Cedar Fair exploring the development of Cedar Point esports arena in Ohio
Already a leader in regional amusement parks, water parks, and immersive entertainment, Cedar Fair Entertainment has announced the potential development of the Cedar Point esports arena in Sandusky, Ohio.
The multi-purpose arena designed specifically for esports — the competitive side of the electronic gaming industry — would include 200 gaming stations and provide a best-in-class space to host competitive youth and collegiate gaming and esports events for up to 1,500 spectators.
The facility will also be able to host concerts, youth-oriented camps, and educational opportunities like STEM programming, with the first floor featuring the gaming hub, locker rooms, and food court area; the second floor housing a restaurant and a broadcast studio; and the third and fourth floors designated as dormitory rooms for esports camp and event attendees.
“Our long-term strategy is focused on delivering an immersive entertainment experience that differentiates our parks and makes our park guests want to come back again and again,” said Richard A. Zimmerman, Cedar Fair president and chief executive officer. “The opening of our Cedar Point Sports Center in 2017 was consistent with this strategy and has proved to be enormously popular with amateur sports teams and other large groups. Given the booming popularity of esports, we believe there is an opportunity to tap into the growing appetite for that form of entertainment and package it with all that Cedar Point has to offer.”
The new Cedar Point esports arena would demonstrate Cedar Fair’s continued investment in the region and represents the next phase of development of the approximately $50 million Cedar Point Sports Center, a highly successful sports complex that includes ten multi-purpose outdoor turf fields and a 145,000-square-foot facility with ten indoor basketball courts.
Cedar Fair has partnered with Esports Development Co. LLC to develop the preliminary plans for the estimated $28 million arena that have already been submitted to the City of Sandusky Planning Commission for review. If the plans are approved, construction is expected to begin before the end of this year, with a targeted opening in the first half of 2023.
