The Enhance Iowa Board made its first award today (Thursday) under a new program for baseball and softball fields. The board awarded a two-and-a-half million dollar tax rebate — the most allowed — to the BettPlex in Bettendorf. Under the program, a baseball or softball complex with a construction cost of at least 10 million dollars can request a sales tax rebate for admission tickets, merchandise or other goods sold at the complex for up to 10 years.

The BettPlex is a 40 million dollar project that will feature six full turf baseball and softball fields along with facilities for indoor and outdoor soccer, basketball, volleyball, pickleball, wrestling and sand volleyball.

The bill passed the Iowa Legislature last year after being proposed for the “Prospect Meadows” baseball/soccer complex near Marion.

(Radio Iowa)