Show Low Sports and Event Center Design
Summary
Architects trimmed about 3,200 square feet from the event center — mostly kitchen, lobby, and meeting rooms — for an estimated $500,000 savings, without cutting capacity. The council approved the revised layout and got its first look at interior concepts, with a full cost estimate due in March.
At a glance
- Total mentions
- 7
- Last 30 days
- 1
Discussed at 1 meeting in the last 60 days; most recently Oct 27, 2026.
Impact analysis
The design trim is conservatively estimated to save about $500,000.
Residents who will use the gym, meeting rooms, and event space, plus taxpayers facing a smaller construction bill.
Adjacent residential owners, including commenter Peter Wolfe, are concerned about visual impact of the added height.
Mentions & discussions (7)
General - Oct 27, 2026
Construction has moved onto the site and grading starts soon. The final Guaranteed Maximum Price goes to the City Council on November 17 — that's when residents will learn the full cost.
City Council - Sep 1, 2026
The council approved a $426,871 design fee change order and a $4,164,680 contract to start grading and lock in steel prices for the 115,000-square-foot sports and event center. Councilmember Clark pushed hard on why the extra half-million wasn't presented earlier; the total $56.8 million budget wasn't changed. A final GMP comes November 17 and financing talks are set for September 15.
Parks and Recreation Committee - Aug 12, 2026
The roughly $56 million Sports and Events Center is on budget and moving into final construction documents, with site work possibly starting in late September or October. It will bring six courts, a walking track, workout space, and a 10,000-square-foot event space that could host conventions, weddings, and youth tournaments.
City Council - Aug 11, 2026
The developer donated a better-suited 12.26-acre parcel for the Sports and Events Center, and the city gave back two earlier parcels that turned out not to fit the project.
City Council - Apr 21, 2026
The sports and event center's price tag had crept up to nearly $58 million, so council went line-by-line through about $2.2 million in cuts — keeping the lobby ceiling and meeting room windows but simplifying finishes and the loading dock. The approved budget is $56.85 million, and some members still want to get closer to $50 million before construction.
Planning and Zoning Commission - Feb 10, 2026
The city can now build its long-planned event center up to 60 feet tall in Show Low Bluff. Construction could start this fall with completion due by June 2028; a resident questioned the 33% height increase near residential lots.
City Council - Feb 3, 2026
Architects trimmed about 3,200 square feet from the event center — mostly kitchen, lobby, and meeting rooms — for an estimated $500,000 savings, without cutting capacity. The council approved the revised layout and got its first look at interior concepts, with a full cost estimate due in March.
Related development
Show Low Bluff Development Agreement — Fifth Amendment Land Donation and Re-Conveyance
The event center gets its final, better-suited site; the developer regains two parcels for other uses in the Bluff development.
Show Low Bluff event center height CUP
A major community venue that could break ground this fall, roughly 500 feet from the nearest home, with debates over its 33% height increase.
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