Construction is expected to begin this fall on a large indoor/outdoor youth sports and recreational complex in Johnston that will include an indoor track and training facilities.

Ignit Sports and Fitness, planned on about 30 acres north of Interstate Highway 80-35 on the west side of Merle Hay Road, is expected to attract local, regional and national events that could draw 1 million or more visitors to the area annually, said Chad O’Meara, who with brother Brian O’Meara, are co-founders of Ignit Sports and Fitness, that has a location in Grimes.

“Some of our studies have shown that half of that could be visitors who are from out of state,” Chad O’Meara said.

The estimated $55 million project was first announced in June 2020. The pandemic and supply-chain issues slowed progress on the project, O’Meara said. However, the delay benefited the project, he said. “It has improved dramatically since we first announced it.”

Four buildings are planned on the site, all of which will be constructed around a plaza area, renderings show. “Not only will you have a world-class venue to come do your sporting events, you’ll also have some nice lifestyle features including the plaza,” O’Meara said.

The Johnston facility is expected to include more than 250,000 square feet of indoor space including a competition-level track and courts for basketball, volleyball, pickleball and futsal.

Lit outdoor fields, with all-weather turf, are also planned, as are sand volleyball and outdoor pickleball

“This state-of-the-art complex will support a wide variety of prominent national, regional and statewide events,” Brian O’Meara said in a prepared statement.

Construction is expected to be completed by late 2024.The project’s general contractor is Lang Construction Group Inc., located in Johnston; the project’s architect is Emergent Architecture, located in Cedar Falls.

A groundbreaking for the project planned for Tuesday was postponed by severe weather.

The project is connected to a city park as well as recreational trails.

The area has long been eyed by Johnston officials as a gateway into the city.

Across the street, the entertainment venue called Bombers is under development. A three-level, 75,000-square-foot family entertainment center is expected to include 36 climate-controlled golf-ball hitting bays, over 100 state-of-the-art arcade games, 16 bowling lanes and two Popstroke-style putting courses.

Also proposed is a 95-room hotel, four other developable lots, a fishing pond and kayak launch.

To the south of the Ignit development, a 11,881-square-foot strip mall with six bays and a hotel with at least 100 rooms are planned.

The Johnston City Council this week approved a development agreement with Andrew Christenson Revocable Living Trust that would provide the developer up to $3.1 million over 10 years in economic development grants if both projects are completed. Specifically, the strip center would receive up to $600,000, and the hotel up to $2.5 million, according to city documents.

“We know that with Ignit, and the destination that it will be, will mean that Johnston needs to have more hotel rooms,” said Michael Pogge-Weaver, Johnston’s city administrator. “We are going to need places for umpires and referees to stay; and for teams and spectators. … This hotel will help satisfy that need.”

Pogge-Weaver said he expects to see additional development occur along Merle Hay Road.

“When you have what we have going on here, it just pushes other businesses to want to be located here,” he said.

More online: To view a flyover video of the project, click here.