UW Health Sports Factory Redevelopment Study

Hunden Partners was engaged by the City of Rockford to analyze the local market and address the programmatic goals for the UW Health Sports Factory, formerly known as the Downtown Sports Complex or Ingersoll site. As part of the City’s downtown riverfront revitalization plan, the project repurposed the former Ingersoll manufacturing facility along the Rock River into a multi-use indoor sports venue.

The indoor sports complex was intended to be one of the largest tournament facilities in the Midwest, with courts to accommodate local and competitive league play. The 110,000-square-foot facility consists of eight basketball and 16 volleyball courts that will also accommodate other court for sports and events.

Hunden performed a comprehensive market analysis of the various sports and facilities planned for the facility as well as revenue projections and operation costs for the project. A review of competitive and comparable sports facilities in the area as well as across the country was conducted to understand the competitive environment that the Sports Complex would be entering for larger regional and national tournaments. Once completed, Hunden was able to perform demand and financial projections for the proposed complex.

The UW Health Sports Factory opened in June 2016 as a $24.4-million public investment supported by the City of Rockford, the Rockford Park District, state grants, and a dedicated hotel tax increase. Following the conclusion of its decade-long naming rights partnership with UW Health, the Rockford Park District is seeking a new naming rights partner as part of ongoing efforts to sustain and grow the region’s sports infrastructure.