Rantoul, Ill. (WCIA) —

“We cannot understate the impact that the Rantoul Family Sports Complex is going to have on the entire county,” Visit Champaign County’s Terri Reifsteck said.

After the first weekend, county leaders are already seeing a step in the right direction economically.

The pandemic put a dent in the economy, but the new sports complex in Rantoul is expected to bring big business to Champaign County. You may have noticed more people out and about at restaurants and stores, many of them in the area for this past weekend’s tournament.

Visit Champaign County says the sports complex should bring in around 27 million dollars annually, and that’s subject to change as the Rantoul Family Sports Complex continues to add more tournaments. Opening day was Friday. They saw an increase in travelers, which helps shops, restaurants and more.

“Those are going to be people who need to stay in hotels, they’re going to need a place to eat. Likely, they’re going to find something to do before and after the game, whether that’s going shopping, visiting a museum, so its really going to bring those dollars that we’ve been missing back into our community,” Reifsteck said.

They say that with this complex, people may visit and want to come back, or may want to go to the University of Illinois.

She also says the Village of Rantoul will get benefits as well. Hotels are inquiring about coming there and shops and restaurants may start increasing too.

Originally Appeared On: https://www.wcia.com/news/new-sports-complex-is-expected-to-help-boost-economy/