MARCH 31, 2026
of the Southern Tier HIGHLIGHTING THE MANY BUSINESSES & INDUSTRIES THAT MAKE OUR AREA RICH IN DEVELOPMENT
INFLATABLE SPORTS COMPLEX, REDEVELOPMENT PLANNING IN SIGHTS OF OLEAN URA, OLDC By BOB CLARK OLEAN — Two groups connected to the city government are eying opportunities to help the local economy. The nonprofit Olean Local Development Corporation is looking into a study on an inflatable dome sports complex, while the public benefit corporation Urban Renewal Agency is investigating revitalization of several vacant commercial buildings in the community. THE OLDC SET ASIDE $15,000 in March for a feasibility study on an inflatable dome sports complex, which board members hope will generate tourism income for the area.
Photo provided The interior of the Todd and Jen Hutton Sports and Recreation Center at Utica College. The Olean Local Development Corporation board voted to add $15,000 to the next year’s budget for a feasibility study for a similar facility in Olean.
John Crawford, one of two Olean Common Council members who sits on the OLDC board, suggested the study, looking at demand
for such a facility, and identifying potential locations and amenities that would serve that demand. Noting a rise in
expensive travel sports and year-round athletics for children, “we don’t have enough modern indoor facilities to meet the demand,” he said.
“We have four to six months of restricted outdoor use every year.” He compared it to the city’s ice rink, which is booked solid from August to April every year and is generally self-sufficient, requiring little to no taxpayer funds to keep it operating. The facility also draws hockey teams from several counties to use the site as their home rink, and other activities are also held on the ice when in season. The cost for such a facility would be in the millions, Crawford said. He noted Utica College spent $8.5 million on a facility with a 200-meter track and a soccer field. During discussions with a provider of such structures, Crawford said he
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was told costs can range between $3 million for a small facility to $30 million for “tourist”-level facilities with multiple fields. “This could become a regional attraction and have a real economic impact,” Crawford said, with $3 million estimated impact for local businesses with a smaller facility up to $18 million for a large facility. The closest such facilities are in Buffalo, Crawford said, and noted that Houghton University has an indoor track fieldhouse, which is used heavily by people in the Olean area. “These folks are traveling to Buffalo — in ��������� continued on page A-3