Legacy Park
Mesa voters rejected a bond request for a state-owned sports facility nearby in 2018. That rejection paved the way for a private project on the site of a former General Motors testing facility. Ground broke on the new construction in October 2020. Legacy Sports envisioned the entire complex as their vision before securing a ten-year naming rights deal with Bell Bank. The estimated cost reached $280 million to build the sprawling grounds.
The facility opened its doors on the 7th of January 2022, just days before a grand celebration. A musician named Lindsey Stirling headlined the official Grand Opening event on the 4th of February 2022. An Association of Pickleball Players Tour hosted a pickleball event there on the 4th of January 2022. Valley United FC and FC Arizona claimed the stadium as their home starting from 2022. Park University announced that their Gilbert campus would use the venue for athletic events in February 2022. Jam On It amateur basketball tournaments committed to hosting events at the location until 2032.
A five-thousand-seat outdoor stadium anchors the main performance area of the complex. Two thousand eight hundred seats fill the indoor stadium adjacent to the open field. Thirty-five soccer or lacrosse fields stretch across the property alongside fifty-seven indoor volleyball courts. Eight baseball or softball fields sit ready for play while twenty basketball courts occupy the interior spaces. Forty-one pickleball courts provide space for the growing sport and twelve beach volleyball courts offer sand-based action. Six futsal courts round out the playing surfaces available to visitors. A gymnastics center and dance studio support artistic training within the walls. A cheer center and sports performance center complete the list of specialized facilities.
Financial troubles emerged almost immediately after the doors opened to the public. Bell Bank ended their naming rights partnership on the 14th of April 2023. The park was renamed Legacy Park shortly after that agreement dissolved. Just sixteen months after opening, the facility filed for bankruptcy on the 1st of May 2023. Owners of the park known as Legacy Cares reported $366.7 million in liabilities at that time. They held only $242.3 million in assets against those debts. The venue name changed again to Arizona Athletic Grounds by December 2023.
The U.S. trustee issued a twenty-three-page filing in July 2023 regarding the case. That document asked the judge to assign a federal trustee to take over management from owner Legacy Cares. The filing accused Legacy Cares of failing to disclose conflicts of interest during operations. Investigators claimed they improperly diverted assets away from the estate. One specific budgeted fee of $708,000 went to Elite Sports Group without justification. Reports indicated executives received excessive pay while multiple family members of connected people were employed. A federal trustee now manages the business affairs and legal standing of the property.
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Common questions
When did Legacy Park open its doors to the public?
Legacy Park opened its doors on the 7th of January 2022. The facility hosted a pickleball event by the Association of Pickleball Players Tour on the 4th of January 2022 before the official grand opening.
Who owns Legacy Park and what happened to their financial status in 2023?
Owners known as Legacy Cares reported $366.7 million in liabilities when they filed for bankruptcy on the 1st of May 2023. They held only $242.3 million in assets against those debts at that time.
What is the seating capacity of the outdoor stadium at Legacy Park?
A five-thousand-seat outdoor stadium anchors the main performance area of the complex. Two thousand eight hundred seats fill the indoor stadium adjacent to the open field.
Why was Bell Bank removed from the naming rights deal for Legacy Park?
Bell Bank ended their naming rights partnership on the 14th of April 2023 due to financial troubles emerging almost immediately after the doors opened. The park was renamed Legacy Park shortly after that agreement dissolved.
How many sports fields are available at Legacy Park for visitors?
Thirty-five soccer or lacrosse fields stretch across the property alongside fifty-seven indoor volleyball courts. Eight baseball or softball fields sit ready for play while twenty basketball courts occupy the interior spaces.