured already for the Phenom Hoops and Southern Volleyball Tournaments.
There will be about 1,450 parking spots available for use at the center. Also as part of the project, a new road with a traffic signal will be constructed off Capitol Landing Road to help with traffic flow. There have also been discussions to add a live performance venue near the sports center, which the city has said it hopes to see next year.
Brandy Centolanza, bcentolanza@cox.net
