Authority Approves Schematic for Sports Complex
Original article published by Mike W. Ray in Southwest Ledger, May 13th 2025
Welcome to Lawton Mural - Lawton, OK
LAWTON – The Lawton Youth Sports Trust Authority is ready to start the second phase in designing the city’s youth sports complex.
After reviewing a schematic design for the complex, the authority voted unanimously May 8 to accept it. The board also authorized Chairman Brian Henry to notify Eastern Sports Management, which is the design consultant on the project, and the architectural firm ADG Blatt to move on to the design development phase.
The schematic design phase involved laying out a floor plan, planning how the building’s exterior would look and envisioning the layout of the site, Henry said in an email to a Southwest Ledger reporter. The design development phase will focus on the details of the floor plan, the exterior look and the site plan.
“It should begin to get us a better idea of cost as we can start moving towards RFP for construction costs,” Henry said, using the acronym for a request for proposals.
‘We want them to stay’ The sports complex will be located on 120 acres off Gore Boulevard, near MacArthur High School. ADG Blatt is designing the entire site, which will include outdoor ballfields as well as the building.
ESM and ADG Blatt’s concept envisions a 142,000-square-foot building that will include eight basketball courts, which could be converted into 16 volleyball courts, said ESM project manager Brian Cann. The building will also include space for administrative offices, a lounge-style seating area, multipurpose rooms and other amenities.
The lounge-style seating will encourage visitors to spend more time at the complex, which could generate additional revenue for the facility, Cann said.
“The best-case scenario is we have people that come to an event – to a class, to a program, whatever – and we want them to stay,” he said. “They’re buying sodas. They’re buying food. They’re enjoying the atmosphere. They’re hanging out with the team after a game. That’s going to increase the experience within the facility.”