An Economic Development Specialist in Newton who has been working with the developers of a proposed multi-million dollar indoor/outdoor softball complex is confident the facility will be built. 

Plans for the then $32 million dollar facility called Project FastPitch were announced at Iowa Speedway in August of 2019. But the Covid Pandemic impacted the developers’ financing, according to Newton Economic Development Specialist Craig Armstrong. He has worked on the project for about seven years, and says there should be a groundbreaking in the middle of this year.

“The guys involved in this as investors have already put in well in excess of $2.5 million of their own money. They are not going to let this thing go. Not a shovel of earth has been turned and they have already spent $2.5 million. Believe me, it’s going to happen.”

The Project FastPitch facility is to be built directly north of Iowa Speedway and south of Interstate 80. It’s proposed to have a 300,000-square-foot enclosed building containing four NCAA regulation-sized softball fields, batting cages, meeting rooms, and a restaurant. Around the building will be twelve regulation-sized softball fields with unique turf that will allow games to be played within minutes of a large rainstorm. 

If the facility is built, Armstrong says the developers plan to have nearly 50  tournaments throughout the year. Each would last three to four days.