The Regional Athletic Complex (RAC) in Lacey reported record-high usage in 2024 and announced plans for a Phase Three expansion to address growing demand.
Recreation Manager Sue Falash presented the update during the Capital Area Regional - Public Facilities District (CAR-PFD) meeting on Thursday, Nov. 14, providing details about the complex’s economic contributions, key events and infrastructure improvements.
The CAR-PFD finances payments on bonds issued by Lacey and Olympia to construct two regional event centers, Lacey’s Regional Athletic Complex and Olympia’s Hands On Children’s Museum. It is a special taxing district created by Lacey, Olympia, Tumwater and Thurston County in 2003.
According to Falash, the RAC continued to serve as a major economic driver for the region, with a $14 million economic impact in 2023.
While the final numbers for 2024 are not yet available, she indicated they are expected to surpass last year’s figures.
The economic impact stems from visitors' spending on hotels, dining, and local businesses during events held at the complex.
The summer months were the most profitable for the RAC, with 14 events between June and August generating more than $5 million.
The off-season months of September through December still contributed $1.2 million to the local economy through 10 events.
The RAC also hosted 79 unique user groups in 2024, utilizing its soccer, baseball, softball, lacrosse, flag football, and more facilities.
“We’ve booked over 11,000 hours of use on those athletic fields,” Falash said.
Among the year’s highlights was the USSSA (United States Specialty Sports Association) Fast Pitch Nationals, which drew participants nationwide. “We’ve been hailed for the past two years for hosting this event,” Falash said.
Other notable events included regional high school sports matches and college tournaments. “All of the high schools are there quite a bit,” Falash said.
Northwest Christian High School uses the RAC as its home field, and other schools, such as Rainier High School, depend on the facility. Colleges, including South Puget Sound Community College and Saint Martin’s University, use the RAC for soccer and baseball games.
The complex’s all-weather fields enabled schools like River Ridge High School to continue practices during construction at their home fields.
The RAC completed significant upgrades in 2024 in response to the increasing demand.
A new parking lot added 315 stalls, including eight handicap spaces, eight bus stalls, and six EV charging stations. Falash revealed the upgrades converted a gravel lot into a safe, more accessible parking area.
Another key improvement was installing energy-efficient LED lights in the parking spaces.
“We converted the parking lot lights to LED last June 2023,” Falash said, adding that further upgrades are planned for the softball and soccer field lights to reduce operational costs and improve visibility and safety for visitors.
Looking ahead, the RAC’s Phase Three plans to expand with additional fast-pitch, baseball, and softball fields. The project will require substantial financial resources, and the RAC plans to rely on grants and partnerships to secure funding.
The Capital Area Regional - Public Facilities District will provide major funding for this project, according to the City of Lacey. Community partnerships, such as those with Rotary Clubs, are anticipated to fund smaller components.
“We’re hoping to have design completed in 2025 to 2026 and then apply for RCO funding, which should be awarded in the fall of 2026,” Falash said, outlining the timeline for the expansion.
Another, environmental assessments are currently underway to determine development potential and identify necessary mitigations. These shall also influence the overall project cost.
“The next steps are hiring a landscape architect to get some conceptual plans underway,” Falash said. The project will prioritize new fields and supporting infrastructure, such as pathways and crossings to connect the expanded areas with the existing facility.
Council members discussed how the new fields will integrate with the existing complex and raised a question: “Will you have tournaments that use fields on both sides in the same tournament?”
City officials said at-grade safety crossings are being considered initially, with space reserved for a potential bridge or elevated walkway in the future.
CORRECTION: November 21, 2024 -- Previously we stated that the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) "is expected to provide major funding for the project." This is incorrect; CAR-PFD is the largest funder.
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