The center’s focus is on the recreational needs of athletes with special needs. It will become the home of the Butler County Special Olympics.
“It all started with a dream,’’ said Kim Nuxhall, president and board chairman of The Nuxhall Foundation.
Nuxhall said it was his father’s dream — former Cincinnati Reds player and announcer Joe Nuxhall — to build an indoor gymnasium for use by athletes with special needs long before his 2007 death.
Fairfield city leaders and league officials have been collaborating more than a year on the project, designed by SHP. It required some adjustments to the area the city leases to the Miracle League, approved by city council earlier this week.
“We’ve had this vision to build the world’s most comprehensive campus for athletes with physical and developmental disabilities,’’ said Tyler Bradshaw, executive director of The Nuxhall Foundation.
“Once it’s complete there will be nothing like this in the rest of the world.”
The central focus of the center will be its arena with a stage that can accommodate all kinds of sports. The stage can be used as a dance studio or group fitness classes.
The multipurpose room can be used for recreational offerings including wheelchair sports and even a zipline.
There are also game, therapy, and office rooms along with a concession area. The rentable community room will become the permanent home to the Nuxhall archives. It will have and indoor/outdoor patio area.
Among the collection is a world series ring — and bags of Marty and Joe potato chips, Bradshaw said.
The Heading for Hope campaign to raise funds for construction, staffing, and day-to-day operations will officially launch at the Oct. 25 Miracle Ball at the Oscar Event Center at Jungle Jim’s International Market.
The goal is to raise $10 million in cash and in-kind services for the project. So far, about $2.5 million has been raised and set aside, Bradshaw said.
“We hope to potentially move dirt in the next six months. Our dream is a grand opening in the next year or two,’’ Nuxhall said.
“We’re going to create a Special Abilities Hall of Fame so these players can be recognized.”
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