By
Erie County, Ohio is the setting for many family vacations and a destination for elite athletes in a variety of sports. This is due to its abundant natural beauty combined with world-class venues and attractions. Erie County has just shy of 75,000 residents, with the city of Sandusky accounting for about 25,000 of them. Nestled within these relatively small populations are several nationally and internationally renowned venues. These include Cedar Point theme park—billed as “The Roller Coaster Capital of the World”—as well as Cedar Point Sports Center, Sports Force Parks, and the Boardwalk at Put-In-Bay. While all succeed in attracting vacationers and sports, cultural, and business events, that’s not where their impact ends. Each tourism asset is a key component in enhancing the quality of life of locals. From driving revenue to support infrastructure projects to enhancing the health and well-being of residents to providing fun, leisurely activities to do on days off, Erie County’s famous amenities stand at the center of life in this community.
According to County Commissioner Pat Shenigo, his home of Erie County and neighboring Ottawa County have about 8,000 hotel rooms. Until recent years, many stayed empty in the winter months. Cedar Point is a seasonal theme park, closing at the onset of fall, which left the community without a draw after the summer. County leaders set out to change that and a family trip sparked an idea that was a difference-maker for the community. “My wife and I and our kids used to ski at Peek n’ Peak Resort in New York. On the way out there, we often drove through Erie, Pennsylvania and I was curious how the hotels there were always full in the winter,” said Shenigo. “So I asked around and it turned out that there was an indoor soccer facility in the area. I visited the facility one day and the manager told me that they fill hotel rooms year-round because of their events. That was the real inspiration for us.”
This experience planted the seeds of a collaborative effort among the county and its most prominent businesses to build an indoor sports facility that drives visitors during the traditional off-season. The Cedar Point Sports Center (CPSC), located in Sandusky, Ohio, is a state-of-the-art indoor sports and events venue with more than 145,000 square feet of space with 10 basketball hardwood courts or 20 volleyball courts, a championship arena with retractable seating, a 9,500-square-foot entertainment center, an on-site cafe, concessions, and meeting and event spaces. Cedar Point’s parent company, Cedar Fair, acquired the land the facility was built on, a former airport, for $3 million. The company also provided $3 million for interior furnishings at the venue.
Erie County provided $20 million using 1 percent of its bed tax to fund construction. Firelands Regional Medical Center agreed to a $11 million sports medicine center attached to the sports complex.
Cedar Point Sports Center is operated by The Sports Facilities Companies, a company that partners with communities to plan, develop, and manage sports, recreation, and aquatics venues. According to the company, the facility drove $22.6 million in economic impact in 2023. That’s after driving over $19 million in economic impact in 2022. CPSC’s General Manager Justin Kijowski reports, “It was a busy year last year. That number is strictly from sports tourism—we don’t include any of our leagues, camps, clinics, or programming numbers in that. Last year alone, we hosted 3,622 teams and had over 100,000 visitors.”
He also pointed out that about 15,000 hotel room nights were driven by sports tourism in 2023. In 2024, Cedar Point Sports Center is slated to host 46 tournaments and 4,000 teams throughout the year, driving more than $25 million in economic impact to local communities.
The success of CPSC and the adjacent outdoor sports venue, along with Cedar Point and other area amenities, led to increases in tax revenues, according to Shenigo. “When I became commissioner in 2009, our sales tax was about $12 million per year. We’re going to hit $23 million this year.”
Shenigo continues, “We collected $683,000 in real estate taxes for the sports complexes in 2022. The inflow of money has also allowed the county to pay down debt and finance infrastructure projects, according to Shenigo. This impact can be felt in the day-to-day lives of Erie County residents.
“We have great restaurants, retail, and [many amenities] that we probably wouldn’t have if we didn’t have Cedar Point and some of these other activities. We use sports as an economic development tool and so far, it’s worked out well for us,” says Shenigo.
Image Source: Cedar Point Sports Center
Kijowski notes that CPSC supports the surrounding community in two ways. “Our impact is twofold. Our primary purpose is sports tourism and the economic impact of hotels, overnight stays, and spending by teams that are brought into the community through our tournaments.”
“The other is the wide variety of high-quality sports and recreation programming where we provide leagues, camps, and clinics to residents.”
CPSC’s programming provides league, camp, and clinic opportunities to youth in the Erie County area. “Last year alone we hosted over 2,000 athletes in those programs, and that includes school-year programming and our summer camps. I think we’ve done a great job of offering healthy activities for local kids that weren’t available before the building opened,” Kijowski says. He adds that, for adults, there’s a walking track open to the public at no cost, and there’s adult pickleball during the day. “We are tremendously proud of our ability to balance our impact on the community with local offerings throughout the week while also driving consistent economic impact through sports tourism on the weekends.”
Kijowski adds, “We host everything from tournaments to craft shows to food shows, to conventions and symposiums. We just worked with our communities to host a solar eclipse event here at the facility. We’ve really become more than a sports tourism venue. I believe we serve a need in the community for a lot of people.”
On July 21st, athletes from around the world will take to the waters of Erie County’s Shores and Islands. They’ll also take to the roads on foot and bike. The region has hosted IRONMAN 70.3 OHIO now for two years and recently signed a contract to host the event for three more years after the contract ends in 2025. Last year, about 1,600 people participated and another 2,500 cheered on competitors. The economic impact was more than $5 million—from that weekend alone.
Shenigo notes that the area’s natural beauty is what attracts Ironman and other events, including the Ohio Bike Week which draws in over 100,000 people every year. Our area is a big boating area because of the shallow lake and the islands. I think that draws events like Ironman and I think that’s what attracts people overall.”
With its blend of natural beauty and world-class attractions like Cedar Point and the Cedar Point Sports Center, Erie and Ottawa Counties have not only become a premier destination for tourists and athletes but also a vibrant community enriched by these assets. The economic benefits are substantial, driving revenue, supporting local infrastructure, and enhancing the quality of life for residents. More than just a seasonal hotspot, this area now thrives year-round, fostering local youth programs, hosting diverse events, and drawing international attention with major competitions.
“People are coming in for Ironman from all over the country plus eight or nine foreign countries,” explains Larry Fletcher, president of Shores & Islands Ohio, the area’s destination marketing organization. “This gives us an opportunity to welcome a lot of first-time visitors to the area. It’s a whole new audience to the region, and that will continue to pay dividends for us.”
Magazine
Playmaker Events
Connect with playmaker
