Look inside massive Spooky Nook Sports Complex as construction continues

HAMILTON, Ohio (FOX19) - Excitement continues to build as construction on the Spooky Nook Sports Complex progresses.

On Friday, the owner of Spooky Nook opened the doors to give a sneak peek of the progress.

The sound of saws and drills has been nonstop as the old Champion Paper Mill continues to be transformed into one of the largest indoor sporting complexes in North America.

“Up on the roofline attached to the tresses eventually, not yet, but you’ll see volleyball nets and basketball hoops come down so we can have a basketball tournament,” said Sam Beiler, who is the founder of Spooky Nook.

The 90,000 square foot area is just half of the sports center.

The other half will have 14 hardwood courts. The complex will also provide about 125,000 square feet of event space for trade shows and conventions.

Beiler says that this will be a game-changer for Hamilton.

“We expect upon opening to generate significantly to the number of people who are walking around the city,” said Beiler. “We had an event recently in Pennsylvania that generated 10,000 people per day. It was a basketball tournament.”

He expects the complex in Hamilton to do the same.

The project has hit some hiccups with the challenges of COVID and recent storm damage, but the construction has managed to push forward.

Beiler and other city leaders say their concern now is if they will be able to find enough employees to fill all of the roles.

“Hiring scares me,” said Dan Bates, the President of Greater Hamilton Chamber of Commerce. “I think everybody is saying the same thing. Employees are hard to find right now, especially entry-level employees. So, hopefully by September when the unemployment bonuses end and they’re looking to start ramping up that people will be ready to get back to work.”

Bates says the city is experiencing massive growth right now, several new businesses are moving into the area. He says he also expects the project to benefit surrounding areas.

See a spelling or grammar error in our story? Click here to report it. Please include title of story.

Copyright 2021 WXIX. All rights reserved.