The dream of a multi-use indoor recreation facility in Nevada is now a reality.

The Nevada Field House opened the doors to its $7.7 million, 55,000-square-foot facility on Jan. 30, offering plenty of recreation space for youth and adults.

The building is home to three full-size high school basketball courts, a large turf area, an indoor playground, batting cages, an elevated track, and a multi-purpose area.

The project was identified while Nevada was creating its Vision 2020 Plan in the late 1990, a culmination of a dream more than 20 years in the making. Nevada Assistant Parks and Recreation Director Rhonda Maier said the community needed an indoor recreation facility.

“I think that the wait was worth it, as we were able to get a building that’s more than a gym floor,” Maier said. “At the end of the day, we ended up with a nice facility that’s going to serve Nevada for a long time.”

The field house will be instrumental for business growth and attracting new families to town. The facility will feature a variety of programs at varying price points, with several free options.

“I think at the end of the day, what you need to do is offer something for everybody,” Maier said. “In my eyes, that’s what we’re offering. We’re offering the services to allow people to be healthy and happy.”

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The long road to completion

Several hiccups slowed the progress of the long-awaited Nevada Field House.

The city initially established a collaborative focus group with the Story County Medical Center in 2017 to bring the vision to life, but an unexpectedly high project budget brought the facility to a halt.

The city decided to shift gears and pilot the project on their own to scale back funding, which allowed the facility to be built along Fawcett Parkway. The city already owned the land and the parking lot, making it possible to construct a two-level building at a fairly reasonable cost, Maier said.

Fundraising began in 2020, but money slowed as the COVID-19 pandemic took over.

“It always seemed like we would take five steps forward and then three steps back,” Maier said. “It took a little while to get where we are, especially to try and raise funds and make it all happen through the pandemic.”

Nevada broke ground on the field house in the summer of 2022, paving the way for the Nevada Parks and Recreation Department to host all its programs in one location.

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Various activities bring high traffic to Nevada Field House

The field house has experienced plenty of traffic since its opening by playing host basketball and volleyball tournaments and a 4th Grade Padded Flag Football program while many families have used the indoor playground. The staff has been busy setting residents up with passes and giving tours as well.

Pickleball has also been popular, while the elevated track has been used frequently.

“We are offering a lot to the Nevada and surrounding communities on a daily basis,” Maier said. “It is bringing a lot of people from other communities and a larger circle of central Iowa to our facility and our community. That will continue to increase as we build our programming and tournament offerings.”

The parks department is taking small steps to add new programs. Maier is looking forward to building the adult programming and recreational activities and said the Central Iowa Recreation League will use the facility frequently as well.

The Nevada Parks and Recreation Department noted the Field House’s immediate impact. Maier appreciates seeing people enjoying themselves as a group.

She said having opportunities for recreation is key to a happy and healthy community.

“To have a place to go to be comfortable and feel at home in, I think that’s what you want your community to have,” Maier said. “We’ll just continue to grow as a community through having hold opportunities here that we haven’t been able to before.”

Celia Brocker is a government, crime, political and education reporter for the Ames Tribune. She can be reached at CBrocker@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Find out what Nevada’s newly opened $7.7 million field house offers