Community First Champion Center, the Midwest's Newest Premier Sports Complex, Opens in Grand Chute

The Community First Champion Center (CFCC) opened its doors this week in the Fox Cities with a private ribbon cutting on November 20 and public open house on November 21. Located at 5000 W. Champion Drive, Grand Chute, this $30 million dollar, 164,000-square-foot sports complex is the Midwest's newest premier sports tourism complex.

The CFCC features an ice rink, a fieldhouse with eight volleyball courts or four basketball courts, and a seasonal area that transitions from an ice rink to hard court surface (for basketball, volleyball, etc.) depending upon demand. The facility also includes locker rooms, team gear storage areas, meeting rooms, cafe, pro shop, and parent lounge that serves beer and wine.

Designed as a "tourism-first" facility, the CFCC is expected to generate more than $8 million in economic impact in the Fox Cities, concentrating on weekend youth sports tournaments, in sports such as volleyball, basketball, hockey, gymnastics, and more, to help drive tourism. Numerous local hockey, volleyball, basketball, and other sports clubs hold practice at the CFCC on weeknights, and the facility has plans to offer community-based leagues, ice skating rentals, and open court time, as available.

Ten of the 19 Fox Cities municipalities (with hotels) funded the facility through their hotel room taxes, including Appleton, Grand Chute, Fox Crossing, Little Chute, Kaukauna, Kimberly, Menasha, Neenah, Sherwood, and Town of Neenah. Sports Facilities Management out of Florida will manage the day-to-day operations of the facility with their hired local, experienced CFCC staff.

The Fox Cities CVB and local municipalities have collaborated over the years to develop multiple venues throughout the Fox Cities, including the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center and the Fox Cities Exhibition Center, which both attract tourists to the region and enhance quality of life for locals.