Kane officials hope for big profits from cross-country track
The hype surrounding a proposed cross country facility at the old Settler's Hill landfill in Geneva rose Wednesday right along with projections of how much money the track might reap.
Last month, a potential schedule envisioned 13 cross country meets from September to mid-November that could generate $73,000 in parking fees alone. Fueled by a list of possible benefits delineated by a local track and field expert, Kane County Board members began to dream of six-figure profits Wednesday.
Skip Stolley, chairman of Chicago Area Track & Field Organizing Committee, told members of the board's Development Committee that the cross country facility would be a magnet for local high school competitions and possibly the preferred permanent site for the Big Ten Regional Cross Country Championships.
"Most sites used now for these meets were never really intended to host sporting events," Stolley said. "They can't really accommodate spectating or have adequate parking. Settler's Hill has all that and would be a fantastic, fan-friendly facility that will attract major competitions and thousands of spectators."
Stolley said the slope of Settler's Hill will allow for a viewing area where spectators could watch 75 percent of a cross country race. At most meets, fans only get to see the start and finish.
Board members Kurt Kojzarek and Theresa Barreiro expressed some skepticism the county would be able to outbid competing sites for regional high school or NCAA events. But Stolley said there really is no other site currently offering a facility that could accommodate fans, athletes and even TV coverage the way the proposed Settler's Hill course can.
"I think within three years of this facility opening that the forest preserve district would have applications for meets totaling three a week for September through early December," Stolley said.
If Stolley is right, that could mean as many as 45 cross country events in the fall. If each meet averages 1,000 cars, that's parking revenue of $225,000 a year, according to board member Mike Donahue. That doesn't include any income from concession sales or events other organizations might host, such as 5K races at the facility during the summer. Donahue said many of the people who come to the site will buy gas and eat locally and maybe stay at local hotels.
"The idea is to maximize the use," Donahue said. "For me, just getting the public on this landform is a huge benefit. I look at this really as a hybrid between an enterprise and a public open space facility."
Board members are still waiting for the results of a cost/benefit study on the facility before inking any final plans.