Northwest Indiana's tourism chief is encouraging the town of Schererville to bring more athletic facilities to the former Illiana Motor Speedway. South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority President and CEO David Uran proposed some ideas to the town council Wednesday.
"Pickleball's probably the fastest-growing sport in the nation, and we don't have a facility here in Northwest Indiana that can actually host a national tournament," Uran said. "And there's everybody playing pickleball everywhere, right? All ages enjoy that sport."
He also noted that weather is a challenge, and there's still a need for indoor and outdoor sports facilities throughout the Region.
But beyond that, Uran said amateur sports are a safe investment that's proven resilient to economic downturns. He pointed to the National Softball Association World Series, which he said, has a $10.2 million economic impact on Northwest Indiana.
Council President Tom Schmitt has noticed the impact in Schererville. "Schererville has a lot of hotels, and I've seen several of your big tournaments that you've brought in — has carried over and filled up the whole town of Schererville several weekends over the years.
Uran stressed that it's ultimately up to the town to decide what to do with the Illiana property, but the South Shore CVA wants a seat at the table, to help identify opportunities.
