Gadsden Athletic Center Groundbreaking Ceremony

The City of Gadsden, alongside Mayor Craig Ford, elected officials, project partners, and community stakeholders, celebrated the groundbreaking of the Gadsden Athletic Center on Friday at the former West Meighan Complex, marking the official start of construction on a new sports and recreation destination for the community. Planned along West Meighan Boulevard, the Gadsden Athletic Center is being developed as a nearly 29-acre campus designed to support both everyday recreation for residents and regional sports tourism. When complete, the Gadsden Athletic Center is expected to feature 161,000 square feet of indoor athletics, eight hardwood basketball courts with overlays for volleyball and pickleball, a family entertainment center with arcade games, duckpin bowling, and sports simulators, a large fitness center, an indoor aquatics center with a six-lane, 25-yard competition pool and a zero-entry leisure pool, flexible meeting and party spaces, four natural grass, 300-foot baseball and softball diamonds, 12 outdoor pickleball courts, and additional pavilions, trails, green space, playground amenities, and parking across the complex. Once complete, the venue will bring courts, aquatics, fitness, family entertainment, and outdoor play spaces together in one year-round destination for Gadsden families, athletes, and visitors.