Officials see plenty of demand for indoor sports facilities coming to Allen County

Building two fieldhouses in Allen County with a combined 17 courts might seem like a lot – or even too much for some people, but officials aren’t worried about having enough demand.

The new facilities are expected to draw hundreds of thousands of visitors each year and help the county establish itself as a nationally recognized sports tourism destination.

Fort Wayne officials are currently accepting bids for a developer who will build a 160,000-square-foot fieldhouse on the 30-acre North River site along the St. Marys River, which has not been actively used since 2006. The facility will feature 12 basketball courts that could be converted to 24 volleyball courts.